I elbowed him in the gut and he dropped his arm. I smiled at him in a way that was more a baring of teeth. We continued to edge toward the counter. Brooks was talking about a research paper and I half listened. I was tired. I was irritable. And I needed my coffee.
And then I saw him.
Maxx stood behind the counter in a brown Coffee Jerk T-shirt, manning the industrial-sized espresso machine and looking harried.
Why did he have to start working at the only place in town that makes coffee the way that I like?
I was irrationally annoyed. But then I felt a smidgen of something else. Joy? Because at least Maxx was working. He had a job that paid him legal, honest money. He was trying.
My jaw hardened and I instantly stepped out of line and exited the coffee shop without another word. Brooks came after me with a confused look on his face. He had obviously not noticed the new barista on duty.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, and I only shook my head, not wanting to get into it. Not now when I was feeling edgy.
“Nothing, I just realized I needed to get to class early,” I lied, feeling marginally guilty for not telling Brooks the truth.
“Oh, okay. Well, I guess I’ll just see you later, then,” Brooks said, still looking bewildered. I forced a smile and nodded, hurrying toclass.
Later in the day I had yet to meet my caffeine quota and things were getting scary. I had practically yelled at the girl sitting in front of me in statistics when she had asked for a pencil.
I knocked over a TA as he came through the door with an armful of papers. I had been charging ahead, full of piss and vinegar and with no attention to those walking around me.
By the end of the day I was a twisty mess of irritation not fit for human company.
Knowing I needed a coffee shot stat, I decided to chance a return trip to the Coffee Jerk. I hoped and prayed that Maxx’s shift would be over by now. I was relieved when I entered and didn’t see him behind the counter. I gave my order to the girl who wasn’t my ex-boyfriend and felt myself relax once I sat in a booth near the back, finally getting my coffee fix.
“Hey,” a deep voice said to my left.
The universe hates me,I thought drolly, quickly followed by a firm,Don’t look up, Aubrey!
I looked up.
Of course I did.
I was nothing if not consistent when it came to Maxx.
“Hey,” I muttered, my mouth turning down at the sight of Maxx, still in his work uniform. His blond hair was disheveled and he looked tired.
“Can I sit down?” he asked, indicating the empty seat across from me.
“It’s a free country, isn’t it?”
Maxx’s jaw stiffened as he slid into the booth opposite me. We sat in awkward silence. I would have laughed at our discomfort if I were in a laughing mood.
“How’s the coffee?” he asked, indicating my now almost-empty mug.
“Coffeelike,” I replied shortly, swallowing the last gulp of my beverage.
“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you,” Maxx said, frowning.
This time I did laugh. But it wasn’t because I found his remark particularly funny.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Is my standoffishness a problem for you?” I asked, my words icy cold.
Maxx cleared his throat. “That’s not what I meant,” he said softly.
“Well, you can’t expect anything from me, Maxx. You just can’t,” I told him truthfully.
I thought about Renee and Devon in the alleyway outside of our building and felt frigid inside. I looked at the man responsible for my own heartache and felt a hardening inside.
