The warmth hits my face as we walk inside, and it smells like coffee and fresh pastries.
It’s bigger than I expected, cozy but not cramped, with booths lining the walls and a few tables scattered near the windows. Not overly busy right now with just a couple of people on laptops and someone reading a book in the corner.
We stand in line, and I catch people looking at him, then quickly glancing away like they’re afraid to stare too long.
He looks terrifying, which is funny considering how gentle he was with me last night.
The barista is probably in her twenties. Her eyes go wide the second she sees him. She glances at his face, then not so subtly down at his chest, staring like she’s trying to see through his thermal shirt.
I wish I could grab his hand and make it clear he’s with me, except we’re not even dating. We’re something undefined and confusing as hell.
“What can I get you today?” she asks, smiling at Alexei.
The way she’s completely ignoring me is already pissing me off. “I’ll have a cheesecake muffin, one croissant, and a vanilla latte,” I say, rolling my eyes.
She blinks like she forgot I was standing there. “Right. And for you?” she asks, turning back to him immediately.
I watch her eyes trail up his neck, then back down to his stomach. I’m about two seconds away from making a scene.
Alexei doesn’t even acknowledge her existence. “Same,” he says, pulling out his card without looking at her.
“Okay, we’ll bring your order out when it’s ready.” She leans over the counter slightly, pushing her chest forward. “Oh, and those are free today,” she adds, pointing at a glass tray full of cookies. “They’re actually really good. We make them in-house.”
Alexei barely glances at the tray before walking off toward the back. I follow him, trying not to let my irritation show.
We sit in a back booth. He takes off his leather jacket and hangs it over the back before settling across from me. I do the same and try not to act as awkward as I feel. It’s weird being with him in public. Last night was his first time with a guy.
Does that make this experimental? Temporary?
Then the jealousy hits me hard. Does he sleep with women? Is that even something I’m allowed to ask? My brain won’t stop spiraling.
He looks straight at me. “What is it,zaychik?”
“It’s nothing. Just hungry, I guess.” God, I’m the worst liar alive.
He shifts and brings one of his feet close to mine under the table, then taps it lightly.
“I don’t like games. If you’ve got something to say, say it.”
“I know we’re not, like, a thing,” I say, making air quotes with my fingers. “But you’re not sleeping with anyone else, right? Because I don’t think I’d be okay with that.”
His shoulders tense, and he glances around, checking to see if anyone heard me. But I meant what I said because I’m not doing this if I’m just one of many options.
He opens his mouth to respond, but his eyes flick up behind me.
“Here you go. I hope you like your order,” the barista says, setting our plates down. “I added one of those cookies to your plate, by the way. I just thought you might like them.”
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and keeps her eyes locked on him. “I wrote my number on the napkin. Call me if you’re single.”
I clench my fists on top of the table so hard my knuckles turn white. I catch Alexei glancing down at my hands, then back up at my face.
“Fuck off.” He picks up the napkin and hands it back to her without even looking at what she wrote. “Before I lose my patience and make you regret walking over here.”
She looks flustered and walks away quickly.
I open my mouth to say something, but he cuts me off.
“Kelly, I don’t share what’s mine. Someone touches you, they lose their hand. Someone looks at you wrong, they lose their eyes. You’re mine now, which means everyone else stays away or I make them disappear permanently.”
