Page 6 of Almost Love

“What can I help you with?”

“Just wanted to sayhi, that’s all.”

She was ready to snap at him aboutdisturbingher, but found herself so captivated by the wide smile he flashed. For fuck’s sake, he was beautiful. Short, messy blond hair that looked like it was never combed, dark wireframe glasses made his bright green eyes pop; Oakley was exactly the kind of person she would have a crush on.

Hell, shehadcrushed on someone like him recently.

Never again.

“Hi,” she forced out. Her voice was huskier than she liked and cringed internally at how it probably made her sound desperate. She wasn’t, no matter what her body—the fucking traitor—was feeling by being around him.

“Would it be too forward of me to ask if you’d like to join me for coffee?”

Why did he have to be so fucking bashful when he asked her that? She wanted to sayyes, but her head was already shaking and there was no going back from that. Fighting back her frustrated sigh, she gestured to one of the few tables near the window. His smile was blinding, but not in a way that annoyed her. Which was saying a lot, because it was easy for her to be annoyed by most things.

People were an exhausting breed of annoyance.

“The usual for you, chef?” Luna asked as Clementine squeezed herself into a chair. When she nodded, the youngwoman turned to her companion with a giddy smile. “What about you, Oakley?”

On a first name basis? Unbelievable.

“Whatever the chef’s having, I’ll have the same.”

Luna nodded, almost bouncing as she walked away, leaving them alone. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Instead, she dusted invisible crumbs from the table, smoothed down her coat and fidgeted like it would save her from making a fool of herself.

“I make you uncomfortable.”

Her head snapped up at his words and she frowned. “No.”

“This is the first time you’ve looked me in the eyes since you came out of the kitchen.”

Because if I look into those bright green orbs, I won’t be able to stop this crush from becoming something else.

Instead of that word vomit, she shook her head. “I’ve got a lot on my mind and it’s hard to turn it off.” Which wasn’t untrue, excepta lotwas basically a highlight reel of the man sitting in front of her. She straightened her spine and added, “You’ve got my entire kitchen distracted.”

He blushed all the way to his ears and dropped his eyes to the table, adjusting his glasses. “I didn’t mean to do that. They’re a great group of people and I like making friends everywhere I go.”

“It wasn’t a criticism, just an observation.”

“But the donuts are why I keep coming back,” he admitted, the blush still clinging to his strong cheekbones, making his eyes pop. “How long have you been doing this?”

What is it about blushing men that makes them more endearing?

Clementine didn’t start anything new, because why reinvent the wheel? She wanted a place to showcase her talents and it just so happened she was damn good at it, that it brought peoplein constantly. Regulars like Oakley were the reason this place thrived.

That and Frankie Willows using her as the one and only source for all wedding desserts.

“About ten years, give or take.”

“It’s amazing,” he remarked.

Before he could say anything else, Luna appeared with their coffees and set them on the table. With another smile in Oakley’s direction, she bounced away. He frowned at the two steel tumblers resting in matching davaras—a steel bowl-like dish with a rim that stuck out enough for you to hold it comfortably. It had taken her a while to teach Luna how to make her preferred coffee and when she bought the right tools to drink out of, it all made sense. Her father had introduced her to the world of filter coffee and growing up, she’d always watched him prepare and drink his coffee this way.

“What are we drinking?”

“Filter coffee,” she said simply and pulled one of the tumblers towards her. “It’s a South Indian preparation, which is best enjoyed in a tumbler and a davara.”

“Like a cup and saucer?”

---