Despite being fifteen minutes late, I was apparently the first to arrive at the coffee shop. I looked around the tiny, hole-in-the-wall cafe and quickly assessed that neither Zola nor Sunita was waiting for me.

The Coffee Shop, as it was known to all the locals, had a charming antique vibe, with lots of dark wood and deep red colors. Heavy wooden tables and chairs lined the entire length of the left wall, and they were usually full, except during warmer weather when people preferred to sit outside at the tables located in the square. There was a small counter towards the right where the baristas and cashiers stood, taking orders. Behind them was a tall shelf, full of vintage coffee makers and various antiques. It always smelled amazing here, regardless of the season. I loved this place because they also brewed really good iced tea in the summer. I lingered at the front door, glancing out the window as I pulled out my phone.

Me: At the café, where are you?

Zola: Still on the train! Be there in 10 mins.

Me: Okie Dokie.

“Hey, Diana!”

A surge of lust knocked into me, and I felt ill. I knew who it was without even turning around.

“How’s it going?” Len asked, sounding even closer. I still had my back to him as I began typing frantically, hoping it would quicken Zola and Sunita’s arrival.

Me: Oh god, it’s Len, get here fast.

I was bracing myself mentally when Lenard reached out to touch my shoulder. Touch only amplified my powers, and I could feel his desire wash over me. I turned quickly, tossing my shoulder as I did so to dislodge his hand. I’m sure my smile was more of a grimace, but Len didn’t seem to notice. I was honestly surprised to see him since he would usually mooch the coffee from his parents’ small cafe in the corner of their market rather than pay for it. Len beamed down at me as he pushed back his mop of curly brown hair. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a faded band t-shirt over a long-sleeve thermal, standard Lenard apparel.

“Hey Len, it’s going fine,” I finally responded, glancing briefly at him. I looked down at my phone to see a response from Zola; she was telling me they would be there ASAP.

“I haven’t seen you in the store in ages, what’s up?” Len asked, moving in far too close for my comfort. I didn’t want to confess that after our disastrous first and only date, I had figured out his schedule at the market to avoid him. I casually attempted to look for an escape path, but Lenard was blocking the only exit, so I had nowhere to go. At least not without knocking him over in the process, and boy was that idea tempting.

“Oh, you know, school. Busy busy,” I chirped, trying to sound polite. Len himself was out of high school, so he spent most of his time working at the market while taking courses at the local community college in the city.

“That’s right, senior year, huh? Hey, can I buy you a cup of coffee? We can hang out,” Len suggested.

“I am actually waiting for someone so...” I mumbled, trailing off.

“Well, you can wait with me until they come,” Len insisted.

In my head, a million excuses began flying around. I got mad at myself. Tell him the truth, Diana! “I don’t-”

“When are you going to let me take you on another date?” Len declared, inching even closer. I took a step away from him, hoping he would pick up on the hint. His proximity to me and the emotions I felt coming from him unnerved me, and I felt myself stumbling for the words to tell him to get lost. I was cursing my hesitation yet again when a voice broke through the crowd.

“Hey-hey, have you been waiting long?”

I turned to see the beautiful girl from the market, Maya, walking over to me. I looked at her, confused, wondering if she was here to meet Len, but the perky girl’s eyes never left mine.

“Have you ordered anything yet? I’m so sorry I’m late!” Maya asked me. I was flummoxed, as I had only met this person a few hours before and certainly never made plans with her. Maya leaned in close, giving me a quick hug. As she touched me, I could sense her worry and suspicion. She whispered in my ear as she hugged me. “I’m Maya. Pretend I’m a friend if he is bugging you.”

I was finally catching on, so I hugged her back briefly, plastering a smile on my face as we pulled apart.

“You’re not late, I just got here,” I reassured her.

“Oh, is this who you were waiting for?” Len questioned, examining the beautiful creature standing next to me. I could sense his disappointment, but also his curiosity.

“Nice talking to you, Len,” I emphasized, hoping he would catch on. Maya playfully leaned against me, smiling nicely at Len but not addressing him.

“Oh, well, glad you found each other,” Len said. He pulled out his cell phone, glancing at the screen. “I gotta run, my break is almost over. See you around the store, Diana.”

“Aren’t you going to order any coffee?” I called out as Len made a beeline for the door. Maya giggled at my comment, covering her mouth with her hand as she did. I looked over at her, trying to find the right words to thank her for the intervention. Maya still looked adorable in her polka-dot shirt and shorts. This close to the young woman, I swore she had no pores. I caught myself staring at her and rushed to say something. “Thanks for stepping in, Maya, was it?”

“You’ve got it!” Maya bubbled. “Anything to help a fair maiden in need.”

I chuckled at her phrasing. Fair maiden, huh? “Well, my name is Diana.”

“I know,” Maya nodded.

“You do?” I said, raising my eyebrow at her.

“Yeah, I heard that boy call you by that name,” she explained. Maya studied my face as I relaxed slightly. “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry, that sounded super creepy. Like, I know who you are! I’ve been watching you secretly or something.” Maya started laughing loudly.

“Haha, yeah, I kinda freaked out for a second,” I admitted. Maya’s happiness and amusement rolled off her in waves; it was infectious. “Let me buy you a drink to say thank you.”

“Okay,” Maya agreed quickly. “If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” I assured her, shaking my head. “It’s the least I could do. Len makes me so uncomfortable.” I began walking towards the line to order, and Maya followed, glancing up at the menu.

“I could see that,” Maya stated, looking over at me.

“I know I should say something to him, but-”

“Your body language said everything! It was his fault for not picking up on it,” Maya grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I just can’t stand to see people push themselves on others like that.”

I was pondering what Maya said as we both ordered, and she was right, Len often never noticed my discomfort. I was determined to tell him clearly I wasn’t interested the next time I saw him. As I thought about him, I decided to shoot a quick text to Zola to let her know the crisis was over, as she had sent several follow-up texts asking about my situation.

Maya and I ended up hitting it off as we waited for our drinks, and before I knew it, we were both sitting together at a table near the window. Hanging out with Maya felt almost nostalgic, even though this was our first time hanging out together. We chatted and laughed as we enjoyed our drinks, the conversation flowing easily.

Thanks to our prime location, I managed to catch Zola and Sunita as they arrived. I waved to catch their attention, and my friends waved back, looking slightly perplexed, I’m sure, due to Maya’s random appearance. They both got in line to order, occasionally throwing curious looks at my new tablemate until their order was ready. As they approached our corner table, I could tell Zola was eagerly taking in Maya’s fashionable appearance. Zola herself was wearing her favorite summer maxi dress, despite it being the middle of autumn. She paired it with a cardigan, a brightly colored striped scarf, and tortoiseshell glasses. Sunita was in her usual A-line skirt with a collared shirt and sweater combo. The sweater was a deep navy with tiny pale blue deer dancing across the chest.

“Hey Massey, sorry we are late,” Zola began, smiling widely. “I see you made a new friend.”

“Zola, Sunita, this is Maya,” I said. “She rescued me from Len.”

Maya stood up to lean over the table and shake hands with Zola and Sunita, who each shook her hand like it was a business meeting.

“Hello, friends of Diana! I’m Maya, full name Maayan!” the beautiful blonde sang. “I use gender-neutral pronouns, just for future reference.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I muttered hastily, my cheeks blushing. “I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“That’s okay,” Maya said, placing their hand on my arm. “You know now!”

“You might have to correct me a few times,” Zola admitted, sitting down in the chair across from Maya as Sunita took the chair in front of me.

“It’s nice to meet you, Maya,” Sunita said quietly. “I’m glad you could help Diana.”

“Yeah, that Len, he cannot take a hint,” Zola chimed in, taking a sip of her iced coffee. “Oh my gosh, this is so good, totally worth the train ride.”

“Yes, because a scenic train ride through the mountains is just terrible,” I quipped, stirring my drink.

“Nature, ick!” Zola joked as Sunita and I giggled.

“Do you not like nature, Ms. Zola?” Maya asked glumly. I stopped myself from laughing.

“Just Zola is fine, and we are joking, hun.”

“Yeah, Zola is crazy about nature,” I explained. “She is an avid outdoors person, and she loves to garden.”

“Oh! A joke, yes, of course,” Maya realized. “That is good because you have much earth energy about you.”

“Just call me Mother Nature,” Zola replied, slightly perplexed by Maya’s statement. She looked over at me, raising her eyebrows. I shrugged in response.

“You’ll have to forgive them, Maya, they like to joke a lot,” Sunita commented, eyeing us both over her mug of tea. “Their brand of humor is mostly sarcasm, so it does take some getting used to.”

“Wow, I’m hurt,” I gasped, clutching at my heart.

“Wounded even,” Zola added, pursing her lips.

Maya stared at us for a beat before saying, “Oh, okay. You’re all joking.”

“They catch on fast,” Zola smiled, winking at Maya, who laughed. Zola then began peppering Maya with questions about their outfit, chatting happily for the next few minutes. The door to the shop jingled softly, and I was surprised when the person approached our table instead of the coffee counter. Maya’s face lit up as Azar appeared, his hands tucked into his coat.

(To be continued in Part 2)