Page 35 of Love You A Latte

I pull her legs over my lap and she tucks herself into my side, hugging my arm. We’re sitting as close as we can—touching as much as we can.

“So, what are your thoughts, my sweet Addison?”

Her cheeks tint a lovely shade of pink, and I swipe my thumb over one tenderly. Then she puffs out a breath and slumps, her shoulders falling forward.

“I was hoping to hear back about that transfer by now,” she says, confusion and concern passing over her features. “I think Ishouldhave heard back by now, so I’m going to plan for the worst and say it’s not going to happen. So if we assume I won’t be working a mostly virtual position, and that I instead have to continue in-person at this department…” she trails off.

“This is the department that Benji is in, too?” I ask. I don’t want to bring him into our safe space, but I need to know what her concerns are, especially since they’ll inform my own.

“Yeah. Honestly, I like my job, but if I don’t get the transfer, I’ll probably look for something else. I don’t think I can keep working with him.”

I squeeze her to me for a moment and she tips her head, laying her cheek on my hair.

“Plus, I don’t know how we can be together if I don’t.”

“What if you do get the transfer?”

“Then we’re set,” she huffs a sad, wistful sort of laugh. “I’d only have to go into the office four days every two weeks. That would be easy to navigate, right? We could make that work. I could be here most of the time…” She pauses, pulling back to glance at me and I notice her back muscles have tensed beneath the arm I have slung around her.

“I’d love to have you here more. You can stay with me some nights, or if you’re not ready for that, I know Everly would be happy to have you too. Or heck, stay at the Sioria! You know she’d give you a room free of charge.”

Addison peeks up at me from beneath long lashes.

“You’d want me to stay with you? Like, multiple nights?” she asks, tentative and hopeful. My sweet, darling woman.

“Of course. I want as much of you as I can get,” I say, squeezing her again in emphasis. “The real question is would you survive staying with me? I get up between four and five a.m. most days.”

Addison’s eyes bug out. “You’re lying.”

“I most certainly am not,” I laugh. “I’ve been paying the kids extra to open for me this week when I want to spend the morning with you, but that’s not a long term option. Think you could handle it?”

“If by ‘handle it’ you mean curling myself into a burrito blanket the moment you leave me cold and alone in bed, then sleeping for another four to five hours, yeah. I suppose I could handle it.” She’s grumbling and pouting and it isadorable.

I kiss her nose and she scrunches it at me, trying not to smile. I love the thought of her curled up in my bed, cozy and soft with sleep, as I start work and open the coffee house downstairs. I imagine deciding what to bake based on what mood she might be in, the tantalizing scents of fresh muffins and coffee drifting up to pull her out of bed and to my side.

“Well, let’s wait for a final verdict on the job. If it’s a yes, perfect. If it’s a no, we’ll have to finesse our schedules a bit the next few weeks while you decide what you want to do,” I say.

Worst case scenario, I’ll pack up Roasted and move to San Diego. They’re gay as fuck and would love a queer coffee joint, I’m sure I could make it work.

“Yeah?” she says.

Her eyes are bright with hope and I circle my arms around her, tugging her further onto my lap as I press my nose to her neck. I inhale the scent of her, allowing it to calm the worries still working their way through me, then I nod.

“I promise,” I say, pressing my words into her skin.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

ADDISON

Everly and Asim return the next day, pulling into the driveway mid-morning so I don’t get a chance to go to Roasted as I normally would. Moose is ecstatic, losing his mind as he spins in circles and barks. Everly laughs at his enthusiastic greeting. Melodious and beautiful, it lights up her whole face as she bends down to pet him. Moose pounces on her, knocking her back into Asim’s legs.

He scolds Moose, then scoops his hands under my sister’s arms and easily sets her back on her feet. She tips her face up for a quick kiss before stepping past Moose and folding me into her arms.

I’m still not sure about our dynamic. I know we both played a part in the distance between us, until I showed up with no warning last December for the holiday party she hosts every year. I cringe internally. That wasn’t my finest moment—making a spur of the moment decision to attend after breaking up with Sabrina simply because I didn’t want to be alone for Christmas—but it seems to be working out okay now.

At least it’s brought us back together.

“How was your trip?” I ask.

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