Readers! You voted and the results are in. Option #2 won with the most votes. In this option, August returns the glasses to Briar, and we get to meet her! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to comment, as your comments count as votes!! 

August

Briar's glasses sit in the pocket of my jean jacket. They're wrapped in a small cloth to prevent any scratches. I hope she shows up today.

Stepping out of Tim Hortons, I glance at the sky. It's clear, and the sun is peeking over the mountains. Kenzo was supposed to pick up our drinks this morning, but he had a dentist appointment.

I shoulder the door open, sipping my Salted Caramel Cold Brew Coffee while balancing the drink tray. We're half an hour away from opening, so people are prepping the store. I stop at every station, dropping off drinks. Isabelle is first, then Amy, then Vanessa, and so on. I've been assigned to the checkout today, so once I've made my rounds delivering drinks, I recycle the drink tray and arrive at the checkout.

Half an hour passes. Within that time frame, I power up the computer and make sure the system is ready for another busy day, count the cash float, and clean the payment terminals. This is the boring part. I prefer working with customers. Being social.

Tims makes it tolerable, though.

Forty-five minutes later, Isabelle nudges me. "She's in line."

My head snaps up from the preorders I was managing. "What?"

Anxiety present, I search the line-up for Briar. Sure enough, Isabelle is right. Briar is waiting in line. She's wearing a unique pair of glasses. Masking tape holds the bridge together. The frames are thick and black. Her hair is down today, falling around her shoulders in soft curls. Her bottom lip is pulled between her teeth. She looks anxious.

Two customers pass through before she arrives at the desk. My heartbeat is irregular. My palms are clammy.

"Hey," she says. "I, um, left my glasses in the reading nook last week. Did you see them?"

Words falter on my tongue. I clear my throat, reaching into my pocket. Unwrapping them from the cloth, I hold them out to Briar. "Uh, yeah. Figured I should hold on to them for you."

She takes her glasses, clutching them to her chest. "Thank you! Oh my gosh. You don't know how relieved I am." Her brown eyes flick to mine. They sparkle with appreciation. "August, thank you so much. You have no idea."

Wow. Okay. She knows my name.

Then I realize I'm wearing a name tag.

Feeling like a fool, my cheeks heat. "You're w-welcome."

Oh, man. Now I'm stuttering?

Frantic to change the subject, I gesture to her drink from Tims. It's a Cold Brew Coffee. Something I'm familiar with. And judging by the tan, creamy colouring, I'm positive it's the Salted Caramel flavour.

"Salted Caramel?" I ask gesturing to her Tims drink.

She nods, her eyes lighting up. "It's the best! I grab one every morning before classes. At least four times a week."

"Yeah," I nod. "You bring them to the reading nook all the time."

As soon as the words are out, I bring the heel of my hand to my forehead. Expelling a dramatic sigh, I apologize to Briar. "Sorry. That came out wrong."

"Did it?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow.

If there wasn't a smile on her face, I'd die of embarrassment. All I can do is shake my head and stare down at the keyboard in front of me.

Suddenly, a hand is obstructing my view. When I glance up, I see her full lips are curved upward into a breathtaking smile.

"Briar Adams. My parents were big fans of Bryan Adams. They danced to one of his songs at their wedding." She gestures to her shirt. "Can't say I blame them. He's a Canadian icon. Having the same last name was a bonus for my parents."

Glancing at her shirt, I see it's a Bryan Adams concert shirt. A small chuckle escapes my lips. She couldn't get more Canadian. Tims in her hand, Maple Leafs keychain on her bag... add a touque and she's the definition of a Canadian Girl.

I take her hand. "August Walton. Nothing special about my name. Mom likes summer."

After releasing my hand, she tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear. She seems nervous. Unless I'm misinterpreting her body language.

Waiting for a response, I note her freckles. Her face is round, her cheeks sun-kissed.

"That's not true. August is a unique name. I think it suits you."

Dipping my head down, I toy with my name tag. Jeez, I hope Isabelle and Kenzo aren't watching me blush. I'll never hear the end. "Is that so?"

"Uh-huh," she replies. "You're the only person I know with that name."

I imagine she's nodding. The confirmation in her voice makes me think so. Steadying myself, I regain my composure. Next time I look up, she's sipping her Cold Brew.

Running a hand through my hair, I direct the conversation elsewhere. "I gotta know, Briar. Why the appeal for the reading nook? Most of the Polaroids are a one time thing. A dot on the map. No one ever comes back. Why so often?"

She cocks an eyebrow. "Stalking me? First the Salted Caramel and now the reading nook..."

My face blanches, and I raise my hands, palms facing her. "No! God, no! I would never... No! I'm just familiar with all the regulars. I—"

Briar's melodic laughter cuts me off.

My cheeks flush with embarrassment. She's caught me again.

She speaks after she's caught her breath. Her cheeks are rosy from laughing. Her brown eyes sparkle. "I'm teasing you, August! You're a little gullible, aren't you?" She glances around the store. "I recognize everyone who works here. I'm, as you would say, a regular." Her gaze flicks back to mine. "You were missing for a while."

My stomach does a funny flip. She noticed I was gone.

"University," I elaborate. "I, uh, received my degree in geography."

Her lips part. Eyebrows raise. "That's impressive. Geography is interesting. Though, I'm not sure why they categorize it as an art instead of a science."

"Me neither," I shrug. "It branches into every field. Environmental, earth, biology, chemistry, geology, hydrology... the works."

Briar takes another sip, nodding.

Questions sit on my tongue, but I'm too nervous to ask them. I want to know what she's majoring in. Why she likes the reading nook. If she likes to travel. What made her like the Salted Caramel better than the original Cold Brew Coffee at Tims.

But I hold back those questions, biting my tongue. I can save those for another time. There's one question I want to ask her. One I hope she replies to with a yes.

However, I before I can say anything, Kenzo hops over the counter and takes his place beside me. Our shoulders bump, and I have to steady myself. His presence irritates me, but I'm too polite to say anything.

"Dude," I say. "Do that again and Vanessa will fire you."

"Same old empty threats from the boss," he shrugs. "Vanessa loves me. I pick up our daily Tims drinks, after all."

Despite wanting to continue my conversation with Briar, I can't prevent myself from gaping at Kenzo. "Did you take credit for today's drinks?"

"Maybe," he grins.

"Jerk," I shoot back.

Our banter is broken by a chuckle from Briar.

We turn to face her, watching as she continues to chuckle, a hand pressed to her mouth. "Sorry," she says. Her brown eyes are twinkling with humour. "But your banter is cute."

Kenzo pounces on the opportunity.

He turns to me. "Well, well, well. You finally asked her out? Man, I'm so proud of you!" He claps me on the back. "Little Auggie's all grown up."

Shock radiates through my body. The audacity of this man.

"You wanted to ask me out?" Briar asks.

Dying of embarrassment doesn't sound far off. If my cheeks get any hotter, I'll melt on the spot. Exhaling, I shoot a dirty glare at Kenzo. He winks. Part of me wonders if Isabelle put him up to this. She's always the mastermind behind plans, but is often too shy to go through with them. Kenzo being her chess piece wouldn't surprise me.

Chess piece or not, I want to throttle him.

Turning back to Briar, I clear my throat. "Yeah, I did."

She leans forward, resting her elbows on the counter. She takes a sip of her cold coffee. "I'm curious. At what point were you considering asking me out?"

"Yeah, August," Kenzo says. He nudges me. "At what point?"

Later, Kenzo will pay a price. Mark my words.

"Well, if this guy hadn't interrupted me, I would've asked you out on Friday."

"How?"

"Cut the meaningless topics. Go out for coffee," Kenzo interrupts. "You're both Salted Caramel fanatics."

Briar glances at her Salted Caramel Cold Brew Coffee, frowning. "You said that with distaste."

"The original is better," he shrugs. "Salted Caramel is too sweet for me."

Briar and I exchange a glance. Kenzo's excuse is lame. A Salted Caramel Cold Brew Coffee is velvety and smooth, with a hint of sweet and salty. The perfect combination.

We both direct our gazes to Kenzo, ready for defence.

He raises his hands, a scared look on his face. "It's too early for an interrogation. Leave me and my original preference alone."

With that, Kenzo hops over the counter again.

"Why does he do that?" Briar asks.

I roll my eyes. "He's an athlete. Hurdles. He wants to go to the Olympics."

Briar tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can see it."

I chuckle. She's not the only one. Kenzo will go far. He'll make the Olympics.

A comfortable silence settles over us as Briar sips her Cold Brew. I overturn the book in my hands. It was a return from earlier.

"So, um..." I glance at my Apple watch. "My shift ends at three. Do you want to grab a bite to eat? Maybe another Cold Brew? It might keep us up past midnight, but that's what summer's about, right?"

Her face falls. "I can't tonight. My classes run until six. Does Wednesday work? Wednesdays aren't particularly favourable for a first date, but I think we can make an exception."

"Tim Hortons?" I suggest.

A smile curves across her lips. "We'll grab a Salted Caramel Cold Brew and walk around town?"

"That sounds perfect," I smile.

"Okay. I'll meet you outside Tims on Bernard Avenue at seven." She holds up her glasses. "Thanks for keeping these safe, August."

"No problem."

Briar flashes me a smile before heading for the door. My shoulders slouch as I exhale the tension. At least our first conversation went well, despite Kenzo's intrusion. I've climbed up one mountain. Now I need to do it again. Why is going out with someone so difficult?

"It's about time. How long did it take? Three years?"

The book slips from my hands, falling to the counter. My heart is thumping in my chest. "Vanessa!"

She tosses her head back and laughs. Isabelle is next to her, doing the same.

My cheeks turn red.

Will the embarrassment ever end?

"Two years," I mutter. "I've been pining over her for two years."

Vanessa waves off my comment, turning to Isabelle. "Lawrence, give this kid some tips about dating. Suzuki, quit teasing him. And, if I catch you sliding over the counter again, I'm firing you."

Kenzo, who is on the other side of the counter, snickers. "Harsh words with empty meaning."

Vanessa waggles her finger at him. "That may change. I'd be careful, Suzuki."

After scolding Kenzo, Vanessa turns to me. She gives me a reassuring smile and squeezes my arm. "You did good, Walton. You did good."

My cheeks could beg to differ. But, hey. At least I've got a date planned for Wednesday.

What happens on Wednesday?

1) Kenzo and the rest of the gang crash August and Briar's date, joining in on the outing

OR

2) Briar and August go through with their original plans

Don't forget to comment 1 or 2! Your comments count as votes, and will dictate the direction of the next chapter. Voting for chapter 3 will end Aug 17 at 12:01 AM. I'm excited to see where the story goes!