Aja Loftin, M.A

noel nods, admiring her decorative instincts. excising things that don't matter. "oh, so i made the cut?" he snaps his attention back down to aja. his 6'2 height makes him generally taller than women. the musician teases because, well, he already came all this way. and the banter is pretty addictive by now. the chemistry between them was something he definitely didn't imagine all those nights ago. it had been real. it is real right now. a grin on his lips, the blond takes a step closer, noticing how her thumb hovers over her phone screen. "i'm a gentleman, aja. i don't text and tell," he chuckles, all flirty. whatever message her coworker had sent him doesn't matter. not when he can choose to be present in the here and now. mindfulness is something his therapist has encouraged him to do lately. it works. sometimes. other times, he just gets high to deal with the never-ending anxiety that hangs over him. but now, standing only a few feet away from aja, it all dissipates.

”Careful, now,” Aja laughed, “I wouldn’t call being here by happenstance and the machinations of a jaded coworker ‘making the cut.’  Seeing you again and so early in the morning is one of those surprise pre-breakfast delicacies.” Aja took the first, cautious sip of her coffee. Warm, flavorful, with a surprise lean towards dark chocolate. Americano with a hint of favoritism. Her lips curled into an approving smile before she took a second sip. Noel knew his coffee shops.

I want it just like this every time.