Coffee in Common Read Online Free PDF

parents' sake."
    "So, you haven't heard from her at all?"
    "Not a word. And it's been, like, almost two weeks now. I called a couple of times but got her voice mail. I left a message once, but she never called me back."
    "That's tough, dude."
    "Yah, well, she said she wanted time alone to think, so I probably shouldn't be surprised. But I miss her, man, you know? We were so good together. I loved how proper she was in public and how wild she could be when we were alone."
    He glanced away for a few seconds, trying to gauge whether to risk ridicule by continuing.
    Paul read the indecision on his friend's face. "I know what you mean, buddy. It's like a big hole, a big empty place she used to fill, but now…nothing."
    "Exactly." He decided to take the risk. "You know when you were talking about coffee girl before, and you said that when you saw her the first time you felt something click. Well, that's what happened to me when I first met Lisa."
    "Did you ever tell her?"
    "Tell her? No. I don't think I ever really acknowledged it to myself, much less to her. I mean, you know me. I've always been free, having a good time, one girl after another. Do you realize I'd been with Lisa for over five months before this break. Five months! That‘s the longest I've been with one girl since high school. Even then, I wasn't really exclusive with anyone. But with Lisa, it's different." He sighed. "You know, I realized last week that since I've been with her, I never even think about other women."
    Paul looked skeptical. "Man, I've seen you ogling…"
    "Yah, yah, I know. I look at pretty girls. But it's the damnedest thing. I look, but I never fantasize about what it would be like to be with them anymore."
    "Sounds like the ‘L' word to me," Paul said. "Sounds like you have it bad. Did you ever tell her you loved her?"
    "Of course, like when we were doing it and stuff."
    "That's it?"
    "What do you mean?"
    Paul was shaking his head. "Rob, how can a man with Latino blood in his veins, a man who's had more women than most men dream of…how can you know so little about them? Are you seriously telling me you only told Lisa you loved her while you were screwing her?"
    "No. Sometimes I'd tell her afterward, or before."
    Rob was beginning to regret taking that chance. He wasn't comfortable talking about love and emotions. And he really didn't like talking about sex, although he'd engage in bragging banter with other guys when it seemed to be called for.
    Paul noticed his friend withdrawing.
    "Rob, Lisa is the steadiest, most unassuming girl I've ever met. She's smart, funny, looks great but doesn't seem to care, and, well, you know I could go on and on. Five months ago, for whatever reason I'll never know, she chose you. And until this taking-a-break thing, I thought you two were made for each other. So did everyone else, which is why none of us can figure out what the taking-a-break is all about.
    "But now I think I understand. You believe it was her friends dissing you, but from what you say, they'd been doing that right along. No, this is not the fault of her friends, buddy, it's all your fault."
    Paul took a swig of his beer, sat back, and waited for a reaction.
    Rob looked dazed. After a minute he mumbled, "My fault?"
    "Your fault," Paul shot back. "Man, if you want to keep a woman like Lisa you have to work at it. She can have any guy she wants in this town. Hell, she can probably have any guy she wants in the world. But she chose you. Why would she do that?"
    "She said I made her laugh, and that I'm nice to her."
    "Okay, that's what hooked her, but what kept her coming back for five months?"
    "I don't know," Rob replied. "Good times, great sex?"
    Paul signaled the bartender to send over another round.
    "Rob, she can get that anywhere, and probably in greater quantity and quality."
    "Hey…"
    "Yah, blah, blah, I know. I've seen you in the shower, buddy. You ain't that special. Look, Lisa saw something in you, something that made her want to