CHERRY. [JESS MARIANO]

You Wrote A Book

"You wrote a book?" I exclaimed in astonishment. I sat on a stool by the counter as Jess tried to fix the broken coffee machine.

Jess had stayed the night as we made up for lost time and talked about what we had going on in our lives in the past six months. He was prying a screwdriver that we had found in one of the drawers, into one of the gears in the machine.

"No, I'm writing a book." He corrected me as he turned around briefly before looking back toward the broken machine. "I'm still writing it, it's not done yet."

Late into last night, Jess had told me how he was working at a publishing company -Truncheon Press- while he wrote his book. They had made a deal of some sorts that I understood due to my law course.

"I knew you could do it," I say proudly with my eyes trained on him as I leaned my chin on my hand. "You're so smart and you have such a way with words. It's about time you realised that."

Without taking his eyes off the coffee machine, he answered me, "It's nothing special, it's not like a Kerouac or an Austen," he says but I could see his cheeks heating up slightly.

"Yup," I agree with a wide smile, "It's gonna be better." I tell him with confidence. Maybe I haven't even read it yet, but I know that it's gonna be amazing. You can tell if someone's got it, and he did. Sometimes he really didn't know how smart he could be. And that frustrated me a lot.

"I'm only a couple chapters in, I don't even know if I can finish it. It might just turn out to be a waste of paper." Jess tried to explain to me as I shook my head.

"Don't say that," I chided. "You can do it, I know." I hopped down from my stool and walked up to him.

"Thanks," Jess mumbled as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close into his side.

"So what's it about?" I asked him as I rested my head on his shoulder. Jess was using his free hand to continue to try and fix the machine. "Is it a Great American Novel?"

"It's a little less ambitious," he says without taking his eyes off from his work. I wait for him to continue but he doesn't say anything.

I tilt my head up at him as I untangle from his arms and lean against the counter. "And?" I ask, hoping for more content.

"And, I'm not telling you anymore." He answers with a smirk as I frown.

I wrap my arms back around him, hoping to change his mind. "Please?" I tried to persuade him to let me in on his little secret with a long kiss on the lips.

After a while, Jess pulled away and held my face in his hands. He looked at me lovingly but shook his head. "No, I'm not telling you." Jess repeats as I whine and collapse into him dramatically. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Does that mean it has something to do with me?" My head perks up at the little hint I had gotten.

Pulling away from me, he turns back toward the machine. "Stop it," he told me and I sighed in frustration. "Alright, try it now." Jess instructed as he took a step away from the machine.

I began to start up my usual routine of making my coffee as I mentally prayed that it would work. Pushing the button, I expected to hear nothing but instead I got the satisfying whir of the machine signalling it was working again.

"Yes!" I yelled happily as I jumped up and down in excitement at finally getting some caffeine in my system after what felt like years. I turned to Jess with a grin on my face as I gave him a lingering kiss. "I love you," I said for what felt like the tenth time. But no matter how many times I said it, it still felt to surreal.