Judging by how hot my face was, I must’ve gone a shade of red that would’ve made a fire truck look pastel.
“Told you.” Dante grinned, getting to work on the coffee. “You look happier than I’ve seen you… ever.”
I ducked my head and pretended to find the tiles under my feet absolutely fascinating while Dante foamed the milk.
“Don’t embarrass my customers,” Iggy said.
Dante laughed. “You’re not embarrassed about getting laid, are you, Xander?”
I wasn’t. Not really.
I just didn’t want everyone and their dog to know.
Even though they didn’t mean any harm. They didn’t, and I knew they didn’t. But I’d just been through the gossip mill and I didn’t really want to experience it again. Not this week, anyway.
“I’m not,” I said. “Just don’t… if you see Milo, don’t tease him about it? He’s…”
“Shy,” Iggy filled in for me. “So sweet though, the way he abandoned his hero worship of Hayden last night so he could go feed your kitten with you. You could do worse.”
“I’ve done worse,” I admitted. “I don’t wanna scare him off.”
“Secret’s safe,” Dante promised.
“Yeah, ditto,” Iggy said. “Happy for you, though. A man who makes a sourdough like you do deserves nice things.”
“Those tarts?” Dante nudged, tucking two lattes into a monstera leaf-patterned takeout holder.
“Yeah,” I said, feeling heat rise to my face again. “Milo’s earned it.”
* * *
When I slippedinto the florist, Milo was standing behind the counter, but he didn’t see me right away. The tip of his tongue poked out between his lips, his brow was furrowed, and he was gently pushing flowers into one of the biggest arrangements I’d ever seen.
“Are you all alone?” I asked, wincing as he jumped.
Milo blinked at me, then scrubbed at his face. “How long have you been standing there?” he asked.
“Seconds,” I said. “Don’t worry.”
“This is a practice run for the picnic. I have to prove I can follow instructions,” he said, gesturing at it. “But I’m not alone, Dawn’s just in the back… thinking, I think.”
“Well, it looks great to me. If I was a florist, I’d hire you,” I beamed at him.
“You still had the flowers,” Milo said, making eye contact with a gerbera instead of me, running his fingers along the petals. “This morning, I noticed them on the kitchen counter.”
I shrugged. “A boy I like gave them to me.”
That made Milo look up. It was too dark in here toseehim blush, but I knew he was blushing.
“Xander!” Dawn enthused as she stepped out of the back room, beaming eagerly at me.
She knew, too, obviously. Milo hadn’t come back here until seven, and there was no way he’d managed to sneak in without her noticing. I doubted he’d even tried. It wasn’t as though I’d asked him to.
“I was just coming to check that you were giving Milo his lunch break,” I joked. “And to ask if maybe he could be bribed with coffee and chocolate to spend it with me?”
Milo looked at the takeout tray I was carrying, then smiled up at me.
Yeah. I’d figured out the way to his heart.
