I don’t think twice before I take one of papers he offers, quickly skimming the rules. Two-hundred-fifty-word column of your choice. Top five chosen to attend a formal dinner. Winner signs two-year contract with full salary.

Satisfied, I tuck the form into my notebook and follow Logan out of building. This is the class I was looking forward to the most, so I was hoping for our first assignment. I’m probably his only student who wants homework on the first day, and my other professors should not get this idea confused with their classes. I just want to write. Learning about this contest will fill that void for now.

“Thank god he didn’t give us homework on the first day. I suck at writing,” Logan shares with me as we walk to my car.

“Then why did you take this class?” I ask, trying not to laugh. What kind of person doesn’t like to write?

“I needed one more elective and Sara told me you’d be enrolled in this one. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a least one class where I know someone.”

“Aww, Logan…you think we’re friends?” I joke as we reach my car.

“Ha, funny, Kels,” he says walking backward with a smile “See you at the meeting.”

“Wait…do you need a ride?” Logan lives in the building next to Sara and I. It’s close to the college, so he usually walks, but I am hoping today is different. I need an extra pair of hands when I pick up coffee for Sara, Ethan, and I.

“Nope, got plans,” he shouts before turning around and heading downtown toward his apartment.

I’ll be fine without him. I’m a bartender for crying out loud—I know how to successfully carry three drinks at once. Piece of cake.

Ethan

I needed to do a few things before meeting up with Logan, and my last stop is close enough to the diner I can walk. We’ll probably visit only for an hour or less before the BA meeting starts and I need to think about what I’m going to say if he asks why I’m back in town. The simple “helping out the family” might work, but I haven’t been back in a while and Sara and Logan aren’t strangers. He more than likely knows our families have been feuding for years. It never came up with us, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know.

I stop at the corner and wait for the little walk man to show up on the light. I’m going to be early to the diner, but I don’t mind. A few minutes of silence alone never hurt anyone. It’ll give me just enough time to get Kelsey and that tiny outfit she was wearing this morning off my mind before Logan shows up.

I’d hoped by the time I’d signed up for a gym membership and went grocery shopping, she would be off my mind. It was going good until I passed an aisle with a pair of ear plugs hanging on the end. Then all I thought about was last night.

Maybe if I stopped trying to avoid her, I won’t be so interested when I do run into her. Who cares if after one day I find myself smiling when she’s around? Good situation or not, she’s just a girl and one I should start thinking of as my employee.

Laughter from behind catches my attention and I look over my shoulder. A group of girls are coming out of another coffee shop, and it’s obvious something is really funny to them. They continue to laugh as they round the corner. Their laughter grows quiet and just before the door to the coffee shop closes completely, I hear the sound of a very familiar voice.

I feel like I’m spying, but I want to make sure I’m not going crazy. It’s bad enough I can’t stop thinking of her, but now I’m hearing her, too. This isn’t good. I take a step toward the coffee shop then freeze when the door flies open and Kelsey steps out holding three coffees in a triangle shape between her hands. She is looking down with a smile and shaking her head.

It’s clear she hasn’t noticed me. I try to move out of her way, but I’m not fast enough. I swear it is like I watch the whole thing in slow motion: My foot is still in the way, and as I pull it back, Kelsey’s leg catches it. She spins around fast, trying to regain balance. It’s not going well and as she starts to fall back. I reach out to grab her and pull on her arm too hard; she practically flies at me.

Normally, I would be accepting of situations that bring her body close to mine, but right now all I can think about is the coffees still in her hands, their tops now missing from her gripping them so tight. Like a spring, I jump back. Unfortunately, I don’t let go of her arms. All cups of coffee are in the air, headed right toward me.

Shit.

“Hot! Ahhh that was hot!” I shout as I do some stupid hot-coffee dance. I’m leaning forward, tugging on the front of my shirt repeatedly, like that will cool me down. After what feels like hours but is most likely seconds, my shirt is cool enough that I let go of it and look up at Kelsey. Only she isn’t there. She’s gone.

Chapter Six

Kelsey

Crap.

Double crap.

Sara’s going to kill me. If she doesn’t do it physically, she’ll do it with her eyes. She’s the best at speaking with her eyes. It must run in their family. She isn’t going to have anything nice to say about this, even if all of it was unintentional. She should be playing nice. Not only because Ethan is her cousin, but also because he is going to be my temporary boss. And what have I done? Nothing but terrorize the poor guy.

I push open the door that leads into the bar and poke my head inside, looking left and then right. What if Ethan already called her and told her what I’ve done to him? Maybe she will think it’s funny and we can laugh about it. I take a step inside. The coast is clear. She’s probably in the office, outlining the necessary points of this meeting. I’ll have a few minutes to pull myself together before she comes out.

I love the feeling of being at the bar before we open. Like I have secret no one knows. When it’s quiet enough, I can hear the music playing and understand the words. I can actually see the posters of bands who have played here in the past and the neon signs displayed on the walls. Most of the time, I’m so caught up in serving drinks and trying to keep everyone happy, I forget about the small details.

Scratches and chips are visible across the bar top as I run my hand along the surface, heading to stuff my purse in one of the cubbies behind it. It’s an “I’m worn and loved” look, the markings of a very popular bar. I hope Sara’s parents don’t ever try to replace it.

“Day one and he’s going to be late!” Sara slams the office door behind her. I jump and cringe at the same time. Guilty. She stomps her way to the counter, throws herself onto a stool, and buries her face in her elbow as she leans onto the bar. “You’re here before he is. Maybe I should have left you in charge after all.”

Her head snaps up.

“Wait,” she looks around, then at her watch, the clock behind the bar, and finally on me. “Something’s wrong. What happened?”

I show up early and she panics. Shouldn’t the boss be happy about that? I shrug then turn the water on. I should get a head start on the side work. Distracting myself is a good idea.

Sara hops off her seat, and I can hear the sound of her black flats slapping against the hard floor as she makes her way behind the bar. She looks nice today. I like her purple top, and the black shorts are cute too. Wait, those are my black shorts!

“Why are you here early, Kelsey?” A smile creeps up slowly on her lips and she begins tapping her foot. Her eyes give me a once-over. “And you’re wearing a dress…why?”

I focus on mixing the right amount of soap into the water.

“No reason. I was bored sitting at the house so I got ready, went to class, and came here.”

“Mmm hmm. So it has nothing to do with my cousin?”

“No, it has—”

“Well, I’ll be damned, Kelsey Brian showed up to work before me. Now I’ve seen it all.” Logan struts into the bar like he owns the place and lets out a low whistle. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”