It was another Sunday, and I couldn't be more excited to meet up with Layla at Noir Lux Coffee. I was in the mood for an iced cinnamon dolce, so I decide to wear a casual cream-colored halter-top, light washed denim, dainty gold jewelry and a pair of brown and gold Tory Burch sandals. I didn't want to show up late so I quickly grabbed my small leopard Brandon Blackwood handbag and rushed out the door. As I approached the coffee shop, I could smell the espressos in the air. I leaned against the counter, casually ordering a Cinnamon Dolce latte with one pump of Butter Pecan syrup. I couldn't keep my focus, I couldn't keep my eyes on the menu, instead, I was searching for something that wasn't on the menu. I was looking for him. Russel. My sexy scented neighbor with the deep laugh and a habit of disappearing. No calls, no texts just radio static. I've been replaying our lobby moment over and over in my head, wondering if I've been too forward, too hopeful, too willing to sip the possibility of him and I. But the answer came when I least expected it. While I waited for Layla, I decided to indulge in my coffee and people watch. A mid height, pixie cut style woman with countless tattoos and an aura of unbothered walked up to my table. She didn't introduce herself right away. Instead, she expressed how long she has been looking for me. She smirked and then dropped the kind of truth that burns hotter than a spilled hot coffee. "I'm Russel's ex Sophia, but he likes to call me Soph. I'm not sure if he had told you as of yet but we're still seeing each other. Intimately". I froze like a Frappuccino. The woman slid her phone across the table. It was my number. She said he had my name saved in his phone as Coffee Wifey. She then proceeded to say, "I've been actively stopping by the coffee shop in hopes of running into you to inform you that, he's a cereal dater and if you're looking for any future with him, good luck because I'm not the only one he's occasionally sleeping with". Still froze, I thought to myself this coffee conversation couldn't have gotten any bitter. Just intime, Layla walked up with her coffee piping hot. The woman walked away and immediately I began to coffee dump this tough sip to swallow. We decided that coffee wasn't the appropriate drink for this issue, so we walked back to our building. I wanted to just curl up in bed, but Layla had that kind of warmth in a friend that I desperately needed. She invited me up to her apartment for a glass of wine. I didn't hesitate. One glass turned into three. Laughter turned into vulnerability. And then a kiss. Unexpected. Soft. Then thirsty. Before I could even process it, I found myself making out with Layla, My new coffee buddy. Both of us were stripped down to nothing but lingerie and raw emotions. For a moment, the world blurred. Wine, espressos, heartbreak, desire and escapism. But then clarity. Reality snapped back, we stopped breathless, laying side by side in nothing but panties and the weight of choices that we almost made. I just laid there staring at the ceiling. I didn't know what next Sunday would bring. But I knew this dating was messy, intoxicating with a Noir Lux Coffee plot twist.

                                                                         To Be Continued