The Coffee Shop

Sage

I was a failure as a man.

All through my Twenty five years, I could count the number of times I have spoken to the member of the opposite sex except asking for directions. I was inept when it came to talking to women and for some reason, Kaiden thought he could help me.

The low hum of conversations buzzed in the background as I sipped my black coffee. The window seat was my favorite spot, close enough to people-watch but far enough to feel removed from the crowd.

 I couldn’t focus today, though. My eyes kept darting toward the door every time it opened. I don’t even know why. Maybe I was hoping for some sign that the universe didn’t hate me.

“You’re brooding again,” Kaiden’s voice cut through my thoughts. He wasn’t even looking at me, just scrolling through his phone as his hands tapped absently on the table, like he was the most confident person in the room.

I gave a half-hearted chuckle. “Just thinking.”

Kaiden raised an eyebrow without looking up. “About?”

“Nothing important.” I shrugged, but my eyes betrayed me, flicking to the door as it opened again.

He noticed, of course. Kaiden always noticed. He smirked and turned his attention to the door, like he was searching for something or someone. A few moments later, he nudged me.

“There,” he said, motioning with his chin. “That one.”

I followed his gaze and immediately felt a lump form in my throat. She was gorgeous. Curly dark hair, the kind that frames a confident, radiant face. She had this effortless way of moving, like she knew the world owed her something.

“No way. She’s way out of my league,” I muttered, sinking lower in my chair.

“That’s exactly why you should try,” Kaiden said, flashing me that annoying, mischievous grin of his. “Go on, what’s the worst that could happen?”

I shot him a doubtful look. Was he serious? Kaiden had no concept of “league.” He existed in his own universe of confidence. But for some reason, I couldn’t say no to that tiny nod of encouragement he gave me. It was like he genuinely believed I could pull this off.

With a sigh, I stood, straightened my shirt, and forced myself to walk toward the counter where she stood. My legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.

“Hey,” I said, my voice cracking slightly.

She turned, her bright eyes scanning me. “Hi?”

“I, uh…” My brain short-circuited for a second. “I noticed you from across the room and thought I’d come over to say hello. I’m Sage.” I stuck out my hand, regretting it the moment I did.

She glanced at my hand, then back at me, her polite smile never faltering. “Nice to meet you, Sage. I’m Mara.”

Her voice was kind, but there was something about her tone that made my stomach twist. This wasn’t going anywhere.

“So,” I said, trying to recover, “what are you getting?”

Mara’s eyes flicked back to the menu. “Probably just a cappuccino. Do you come here often?”

I tried to match her casual tone. “Yeah, it’s my go-to place.” I hesitated, then added, “Actually, I was just talking with my friend about how I’ve never seen you here before.”

She tilted her head slightly, amused. “Is that your opening line? Because I have to say, it’s not the most original.”

Heat rushed to my face. “Okay, fair enough. Not my best work.”

Her laugh was soft, and for a second, I thought maybe just maybe I had a chance. But then her expression changed.

“Look, Sage,” she said, her tone more serious. “You seem nice, but I’m going to be straight with you. I don’t really date… well, virgins. You have that look about you and it is a major turn off for girls like me,”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. My smile froze, and I felt the floor tilt beneath me. “Oh, uh, okay. I mean… wow, that’s… direct.”

Mara shrugged, her polite smile returning. “Better to be upfront, right?”

She turned to where I was sitting and her lips pursed, “now, that’s a guy that knows how it’s done.”

I followed her gaze just to find it on Kaiden who still didn’t give a care in the world and was still on his phone.

“Yeah, totally,” I mumbled, retreating a step. “Well, I guess… have a good day.”

“You too,” she said, turning back to the barista.

I walked back to our table like a zombie, utterly defeated and humiliated, slumping into my seat without a word. Kaiden put his phone down, his expression shifting to something between curiosity and concern.

“What happened?” he asked.

I buried my face in my hands. “She rejected me. Said she doesn’t date virgins.”

Kaiden let out a low whistle. “Ouch. That’s rough, man.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, staring into my coffee. “It’s like I don’t even get a chance to make a good impression because of it.”

Kaiden leaned back in his chair, studying me with that calculating look he got sometimes. It was like he was plotting something, and I wasn’t sure if I should be worried.

Finally, he leaned forward, lowering his voice. “You know, this might actually be a good thing.”

I frowned. “How could this possibly be a good thing?”

He grinned, that mischievous glint in his eyes growing. “Because it gives us an opportunity. I’ve been thinking, maybe what you need is a little… training.”

“Training?” I echoed, not liking where this was going.

“Yeah.” Kaiden’s grin widened. “I’ll help you learn how to woo a girl properly. And… I could also help you with the whole virginity thing.”

My brain froze. Did I hear him right? “Wait. You’re offering to… what? Disvirgin me?”

Kaiden laughed, clearly enjoying my embarrassment. “Yeah, why not? It’s a win-win. You get experience, and next time, no girl will shoot you down for that reason.”

I stared at him, trying to figure out if this was some kind of elaborate prank. But his expression was calm, almost too calm.

“Are you sure this would work?” I asked cautiously.

“Trust me,” he said, his grin softening into something almost reassuring. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be the one rejecting girls,”

I looked down at my coffee, a part of me wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the proposal but another part, a deeper, more desperate part was considering it. The constant cycle of rejection and self doubt was wearing me down.

Maybe this was what I needed, a drastic change to shake things up except the problem was, 

I wasn’t gay.

“There is only one problem,”

Kaiden raised an eyebrow. “Which is?”

“You won’t tell anyone about this. Not a single soul,”

He raised his hands up in mock surrender, “my lips are sealed. This is between us, Sage.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, “Okay,”

And just like that, I sealed my fate.