Iris stepped out of the car, the sweltering Georgia heat especially oppressive in August. She closed the door and locked it, looking up at the Walmart entrance. She hadn't stepped foot in Rosewood for just over 5 years, not since she graduated. She still wasn't even sure why she decided to stop by on her way home from an Atlanta business trip.

"Maybe it's the nostalgia," she thought to herself.

Shrugging her shoulders, she walked briskly toward the entrance of the Walmart, scurrying out of the suffocating heat as her plumeria yellow sundress swished around her knees. As the cool whoosh of air conditioning kissed her grateful cheeks in welcome, she scanned the aisles until her eyes settled on the bakery section.

"If I'm stopping here for a snack, I might as well go for a pastry or something," Iris thought as she made a beeline for the freshly baked pastries.

Deciding between savory and sweet, she stood still for a couple minutes, surveying her options.

"Iris? Is that you?"

Turning around at the sound of her name, she was greeted by a man barely a couple years older than her. His cream complexion was slightly bronzed by the Georgia sun, emphasizing his emerald eyes, while a black graphic tee offered a view of his strong tanned forearms. On his head sat a baseball cap, wisps of light brown hair peeking out from the sides. Below his faded blue jeans were brown leather cowboy boots, a dramatic design no doubt hidden under the jeans. Iris' heart accelerated. It had been 5 years, but she knew instantly who he was.

"Ben?" she replied in shock, although she already knew the answer before he nodded. "Wow, I can't believe it's you!"

Ben chuckled, walking toward her with his arms outstretched. Iris willed her heart to stay quiet as she stepped forward and gave him a friendly hug. It had been 5 years since she last saw him, and yet her heart beat like she was still that lovestruck 20 year old joyfully taking graduation pictures with her crush. He hadn't changed much, yet there was a quiet maturity about him that somehow enhanced his already handsome features.

"I knew that had to be you! You look radiant as always, Iris," Ben said with a slight twang and a boyish grin that lit up his whole face. "What's bringin' you back to Rosewood?"

"I was on my way back from Atlanta on a business trip, and decided on impulse to swing by," she replied, grateful for her chestnut skin that made a blush harder to detect.

"Oh? Was it the Lasky conference?" Ben asked as she nodded. "I was there too!"

Iris raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Wow, I can't believe we missed each other there!"

Ben thought for a moment, his eyes shining with an idea. "Do you have any plans for today?"

Iris hesitated, wondering why he asked, not daring to hope. "Not really, I stopped by for a snack and figured I'd continue home, why do you ask?

Ben grinned. "Then...how 'bout you and I grab a coffee and catch up? If you're not busy, that is."

"I'd love to," Iris replied, trying not to betray how breathless she felt at being asked out for coffee by her college crush.

"Great! You can get something to eat either way," he said with a laugh.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Arriving at the café parking lot, Iris stepped out of her car and waited for Ben to exit his pickup truck. Locking their car doors, they walked side by side up to the quaint little bistro. Iris smiled to herself, remembering how this place sustained her caffeine addiction and sweet tooth for 4 years and saw her through many group projects and assignment woes.

"Remember when Andrew laughed so hard his latte came out of his nose back then?" Ben asked, chuckling at the memory as he held the door open for Iris to enter.

Iris giggled as she walked through, waiting for him to follow. "Man, that was hilarious! I laughed so hard, I was in pain!"

"Yeah I remember, I never expected I'd hand tissues to a girl cause she was laughing so hard she cried," Ben replied as they queued up.

"Ugh that was embarrassing! I didn't expect to ugly laugh like that, he caught me off guard!" Iris said, mortification at the embarrassing memory surfacing as she covered her face lightly.

Ben eased Iris out of the way of a busy barista and almost into his chest with a gentle hand on her shoulder. He patted her arm once before letting go. "Yeah well, I thought it was cute."

Iris, not sure how to act after being gently pulled closer to him and his words, nearly spluttered embarrassingly if it hadn't been for the previous customer leaving with their drink order, causing them to be accosted by the cashier.

"Welcome to Larry's, what can I get for you?" the fresh-faced teenager said, putting Iris out of her misery.

Ben gestured for her to go first, so she forced herself to calm down and think. "Um, I'd like an iced caramel macchiato with a slice of the house special cheesecake, please."

"And for the gentleman, I'm assuming an iced Americano and a slice of the same cheesecake?" the barista asked after entering it into the system.

"Yes, thank you Danny," Ben replied, grinning at Iris.

Iris returned his knowing grin. She was delighted to see that their tastes still stayed the same, right down to the cheesecake they always used to order despite being teased by their friends for never changing their dessert orders. "It's not bad to have a signature order, at least they'll know we're regulars," Iris and Ben used to protest.

Before long, they were seated at a small table by the window, instead of their old corner booth from college when they always needed space for their group of friends. Their coffee and cheesecake were before them, ready to be enjoyed. They simultaneously set their dainty dessert forks into their cheesecake, bringing it to their mouths to savor that first delicious bite. Iris closed her eyes and hummed in appreciation, having missed this cheesecake. Ben laughed in quiet delight at her childlike joy.

"I can't believe you're still a regular here," Iris began after eating a couple more bites and washing it down with a sip of iced coffee. "I'm almost jealous."

"It's a great place, whether you're a college student or not. And if you're almost jealous, you can easily regain regular status by coming here more often," Ben replied, a hint of something more in his dazzling eyes.

Iris slightly batted her eyes bashfully, looking down and taking another bite instead of answering. She desperately tried to calm her emotions and not read into it.

"We're just two old friends catching up for coffee, that's all. Don't hope for more," she told herself silently.

After they finished their coffee and cheesecake amidst light chatter, Iris and Ben left the café and walked slowly to the parking lot, knowing it was almost time to part ways. Iris felt awkward, wanting to ask for his number but not wanting to in case he had a girlfriend or otherwise just wasn't interested. Instead of going to his truck, Ben walked Iris to her car.

"Um, so I had fun! Thanks for the coffee," Iris said awkwardly.

Ben cleared his throat and looked around for a brief second. "Yeah, I did too! Since we reconnected, let's stay in touch?"

Iris grinned, her eyes brightening infinitesimally. "Sure, yeah, of course!"

Ben returned her grin with one of his own, and they both took their phones out to exchange numbers. After doing so, they said their goodbyes, entered their cars, and left. Ben drove back to his house, while Iris drove back onto the highway to continue the journey to her hometown.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

By the time she got home, Ben had already called her and kept her company while driving that hour from the café to her house. She knew after that call that it was useless: she was falling for him all over again. It didn't help that she found out over the next several days that he was delightfully single, waiting for "the woman who sets my heart aflame," he had once texted her in a comedic fit of poetic pique.

Every time her phone pinged with a new notification from Ben, her heart soared with it, despite her best efforts to convince herself it was nothing even when he occasionally texted or called her, casually saying various heart fluttering things. Iris liked Ben, and her heart squeezed painfully at the idea. She had already spent years getting over her silly college crush, forcing his absence to make her heart grow distant instead of fonder. But now that he was once again a part of her life, albeit mainly confined to a smartphone, she longed once more for his company. He was a sweet guy, someone who made her college days brighter just because he was there. Unlike her other crushes, liking him made her feel good about herself in some inexplicable way. He was simple and down to earth, not flashy at all, and yet he settled deeply in her heart little by little with every interaction before she realized she was a goner once more to his simple southern charm. Iris craved his attention and company in any way she could get it, even if it was merely as a friend. So this time, after several years apart where Iris had slowly matured, she did what she could to rekindle their friendship while reminding herself to keep her emotions at bay.

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