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F/F, Contemporary Romance, Friends-to-Lovers [10 Pages / 2,200 Words] Wishful Thinking is no longer available for individual purchase, but can be found in the collection: Hearts Right Here Kimiko has powerful feelings about leaving her barista job to focus on school. Or maybe she just has powerful feelings for coffee shop owner Nyla Prince. Kimiko has spent years hiding her heart, confident her crush isn't returned. But Nyla isn't her boss anymore, and Kimiko's not sure how to navigate this unfamiliar terrain. Wishful thinking hasn't gotten her anywhere. It's time for a better strategy. "Where the fuck did Parker put the broom?" The coffee shop is long empty around her, the front door locked and lights dimmed. All of Kimiko's coworkers have gone for the night. She should be gone too—and she would be, if the broom and dustpan weren't missing. It's her last shift, and it's supposed to be over, and instead she's standing between narrow tables muttering pointless questions to an empty room. Only one other person remains in the squat little building this late, but Kimiko doesn't want to bother her about the damn broom. Nyla Prince is the name on the door of Prince's Bakery and Espresso Bar. Until Kimiko clocks out and goes home, the woman is still her boss. After that, if she sets foot in this coffee shop again, it will be as a customer or a cheerful nuisance. The looming change feels like a cosmic shift Kimiko isn't entirely ready to face. At the moment, Nyla's in the back of the building, fussing around in the kitchen that takes up barely more space than the tiny shopfront. She's probably about halfway done preparing and baking everything that needs to be ready for tomorrow's opening shift. The woman is a stern, stubborn, perfectionist overachiever—exactly Kimiko's type, as bad luck would have it—and she does not like other people intruding on her domain. The only time Kimiko has ever seen her let anyone else touch her strict organizational system was during Nyla's one and only vacation. Three years ago. In other words, Nyla Prince is a territorial asshole with no idea how to take a damn break. Kimiko shouldn't love her for it, but. Well. Here they are. Five years into a well-honed routine of useless pining and furtive glances, never entirely sure whether she wants her boss to suss her out or not. Read the full story in Hearts Right Here |
Cover design by Yolande Kleinn |