“You’re doing that thing I hate.” I roll my eyes, threading my fingers through his.
“What thing?”
“Pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.” I laugh, but the truth sits heavy between us.
Tobias shakes his head and pushes open the door to Bloom & Brew—our favorite hidden gem on the main strip. He showed me this place earlier this summer, and I fell for it instantly.
The moment you walk in, the warm smell of fresh coffee greets you, layered with the damp-earth scent of hanging planters and succulents spilling from shelves in every corner.
“Hey, Tan!” Tobias waves to our favorite barista, Tanya, already grinning behind the counter.
“Hey, guys! I saw you coming, so your caramel macchiato and lemonade are already on the way. Grab a seat.” She winks.
“You know the way to our hearts,” I tell her while Tobias taps his card to pay.
“My boss and my sugar daddy? Who knew I’d get so lucky?” I tease.
“Yup. And I expect to get what I paid for.” He leans in with a whisper. I toss myself dramatically into one of the leather armchairs against the wall. Green vines climb the exposed brick, making me feel like I’m in a jungle.
“Oh, is that so? What if I stiff you?”
He smirks, sliding into the blue sofa chair across from me. “You’re worried about the wrong kind of stiff—”
“Here’s your drinks,” Tanya interrupts, setting them down on the coffee table. My cheeks burn as we thank her in unison. She flashes us a knowing smile before heading off.
“You think she heard that?” I cringe internally.
“I hope not. I like her. We’ve scared off enough people,” Tobias mutters, giving me a playful wink before sipping his coffee.
“We really should start a ‘knock first’ policy at the restaurant.”
He chuckles. “Poor Yari. I think we scarred him forever.”
I cringe at the memory of last week’s late-night booth incident. “I swear, I thought everyone went home.” I take a sip of lemonade. “Mmm. That’s good.”
Tobias runs a hand through his hair. “What am I going to do about you?”
“What’s the universe expect, huh?” I gesture at his beautiful body. “Gives me all of this and expects me to keep my hands off?Impossible.”
He narrows his eyes. “Am I just a body to you?”
I laugh at how wrong that is.
“You’re so much more than that, T.” Our eyes lock. The mood shifts, playfulness slipping into something rawer.
“You think so?”
“Somuch more.”
He bites his lip before glancing at the time on his phone. “You know…we’ve got an hour before we have to head to work.”
I give him a knowing grin. “Ready when you are.”
“Just gotta run to the bathroom first.” He heads toward the back. “Don’t drink my coffee.”
“No promises,” I murmur, watching him adjust the bulge in his shorts as he walks away. A slow smile curves my lips, heat curling low in my stomach. I’ll never get used to how he reacts to me.
I scroll Instagram while I wait.
