“Ugh, why didn’t we have our phones out for that?”
“Cooked by the Baker!”
“Coooooooked!”
Aiden dips his head as if to saytouché.On that we agree. We are absolutely not, nor will we ever be, friends.
_____
Ding!
Another one? Unbelievable.
Steven, plus Miles, Tyrone, Maxine,bothof the Newmans, Shelly and Betty and the teenagers and now even Carl.
Carl!
I’ve managed to skip two mornings but I was here the first couple times. What is so interesting about Aiden coming in here for coffee?
Carl orders one of my most ridiculous spring specials, basically a mocha with extra portions of the yummy stuff: chocolate sauce, whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, and my special ingredient. The crew teases him mercilessly about this until he makes a big show about paying full price for it. It’s an expensive drink.Huh. Guess Carl has heard about Sir Bridgerton’s little lecture the other day.
Ding!
“Hello…everyone,” Aiden says. Clearly the humor has worn off. Now he just seems grumpy. Although, he could be tired.
Stupid dog.
Stuart howled to get out of the garage at two in the morning. I let him into the yard where he did his business then hopped the fence and ran away. To Aiden’s porch. Where he whined and whined—while I guess I fell dead asleep waiting for him inside on my garage steps—until Aiden grabbed his collar and marched him back to my house.
Aiden was not amused. I stood and met them in the middle of the garage and he froze, like he was surprised to see me at my own house. I started to say sorry but he harrumphed, maybe angrier than I’ve ever seen his perfect face look. Even with bags under his eyes and overnight stubble all over his face, he looked brutally gorgeous in the glow of my single garage light.
He shoved Stu toward me and mumbled an order to keep him inside. I thought he was so mad at me that maybe he’d skip his visit this morning.
If only I couldbe so lucky.
“See, I told you,” Steven says to someone. I try to read lips and figure out what he told who but there’s a lot of whispering and side eyeing. Then Steven calls out, “Good morning! We all paid!”
Aiden scoffs, “Well, done.”
Even though his tone sounds exasperated, my friends, like Stuart, seem to beam under this man’s praise.
But he…he’s just standing at the counter. Not ordering. I blink a few times and then make him his usual. I wordlessly make a lot of regulars their coffees. It’s fine. This is fine.
But I don’t know what food he wants for his crew.
I slide him his drink and look up. He…he’s staring at the board like he’s confused. So much so that I turn around and look over my shoulder.Nip, same menu as always.
I turn back.
He’s almost smirking?
Oh.
This is my punishment. He wants me to ask.
He crosses his arms and lifts his eyebrows.
I do too.
