Max's POV

"It starts with a C, not a K, let me show you," I rolled my eyes at Cole, who was totally hitting on the cashier, leaning across the counter and flirtatiously taking the pen from her, showing her how to spell it right over the cartoon cup, as if his four-lettered name is the most complex word ever to write.

The girl bought into his game and giggled, biting at her lip and apologizing, totally ignoring that there was a line waiting behind to give their order. They casually carried on with their conversation and I punched Cole's back, ushering him to end this fast so I can get my caffeine supply before our class starts. He turned and gave me a wait-for-it look before he resumed his mission.

I shook my head and decided to ignore him for the time being. I pulled my phone out of my pocket trying to busy myself with it. Unlocking it, I opened the mails app and refreshed it, once, then twice, and another time, hoping for a new email to just pop up out of nowhere. I internally groaned when I found nothing new. I think the app is crashing, maybe the internet connection is bad in here, or maybe Google is just suffering from a serious server error...I mean everything was plausible except the fact that gingerhead was totally ignoring me and hasn't replied to any of my last emails for the past three days.

Not that I am counting or anything...

I harshly pushed the phone back into my pocket, utterly and completely irritated at the fact. I hate being ignored. My gaze flickered up and moved around the campus's coffee shop, trying to drive my thoughts away from her. Most students have huddled around in their seats, laptops opened, studying and trying to catch up with their deadlines. Nothing interesting. My eyes moved back to the counter, the cashier was still openly flirting with Cole, scribbling something over a small piece of paper, her phone number I guess.

I sighed and looked away, someone to her far right seemed to grab my attention the most, I didn't see the person's face, her back was to me only, but what had me pause in my search was the gingery ponytail coming out of the green cap placed over her head. Come on, I could recognize that hair anywhere. I broke out of the waiting line, moving to the other side of the counter, where people usually wait to get their order, but of course, there wasn't anyone waiting now, because Cole was holding the line.

I moved closer, pausing at the threshold. I tilted my head, trying to see her, but only the side of her face was visible to me from my current position. Even though, I could bet on my life that it was her. Her green apron and hat, much similar to the cashier lady, proved that she works here. She was standing by the espresso machine, a notebook placed ahead of her, she flipped through the pages, totally lost, a pen in her mouth, nervously biting on it as she read through. Was she trying to study here or something?

"I am really starting to think you are the stalker in our story," My words had her jumping in her place, a low gasp coming from her as she whirled around, startled by the out-of-blue intervention.

Her wide eyes fell on mine and she breathed out a relieved sigh, a hand pressed to her chest as she tried to calm herself down, "Jesus, you scared the crap out of me!"

My eyebrow raised, "Shouldn't you be working?" I asked, nodding my head toward the notebook.

"I can multi-task," She replied back, slamming the book shut before she came closer, standing right across from me, with only the counter separating us now.

"So, you work at the coffee shop, that I pass by almost every day, on the campus where I take my classes," I said, my eyes narrowing at her, feigning being suspicious, "What are the odds?"

She rolled her eyes at me, "Don't think big of yourself, kidney boy. I study here too."

My eyebrows pulled closer; seriously, what are the odds?

Also, how come I have never seen her before? She could easily stand out in any crowd.

"Why aren't you replying back to my emails?" I wanted that to sound less needy and whiney but somehow I couldn't. Fucking hell, I am losing my game over here...

One eyebrow raised, "Despite popular belief, I don't really have time for you," She replied, ever so casually, as if she didn't just crush my ego in her cute little hands.

I tried to keep the I-am-not-offended expression on and crossed my arms over my chest. My eyes flickered down to her green apron, where a silver nametag was placed on the top side. I almost hit jackpot, inching closer to read the name typed on there but Miss gingerbread was faster than me, her hand immediately covered the name tag and she pulled it off, securely and tightly wrapping it in her hand.

My eyebrow raised, "You know that I can easily take that from you." I mean, I am feeling desperate enough to jump across the counter and take it from her.

She gave me a challenging look as she pulled at the neck of her shirt and pushed her hand inside, shoving the nametag inside her bra. Jesus Christ. "Well, now you gave more reasons to try and take it from you."

She rolled her eyes at me, calling me off on my bullshit, and before she could speak this time, her co-worker, the cashier lady got closer, "Hey, V..." Miss gingerbread pressed her hand over her friend's mouth almost immediately, muffling the next letters of her word.

"V...something, hmm," I said, scrunching my eyebrows as I thought of all the female names starting with a V and she gave me a very unimpressed look in return, "Come on, don't you think I at least earned the right to know your name?"

Why was she making it a big deal, anyway?

She leaned across the counter, her friend watching us in utter confusion, "Not even slightly," She said. Still teasing. Still playing hard to get. Still driving me mad.

I straightened myself when her friend interrupted us, asking Miss V to take her place at the cashier. She flashed me a fake smile, excusing herself as she moved away. I didn't waste a second and went back to the waiting line, taking my place as Cole seemed to disappear somewhere.

She pressed something over the screen ahead of her, her eyes caught me standing across from her again and her jaw tightened; why do I seem to push her buttons without doing anything?

Her eyes flickered to me, a fake smile on her lips, "Your order?"

I pretended to look at the list of drinks written on the board behind her, "Uhm, ginger-" My eyes met hers again, a hint of tease in them as I added, "-bread latte."

If possible, she seemed even more annoyed than ever, "Size?" She said.

"The biggest one you have," I said, flashing her a charming boyish smile.

Her eyebrow raised and I shrugged, "I just love ginger," I explained, "The spice I mean," I added ever so innocently.

She pulled the cartoon cup from the side and scribbled something over it, "Hmm, but you know that they say too much ginger could cause a heartburn," She remarked.

I leaned across the counter, "Oh sweetheart, my heart is burning already," I said and she slightly lifted her eyes from the cup, looking at me, and I thought maybe I broke through to her. Finally, something other than annoyance flashed in them before she gave me a shrug, "It could cause diarrhea too by the way."

I shot her a glare and straightened myself; way to ruin a mood. She gave me a teasing smile before she pressed some things over the screen and told me the cost. I gave her my card and she couldn't be happier that she was almost done with me.

But fate won't let her get rid of me that fast. Her friend got back right as she closed on my order, "Thanks, I can take over here again," She mumbled, claiming her place as the cashier and I moved with Miss V as she went toward the coffee machine, preparing my drink and grumbling some curses under her breath.

I pressed my elbows over the counter and placed my head in my hands as I watched her move around; Firstly because she just looked so cute in that ugly green uniform and secondly because I was scared she will spit in my drink or something.

"You said you study here too, which major?" I asked.

"None of your business," She mumbled without looking at me as she frothed the milk.

"Come on, I would tell you mine too," As if she cares.

"I know. You're a pre-med student," She said it ever so casually.

My eyebrows pulled closer, "Hold on, how do you know that?"

She winced, pressing her eyes shut for a second, knowing that she spoke without thinking and that I caught her red-handed. Her eyes flickered up to me and I gave her a questioning look, waiting for my answer. She sighed, "We took a class together last semester," She grumbled out, hating to admit the fact out loud.

"So, you're a pre-med too?" I felt slightly accomplished. At least I know an extra thing about her now.

One; Her name starts with V. Two; She is a pre-med student. Three; She is not big on trust.

She gave me a forced nod, hating how she outed herself to me. Lines etched between my eyebrows, "Wait, this means that you noticed me before," I said, the side of my lip pulling up into a small smirk, my ego slowly getting restored, and here she was acting all indifferent...

She was about to add whipped cream to my drink but I interrupted her, raising my hand midway, "Don't, I hate whipped cream," I said. She looked up at me and gave me a big innocent smile before she resumed, adding extra whipped cream to my drink, filling it up to the max. God, this girl.

She covered it and walked closer, slamming it in front of me, making sure it spilled some over its sides and the counter, "I am not giving you any tips, you're pretty bad at this," I said as I pulled a napkin and removed the access drink from over my cartoon cup.

"Anyway, back to our conversation," I said, wanting to talk about that part more, "You knew me before, and yet you pretend to play hard to get, why is that?"

She nodded, "Yeah I knew you before, and do you know how?" Her eyebrow raised and I nodded, very interested, "You slept with one of my friends, and guess what, you never called her back and she was crying on my shoulder all night long," Oh shit, I could feel the color leave my face the more she spoke.

She smiled, a beautiful dimple showing on her cheek, "Told you, you are cute," Her smile dropped, "But you are the typical cliche playboy, so believe me, I am not playing hard to get, I just really don't like you and your type."

She didn't just bruise my ego this time, she simply destroyed it with one sentence.

She was about to turn around, and go back into her work but my hand shot forward, wrapping around her wrist and pausing her movement. Her eyes flickered to my hand then up to my face, the look in them asking me to move my hand away or she will rip it off.

I slowly retreated my hand away, god, I feel like I am walking on eggshells around her, "Will you go out with me?" I said and her eyes widened in shock, "What the hell-" She moved across the counter, pressing her hand over my forehead, "Okay, it's not a fever," She moved backward, giving me a wary look, "You are either high or you really don't understand the word no."

I nodded, "You got it right, I don't understand the word no; so, dinner, tonight?"

She chuckled, "Oh god," She pressed her hand over her forehead, facepalming, "I think I am losing my mind."

"I am serious," I shot her a glare, "You apparently have pre-judged me way before you got to meet me, and you are not even offering me a chance to show you who I am," I defended my position, "You didn't tell me your name, you are not giving me your number, so at least, let us sit down, have a meal together and talk," I shrugged, "After that, if you were still persistent on your judgment, I won't come near you again."

Her eyes narrowed at me, "My time is precious, I am not gonna waste it on this."

"One hour won't kill you," She is the one pushing my buttons now.

Her lips curled up and she shook her head, "It would so nah."

For fuck's sake. "What the-" I stopped myself from cursing, my jaw ticking in pure irritation, "You were at least nicer to me before."

She gave me a knowing look, "You were gonna jump off the roof, did you want me to give you more reasons to do so-"

I shot her a glare, "I wasn't gonna jump!"

She shrugged and I tried to calm my nerves, she is annoying me and right now, I want nothing more than to prove her wrong. My eyes flickered back to the notebook she was aimlessly scrolling through before. I moved across the table and grabbed it, "Hey! What are you doing-" She tried to shout but I moved out of her way, flipping through the pages and figuring out which lessons they contained.

"I took this course last year, and passed it with an A," I closed the notebook and placed it at the counter, she snatched it back, glaring at me with pure anger, "I saw how you were looking at it like you understood nothing, so I can help you out," I tried to bribe her into this, "You won't be wasting your...precious time if I was giving you a small free tutor session, right?"

Her harsh expression wavered, she was finally thinking it through and I wanted to push my fist up into the air in accomplishment. I was slowly getting through to her.

"You got an A?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Yup."

She was contemplating it, her eyes flickered to the notebook, her fingers tightening over it as she chewed on her lower lip nervously. Her jaw worked before she faced me. She didn't say it out loud but I could see it in her defeated expression that the answer was yes. If she is desperate enough to indulge me in this, then I think she really needs to pass this course.

"So, today, dinner?"

She shook her head, "No. Tomorrow, lunch."

She just has to disagree with me on everything.

I nodded, "Okay. There is a restaurant across from here-"

"No, we'll do it here," She pointed at the cafe, "I have a lunch break from twelve to one."

I shot her a glare and she gave me a challenging look, "That's my offer, take it or leave it."

She wasn't gonna make this any easy. I nodded, not willing to make her win this.

"Now, excuse me, but I have work to do," She said, moving away to prepare the other awaiting orders.

My eyes left her as I picked up my cup, I placed it to my lips and took my first sip. I cringed at the whipped cream taste, I had no choice but to take another sip. My gaze fell on the small glass box placed on the counter with the words Tip Box scribbled on it. I pulled my wallet out and looked through it, I don't usually carry cash on me but luckily enough I found 50 bucks in it. I pushed it inside the box and stepped away, sipping on my awful drink.

I found Cole across the crowd and walked to his side. His eyes met mine and he gave me a questioning look, "Where were you? We're late to class-"

My eyebrow raised, "The better question is where did you disappear into?"

He smiled and looked toward the cashier lady, he threw her a wink, "Got a little busy."

I rolled my eyes and took another sip of my drink, cringing again. Cole was about to say something but his eyes fell on my cup, his eyebrows pulled closer and he pointed at it, "What does it say?"

Confused, I looked at what he is pointing at to see the words Kidney boy written instead of my name. An immediate smile broke through my face, my head turned back, and my eyes fell back on her behind that counter, in that very ugly green uniform that only she made look cute for some reason.

Sensing my gaze, her eyes met mine from a distance. She only rolled her eyes, annoyed before she looked away and resumed the task at her hand. It only made my smile grow wider. Oh, I am so gonna win her over, one way or another.

"Who's that?" Cole asked as we walked out of the cafe and headed for our class.

I shrugged, not knowing the answer myself.

But, it was an answer I am willing to work as hard as I can to figure it out.

*****************

Next day...

I checked my watch for the umpteenth time, and a very annoyed breath pushed out of my nose when it signaled twenty minutes past twelve. She is only giving me one hour and she is already late. My gaze flickered to the other end of the coffee shop, where another girl stood behind and prepared the orders. My jaw ticked. Where the hell is she?

Right at that moment, the chair across from me screeched as someone moved it. My eyes fell ahead, watching as she dropped over it, pushing her backpack into the table, one hand held a couple of notebooks while the other had a half-eaten hotdog secured between her fingers.

She pushed the notebooks on the top of her bag, settling down and inching the hotdog to her mouth, casually taking another bite, like I wasn't sitting right there across from her. My eyebrows pulled closer as I watched her pretend that I don't exist.

Her eyes finally fell on mine and she smiled, chewing on her hot dog like it's the most important thing in the world now.

She read my confused look and she gulped down, licking her lips, "It's my lunch break," She explained, "I am starving," She added, explaining as she took another bite, almost finishing the whole bun, "I have classes from one till six, so I have to eat now or I will faint when this day comes to an end."

And here I thought we are meeting to eat together...

She finished her hot dog faster than the speed of light and took a napkin from over the table, wiping at her mouth and hands. She pulled a hand sanitizer and squeezed some into her hand, rubbing it all over. She moved around, removing the bag from in front of me and placed it on the empty chair.

She finally looked at me and smiled, "Hey," She said.

I couldn't be annoyed, not with that cute dimple on her cheek or that satisfied look in her eyes now that her stomach is full. My lips twitched, "Hey," I said back.

Her gaze fell on the notebook on the table and she let out a loud dreadful breath, "Okay, let's do this," She looked at me then around her, eyebrows pulling closer before she got up and inched the chair to my side, sitting right beside me, so fucking close.

She flipped through the pages and opened her notebook, placing it right in front of me before she turned her head to look at me, "If you can make me understand this part within half an hour, I swear I will never judge you again," She said, so desperate.

Her face was so close as she talked, I could smell her, something like strawberry, maybe her shampoo. I hate strawberries, I am even allergic to them but at this moment, I wanted them more than anything in this world. She sat there and I could clearly see every little detail on her face, I could count the freckles over her nose, the ones lightly scattered here and there. I could see a very small scar beside her right eyebrow. I could finally make sense of the color of her eyes, every time we met it was night, I couldn't stare as closely and clearly at her, not till now.

Her eyes were the softest lightest brown, almost golden infused with green, it held the new spring growth within their sparkle. They spoke of the forest's floor and the gentle flowers, somewhere to just rest and breathe. The center was a soft reflective earthy brown, spreading out to waves of sea and trees of a green forest. The outer edge was fringed in deep ocean blue, but the overall effect was of hazel eyes, changing with the season, changing with the color of her clothes.

Her eyes were just so full of life, vivacious, and breathing....but I was left breathless for some reason.

I could see her chest rhythmically move up and down as she inhaler and exhaled. She was so close I could almost hear her heart beating, or maybe that was my own, pounding hard in my ears.

She waved her hand in front my face, "Earth to Max," She said, small lines etching between her eyebrows at my silent state.

I gulped down and rubbed a hand over my neck, my palms were sweating for god's sake, "Yeah?"

She pointed at the notebook, "Please explain something, I have a quiz today."

I nodded and asked for an empty paper and pen, trying to grasp my thoughts together. I read through the notebook, trying to recall back information but I was rather occupied by the human beside me. Why was she sitting so damn close?

I shook my head, focusing on the task at hand, and started explaining it to her. The rest of our tutor session passed smoothly and so damn fast. I drew the diagram on the paper and showed her in detail each part. She intently listened, almost like her life depended on it. She was so focused and indulging, she answered when I asked, making small comments here and there, proving that she actually understood the point I was making.

Her phone rang, more like the sound of an alarm, grabbing our attention away and breaking our trance. She moved it out of her bag and turned the alarm off, "I have a class now," She mumbled, her tone not as excited as I expected it to be that she will be free of my presence now.

"I think I actually understood this part," She mumbled, looking at what I had written over the paper before her eyes flickered up, they were warm now, appreciative, and not once teasing, "Thank you so much."

I gave her a small shrug, "Glad I could help."

She nodded, "If I pass this quiz, you'll have a big gingerbread latte on me, I promise," She said, smiling as she gathered her things, "With extra whipped cream," She added and I chuckled.

"Or maybe you could just tell me your name," I suggested and her lips curled up, shaking her head in refusal.

She zipped her backpack and shrugged it over one shoulder, ready to walk away but she stood there still, staring at me and contemplating something. A loud sigh parted her lips before she sat down again, a bit serious now, "Look, I really need to pass this course, or else I will lose my scholarship and I really can't have that happening," She rushed a hand over her face, "I am usually good at my classes but for the love of me I can't understand anything from our professor, he is the worse and you just made it all so very simple, so here it goes," She sucked into a deep breath, pausing her rambling words, "Would you tutor me for this course and I will pay you, I swear, I could pay you per hour if you want."

My eyebrows pulled closer, totally not expecting her to offer me a proposition that includes us spending more time together. I immediately nodded my head, "Yeah sure."

A smile broke into her face, a bit relieved, "How much would you want?" She asked, chewing at her lower lip, a bit of uncertainty flashing in her eyes, as if scared that she won't be able to afford it.

My chest tightened at her cute innocent expression, "For every hour I give you, you give me an hour of your time too."

Her eyebrows pulled closer, "What?"

"If we study for an hour, then we will spend another hour just you and me, talking and you know, just getting to know each other." I explained, "If I am giving you an hour of my time, you can at least give me an hour of your precious time as well."

Her expression turned a hundred-eight-degree, annoyed again, "I'd rather pay with money, so tell me your price."

I shrugged, "That's my offer, leave it or take it."

Her jaw tightened and she shot me a glare, "You are a dick."

She pushed herself to her feet, "I don't need your help, thanks," She grumbled out and walked away, angrily leaving the coffee shop and heading for her class.

I leaned back into my seat, crossed my arms over my chest, and watched her. A small smile curved my lips, knowing for sure that she is gonna come back. They always come back.

******************

I leaned over my car, texting Cole that I am in the parking lot waiting for him when I heard hurried footsteps get closer to me before something harshly pressed over my chest.

Flustered, I looked up to see miss gingerbread angrily standing there with a paper pushed against my chest. Confused, I took the paper from her and looked at it. My eyebrow raised, "Hundred over hundred, wow," I commented, a small smirk pulling the corner of my lips up, "You must have one hell of a tutor!"

She crossed her arms over her chest, stomping on her feet and fuming with fury, the color of her neck matching her hair at the moment. She was just the cutest angry little thing.

My eyebrow raised and she rolled her eyes, "Okay," She grumbled out.

"Okay what?" I played the clueless.

"You can tutor me," She said it like she just declared her death sentence and I gave her a questioning look, "Uhm, is that how your parents taught you to politely ask for something, I mean-" My words paused midway when she kicked my feet, shutting me up.

A harsh breath pushed off her nose and she looked away from me, composing herself. Her eyes fell back on mine, "Can you tutor me?" She asked, less aggressive this time.

I placed my finger under my ear, waiting for another word. She rolled her eyes, "Please?" She added.

I smiled, "I mean if you are begging for it, how could I ever deny you that, I have a weakness for that word," My smirk reflected the actual meaning behind my words and she couldn't seem less impressed.

"We're doing it my way, then?" I asked and she sighed, nodding her head.

"Yeah, for every hour you give me, I give you an hour, blah blah," She mumbled.

"Also, I forgot to mention one more rule, you gonna have to tell me your name before we start."

Now, it was her time to smirk. She gave me a challenging look, "Nope, I won't be doing that, this part will go on my terms now," She is something else I swear, "I won't say my name, not till you prove that you are not like I expected, which I am pretty sure you are."

She keeps making this the more interesting.

"Well, not one to run away from a challenge, gingerbread," I extended my hand forward, "I guess we have a deal."

She nodded, a bit satisfied as she extended her hand forward and placed it in mine, "Yup, we have a deal, kidney boy."