The steady movement behind the counter. The small crowd of regulars scattered at tables, laptops open, conversations low. And there he was, right behind the counter.
My favorite human barista. Seth.
2
SETH
The faint buzzing against the wooden counter had been going on long enough that it was starting to get under my skin.
When were they going to give up?
I tried to ignore it, I really did. My attention stayed on the espresso machine in front of me, the low hum, the steady pull of coffee into the cup.
Still, my eyes drifted to the shelf behind the counter where I’d shoved my phone earlier.
It rattled faintly against the wood, lighting up again.
A slow breath left me as I turned back to the machine, pressing the buttons a little harder than necessary while I started steaming the milk.
The milk pitcher jerked in my hand when the machine suddenly shrieked, a sharp warning beep that cut through the noise of the café.
“Hey, careful!” Janine elbowed me out of the way before I could make it worse. “That’s the third one you’ve messed up.”
I blinked, staring down at the cup in front of me. Milk had spilled over the rim, thick foam sliding down the sides and pooling onto the counter.
Janine was already moving, grabbing a cloth and wiping everything down before it could drip any further.
“Sorry,” I muttered, already reaching for another towel to help.
She tapped my hand lightly before I could, stopping me mid-motion.
“Don’t,” she said. “You’re just going to make it worse.”
A quiet huff left me as I backed off and picked up the ruined drink instead, tipping it into the sink. I rinsed the cup, then grabbed a clean one and placed it next to her.
It was a silent peace offering. Also a very clearI don’t trust myself with this right now.
Janine didn’t say anything about it. She just took it and kept going, already remaking the drink. I leaned back against the counter, watching her work for a moment.
“Sorry,” I said again, softer this time. “I’m just a little distracted.”
Right on cue, the buzzing started up again. Both of us looked at my phone at the same time.
Janine didn’t even try to hide the look she gave me, half exasperation, half something that looked a lot like pity, as she poured the milk into the cup in one smooth motion.
“Why don’t you just answer it?” she said. “Get it over with.”
My phone vibrated again. A long, resigned sigh slipped out of me as I pushed off the counter.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Yeah, okay.”
Janine was already handing the finished drink to a customer before sliding straight into the next order without missing a beat.
I grabbed my phone, the screen lighting up in my hand.
“I’m just gonna…” I gestured vaguely toward the back.
Without looking up, Janine waved me off. “Go, before you ruin anything else.”
