I can remember the day as if it were yesterday: from the light blue dress she wore, to her golden locks curved along her shoulders, down to the shocking tingle when our fingers touched. It was the happiest day of my life, and yet she didn’t even know I existed.
Release Date: June 8th, 2015
Think.
Think back to the exact moment when you fell in love for the first time.
That split second. That precise moment.
Can you remember it?
I can remember the day as if it were yesterday: from the light blue dress she wore, to her golden locks curved along her shoulders, down to the shocking tingle when our fingers touched. It was the happiest day of my life, and yet she didn’t even know I existed.
What if you had the chance to relive those moments? Would you take it?
I’ve waited almost ten years for her and my time has finally come.
This split second, this precise moment will change her life forever.
EXCERPT
I smile at her recognition and notice she begins to shiver. “Hey, are you cold? I can make a fresh batch of coffee.”
“No, I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? It’s no trouble.”
Nervous to accept, she bites her bottom lip. “Um okay, but only if you have some as well. I don’t want you wasting a whole pot on me.”
I race to the coffee machine to start a fresh batch and within minutes, it’s ready. I catch her glancing at her phone and then out the window. “How do you like your coffee?”
“Light and sweet please. Thank you.”
I grab two mugs from the cabinet and pour French vanilla coffee into them. The aroma immediately hits my senses and warms my body. I bend down to open the pastry case and grab a small sliver of pound cake. I always have pound cake with my coffee. It just makes it taste better, and I grab an extra piece for Melanie just in case.
Carefully placing the mugs on the table, I grab a couple napkins for us. Melanie notices the pound cake and her eyes grow wide. “Oh, I love pound cake with my coffee! Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I hope the coffee tastes good. If you need me to add cream or sugar, just let me know.”
Watching her take the mug and sip it slowly practically causes me to stroke out. Just seeing her has my nerves and emotions all over the place. I don’t know what it is about this girl, but I am completely done for. If I didn’t consciously compose myself every other second, I’m pretty sure my body would be mush whenever she’s around.
I watch her continue to drink the warm coffee and she closes her eyes, allowing the heat to warm her up. Once she begins to warm, she opens her eyes, offering me a smile. “It’s perfect.”
“Good.”
Her hand reaches across the table toward me. “By the way, I’m Melanie.”
I take her hand in mine and squeeze softly as we shake hands. “I’m Roman.”
“I know.”
My brow arches as she chuckles, motioning toward the back of the bakery. “Your aunt. She kept saying your name.”
Shaking away my stupidity, we let go of each other’s hands. “Oh yeah, that’s right.”
“So you’re a senior at Mount St. Michael?”
“Yup, graduating next month.”
“That’s awesome. I’m graduating too. What college are you going to?”
I pause, not sure if I should tell her that I’m undecided. Would she even care? “Actually, I’m not sure yet.”
She leans in closer and teases. “Well, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
Her emerald green eyes captivate me as I try to concentrate on answering her question. “Honestly, I’d like to become a firefighter.”
“Wow, impressive. Any particular reason?”
I glance away, not ready to spill my life story, but as I return to look at her, her eyes shine with curiosity and wonder. Just as I’m about to speak, her cellphone rings, interrupting my heartfelt story.
She fumbles the phone in her hands as the ringing startles her then answers, “Hello. Oh, hey babe. Where are you? I’ve been texting you.”
Her face gives off a look of confusion. “You’re at the mall? I thought you had practice. You should have told me you were going there. I still need a few more things for the prom.”
I hear the deep voice from the receiver mumble the response as she looks outside at the pouring rain.
“No, that’s fine. Hey, I’m kind of stuck at the bakery. It’s a long story, but can you come pick me up and then we’ll head to my house?”
“Okay, thanks Duke. See you in a couple of minutes. Love you.”
A beaming smile radiates off her face as she hangs up the call. I take the empty mugs and plates and place them in the sink to be washed. I turn around to find her cleaning up her crumbs with the napkin.
Walking toward her, I take the napkin. “I’ll do that. It’s my job.”
She offers me a smile and gathers her things. Realizing she’s still wearing the towel, she unravels it and her dried hair falls along her shoulder blades.
“Here you go. Tell your aunt I said thank you.”
Taking the towel, I toss it into the sink and watch as she waits for her boyfriend. I head behind the counter, making sure I look busy; I don’t want her to think I’m staring at her. After a few minutes of pretend cleaning, I hear the loud exhaust of an engine roll up outside as a car horn blares.
Melanie stands up, looks at me, and waves. “Well that’s my ride. See you around.”
After she exits, I stand next to the window, watching as she climbs inside the Mustang and it races off into the busy streets.
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About the author:
Madison Street was born in New York City and was raised in the Bronx, where she resided until she was 17 years old. After 9/11, Madison joined the United States Navy to serve her country.
During the deployments, Madison constantly wrote short stories and she discovered her passion for writing. You will find Madison always on the computer, whether she's on Facebook, designing websites, messing with Photoshop, or writing for her blog.
Besides writing, her second passion is music and dance. Even though she's a terrible singer, she’ll still belt it out in the shower, especially if the song is her jam! She currently resides in Virginia with her husband of 8 years, 2 children, a dog, and a cat. She is so excited to start this amazing journey and is honored to be part of such a compassionate and loving community.
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