"You know," Maya says, playing with the edge of her mug. "This doesn't always have to be my office. We could... maybe see a movie sometime? As... not just barista and customer?" Elara's heart stutters. "I'd like that," she says, her voice barely a whisper.
Their first official date is a walk in the park. The dynamic is different outside the coffee shop. They are both a little nervous, their hands occasionally brushing as they walk. The conversation is the same, easy and deep, but the context has shifted everything. The possibility of more hangs in the air.
They stop on a bridge overlooking a pond. Elara is talking about her grandmother when she gets a little emotional. Maya, instinctively, reaches out and slips her hand into Elara's. It's the first full, intentional, skin-to-skin contact. Their fingers lace together perfectly. Elara stops talking, just looking down at their joined hands, then up into Maya's eyes. She doesn't let go.
Maya walks Elara back to the shop, where her apartment is above. They stand at the door, hands still linked. "I had a really nice time," Maya says, her voice soft. "Me too," Elara replies. Leaning in, Maya presses a soft, lingering kiss to Elara's cheek. It's warm and sweet and sends a shiver down Elara's spine. She watches Maya walk away, touching her cheek where her lips had been.