Page 38 of Love You A Latte

“Itisstupid early, how can I make it up to you?”

“Mmph,” I groan, and Frankie chuckles. A quiet, wistful, slightly sad sort of chuckle. Or perhaps I’m projecting.

“How about a banana chocolate chip muffin?”

“Yeah, that.”

I poke a hand out from the blanket and wave my fingers in a “give me” gesture, not yet moving my face from Frankie’s neck, and earn another chuckle. My lips curve against their skin and I tuck my arm back into my blanket burrito. They squeeze me tighter for a moment before backing me into a counter, then lifting me up to sit on it. I scoot to get comfortable, then stick my hand out of the blanket again.

Frankie snags a muffin from the cooling tray, removes the wrapper, and places the still warm pastry in my hand. It smells delicious, and I let out an involuntary moan when I take a bite. Ripe banana and gooey chocolate flood my taste buds.

“Careful,” Frankie warns when I groan again with the second bite. They’ve turned back to their baking and I pause, deciding if I want to push it or not.

I choose to enjoy my muffin, knowing that I can both have my cake and eat it too. Or, in my case, have Frankie pretty much anytime I want, and also eat their delicious muffins. Semi-double innuendo intended.

Win-win.

I smirk at my clever early morning thoughts and take another bite of the muffin.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

FRANKIE

I can’t focus. It’s Addison’s final day here, and I’ve messed up the last three customer orders, misplaced a stack of cash for the register, and spilled an entire box of to-go cups. I’ve never done any of these things before.

It’s because I don’t know what’s going to happen. I hate being out of control. I hate uncertainty, not knowing when the next time I’ll see her is. I’m trying to plan for the worst while hoping for the best, but I’m not used to this. I’m not used to feeling so strongly for someone, or planning my life around anyone else, or even contemplating doing anything other than being here behind the counter of Roasted for the foreseeable future.

I throw my head back and sigh with aggravation when I realize I left the whole milk out of the fridge, and that it’s been on the counter long enough to have left a large puddle of condensation around it.

Then I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Hey,” Addison says. Her voice alone drains the tension out of me. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just…” I stop and wave my hands around, dejected. “You know.”

“Yeah,” Addison says. “I know.”

She tugs me into her slight frame and rests her temple on my head. I sling my arms around her waist and take a moment to breathe her in. Then I’m moving, pulling out ofher arms and stomping over to Jaime.

“You good if I leave?” I ask, and Jaime shrugs.

“I guess. Will you be back to close?”

“Sure. Wipe down out here, I’ll take care of the register and kitchen. Yeah?”

“Yeah, boss.”

I’m already untying my apron and dropping it in a hamper by the back door. This broody bitch is taking the rest of the day off to be with their girl.

“Let’s go,” I say, grabbing Addison’s hand and tugging her back to her table. I start packing up her belongings, and she laughs.

“Frankie, what are you doing?” she says, taking her laptop from me. “Slow down, what’s happening?”

“I’m taking you on a date. Jaime’s got it covered, let’s go.”

Addison is grinning, infectious in her joy, and I have no choice but to smile back. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

She shoulders her bag and I grab her hand again, twining our fingers together as I weave through the tables to the front door. I nod at a couple of the locals hanging out, and old Nancy winks at me. She’s a nosy bat, but I suppose I can’t blame her for wanting a front row seat to the town’s current hottest gossip. Which is Addison and me, unfortunately.

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