“Arachnid,” they wailed, making grotesque, silly faces and wiggling their fingers.
Laughing, I captured the moment. Maybe that spider was still good for something. And this kind of camaraderie was good for me.
I'd have offered to include Janice, but she was busy texting with her friends about the movie while we did our photoshoot. Somehow, they made her laugh more than her boyfriend.
Perhaps Sal wasn’t her soulmate. But maybe that wasn’t a thing. Maybe our friends could be soulmates in ways lovers couldn’t be. At least with good ones. I sent the pic to Sal and Ash.
“Nice,” he cheered, and bumped my fist. “See? You’re conquering your fears, slugger. I’m proud of you.”
A zing raced to my heart. Yep, friends could be soulmates. Platonic soulmates were a thing. But if we were ever going to be besties, I needed to be able to be honest with him about stuff he might not want to hear. Stuff about people he loved. Hopefully, he’d understand. Hopefully, he’d believe me, and we could be on the same frequency.
13
Brewing
The next day, I set up my laptop at the coffee shop, my brain jolting with half-formed thoughts. It wasn’t my place to comment on Sal’s love life. The latest ePhone had been out longer than we’d been friends. But still, it didn’t take an expert to realize he and Janice weren’t suited for each other. Was it better to bury my concern? Was I a bad friend either way I approached it?
Shit.
Human relationships were too damned complicated.
My chair wobbled. I wasn’t rocking myself that hard. What kind of establishment got chairs with uneven legs? Useless hipster aesthetic. Wood warped, though, so maybe they changed over time. Most people did. Maybe that was what happened in Sal’s relationship. They started out on the same level, and now, they wobbled.
The bell over the door rang.
A pierced-up barista looked at the door with almost as much intensity as I did.
Sal strode in, his arrival straightening my spine with a current of anticipation. "Hi," I said.
He grinned and slipped his backpack onto the seat next to me. “Hey, how’s it going? Big day tomorrow.”
“Yes. Good.” I answered in reverse order. I was such an idiot. Why did he trust me with this project?
He jerked his thumb at the counter. “You want a drink?”
“No, thank you.”
“I think we need to order something or that guy might kick my ass,” he joked out of the corner of his mouth.
The pierced barista in the olive cap huffed and crossed his arms, showing off some ink.
Tough guys didn’t scare me. Stupid, entitled ones did. But Sal wasn’t like that. At worst, he was silly.
“Aren’t you known for making friends?” I asked dryly.
“Yeah, but I don’t know anyone here yet. I get my caffeine from energy drinks.” He drummed on his belly.
My lip twitched up. “Your insides must be radioactive green.”
“Hey, it brings out the color of my liver.” He laughed. “Now, what’ll it be?”
He wasn’t going to give up until he got me something. It was daytime, and we both had work after this, so I trusted him to get me a drink.
I tugged my hat. “A small latte with oat milk, please.”
“You’ve got it.” He snapped his fingers, then smacked his fist into his palm as he strolled up to the register.
Our conversation didn’t have to be devastating. Maybe he already suspected Janice wasn’t his perfect partner. I’d ease into things. Casually. Let him lead.
