“Not only was his avatar having sex with this blue-skinned hussy, but he had his hands down his pants and a bottle of vanilla scented lube sat on the desk. Vanilla! That’s not a good smell for that, by the way.”
Ken laughs and shakes his head before standing and walking to the counter. “You need something sweet for having to walk in on that. What do you want?”
I sigh dramatically and pout. “Can I have a cookie?”
“Of course.” Taking one from the display case, he walks it over to me and sits back down. “Here.”
“Thank you. I feel stupid. And I know it’s ridiculous to be offended, but I’m not wrong, right?”
“Yeah,” he says, “but it’s also really funny.”
“Story of my life lately,” I mutter, biting into the sugar cookie. “This is good.”
“Thanks. At least you’re going on dates. I spend most of my time here. I’ve finally hired enough help to keep the place running without me being here from open to close.”
His name tag doesn’t have a title on it, so I just assumed he was a barista stuck working the closing shifts. “You’re the manager?”
“Owner.”
I blink. “Really?”
“Really.”
“You’re basically the perfect man, you know that? You own your own business, make a product I’d probably die without, and you give me baked goods when my avatar gets cheated on.”
Chuckling, he winks. “If only more women saw me that way.”
“Tell me—do you make your dates coffee in the mornings?”
Ken leans forward and gives me a sultry look. “Only when they stay the night.”
“Do you have a fancy machine to make lattes and all sorts of delicious drinks at home?”
“I do. I steam my own milk and everything.”
“Keep talking dirty to me,” I tease. “Seriously, if someone brought me coffee in bed, I think it would be the best relationship ever. Even if it was just a one-night stand, that would be a great parting gift. Considerate and tasty.”
“You know, coffee shop owners are known to be addicted to their product.”
I fake gasp. “You don’t adhere to the dealer’s policy? Never use your own product?”
“Nope. And with that addiction to caffeine, we’re also known for our stamina. We also aim to please our customers.”
The glint in his eyes makes my stomach flip. “I’ve never heard that before, but someone should really test that theory.”
“Have dinner with me, Holly.”
“Really?”
“Really. I’m not some guy you met on a dating app, so this already has a better chance of going well. Plus, we’ve already met twice. How many of the others can say that?”
Narrowing my eyes, I tap the table. “Not fair.”
“But not wrong.”
I grin. “Okay, why not? I’m curious what a man addicted to coffee likes to eat for dinner.”
He rakes his gaze over me, biting his lower lip. “You might be more interested in what I like to eat for dessert.”
