Anxiety... That's what Karrah had been struggling with all day. From the moment she'd opened her eyes that mid-morning, uncontrollable butterflies swarmed within her. Getting out of bed had taken up to half an hour. Karrah had stared at the ceiling, thoughts of how horribly or how beautifully today might go bouncing back and forth in her head. When she had finally found the courage to get out of bed, she made it as far as her shower. She again remained in a trance like state. She had stood absent minded as the water pelted her unmoving body. What if I'm making a mistake, she had thought, should I go through with it?

Getting dressed had also taken longer than usual. Karrah couldn't make up her mind on what to wear. Should I wear something tight? Or should I just throw something random on? Deciding whether or not she should dress to impress suddenly felt like a life or death situation. Ultimately, she put together an outfit she thought looked both appealing but not too obvious she was trying to catch his attention. A dark, grey Rolling Stones crop top, simple black jeans, and a pair of black combat boots. As a final touch, she threw on his leather, hooded jacket.

It was around four in the afternoon when she got to class. A class she might as well have missed. For two hours, Karrah did nothing but stare into space, occasionally checking her phone for the time. She had received numerous apologetic texts from Aria; texts she chose to ignore knowing Aria had been watching her from the other side of the lecture hall. Karrah had other things to worry about. Gavin, who also took that particular class, had also tried texting her, asking if she was okay. At that she replied with a simple "I'm fine." When class had ended, Karrah wasted no time in leaving the lecture hall. Gavin had somehow caught up to her and forced her to talk to him.

"Karrah" Gavin had started "Are you alright? You seem out of it."

"I'm fine." Karrah had clarified checking her phone again for the time.

"Are you sure? Are you still upset about yesterday? You know Aria didn't mean what she said."

"What? Oh, that...I forgot about that. Look Gavin, I have to go. I'm going to be late for work"

"Let me tag along."

Karrah had tried to protest but Gavin insisted saying that it was on the way to his own job. The trip had consisted of a one sided conversation with Gavin doing most of the talking. Gavin could sense something was wrong but chose not to address whatever it was. He made a mental note to revisit it another time.

Now, as Karrah stood behind the counter at the pub, she could feel her anxiety growing. The loud music and the bursts of laughter coming from customers did little to distract her. The pub wasn't exactly flooding with people which meant she had less work to do. On most days Karrah would have loved not having to go from table to table, but today wasn't like most days. It was on its own level. Karrah slipped into the staff room to fetch her phone from the jacket. She dialled the number of a taxi service when someone snatched her phone away.

"What are you doing calling a taxi service for? Your shift isn't over."

"Samuel, I can't stay. Michael said he would be coming to get his jacket today but I don't think I can face him in this state!"

Samuel sighed with a shake of his head. He led Karrah to the staff room couch and sat her down.

"Karrah, have you already forgotten what I told you yesterday? If you leave you're only postponing the inevitable. You can try to avoid him now but Michael will still come looking for you if you don't return his Jacket. You might as well face whatever you're feeling now than let it become something you can't control later."

Karrah knew he was right. She just didn't want to admit it to herself. "Okay, I'll stay. He said he'll be here at closing time so I have about half an hour to put myself together."

"You look fine. Actually, you look kind of hot in that top. But don't tell my girlfriend I said that."

"Promise I won't and thank you. You're a good guy."

"I know. That's what everybody tells me."

Karrah and Samuel had just finished cleaning up. Samuel was already dressed and ready to go. Just as he made for the door, the overhead bell jingled and Michael stepped in. The two men greeted one another with a nod and Samuel left soon after. Karrah had heard the bell from the staff room and assumed it was just Samuel leaving. She slipped on the jacket, looking down at her phone as she exited the staff room.

"Hello there."

Karrah stopped mid-stride. She stood almost paralysed as Michael smiled at her. Quickly, Karrah's eyes looked him over. His ginger hair was dishevelled but had a certain appeal to it that Karrah couldn't get over. His black, long sleeved shirt was tight and showed off every muscular curvature of his upper body. Oh my, Karrah thought. Michael's eyes had also given Karrah a quick onceover. Her crop top showcased her flat, toned stomach as if she were trying to taunt him. Her tight jeans hugged her thighs like silk.

"Michael, you're here!" Karrah blurted.

"Indeed I am. I came back for my jacket and that cake you promised." He sat himself down on one of the stools. Karrah felt a pang of sadness. "And I also wanted to see you again."

She smiled "I'll go get that cake. Did you want a drink with that?"

Michael shook his head and watched as Karrah slipped away. He looked around, spotting a small remote sitting on the counter. Grabbing it, he pressed the power button and soon music began to fill the silence. Karrah returned with two plates of cake setting one down in front of Michael.

"There you go. The best coffee cake you'll find in any pub this side of London."

"I'll be the judge of that." Michael took the fork that sat on the plate, forked a piece and shoved it in his mouth. He let out a satisfied moan and was soon shovelling more cake into his mouth until there was none left. "You weren't lying. I did love this."

"I knew you would. I like to keep my promises." Silence soon engulfed them. They sat staring at each other with subtle smiles when Karrah cleared her throat. "I'm sure you'd like your jacket back. I promise there's no pigeon poo on it."

"You know what, you can keep it."

"But I-"Karrah tried to protest

"Consider it a thank you gift for this amazing coffee cake. It looks cuter on you anyway." A blush rose to Karrah's cheeks. Bashfully, she tucked her dark hair behind her ear. "Would you like to dance; with me that is."

Karrah's blush turned a deeper red as she nodded her head. Michael took her hand and led her to an open area of the pub. The song playing was slow and low. Karrah hesitantly placed her hands on Michael's shoulders as he placed his on her waist. They swayed with the music, a comforting silence enveloping them. Karrah began to feel at ease being this close to him. His cologne invaded her senses and she couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto her lips.

"Mm...you smell nice." Karrah found herself saying.

"You do too..."

In that moment, their eyes fell on one another's. Michael found himself lost in Karrah's big brown eyes. They drew him in like a moth to flames and before he could comprehend what he was doing, he found himself leaning down towards her. Karrah could see him leaning in and her heart began to beat erratically. Her eyes were fixated on his lips.

A surge of electricity ran through Karrah's body as she felt Michael's lips make contact with her own. They were softer than she thought they'd be. She leaned further into the kiss, her arms wrapped round his neck. Michael pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapping round her waist. His heart beat against his chest threatening to jump out. Karrah, her name crossed his mind as he held on to her tightly.

Karrah felt...she felt-she didn't know how to describe it. A plethora of emotions washed over her like a bone crushing wave. She was sure of at least one thing. This was Nirvana.