Page 2 of Allured By Her

“She’s also marrying one of your best friends,” I pointed out.

“And she’s your girlfriend’s sister,” Lark called from the kitchen. “So you’re obligated to be there.”

“My point is,” Sydney said, raising her hand. “That I didn’t like her at first. I was very much Team No Honor, and then I came around. So maybe Tenley could turn out like that.”

“You’re being very optimistic right now, and I’ve got to say, it’s really hot,” Lark said, gesturing at Sydney with a spatula. Sydney turned her attention to Lark and their eyes locked as heat pulsed between them. That was the risk I ran when eating dinner with them. The sexual energy between them was palpable. Sometimes I imagined putting on one of those HAZMAT suits to protect myself from it.

I wasn’t jealous per se. Okay, I was a little bit. I loved Lark and I loved Sydney and I loved seeing them together. But then I went down the hall to my apartment that didn’t have a girlfriend or even a cat in it and things got bleak.

True, I had plenty going on in my life. I had my full-time job that I didn’t completely hate, and then I had my little side hustle making custom silicone sex toys out of my sister’s garage. I’d also joined the book club that met once a month at Mainely Books. I babysat my niece and hung out with my sister. I had friends. That was plenty.

At least, that’s what I told myself when the loneliness gnawed at me. Everyone felt that way, even people in love. Being lonely was just a fact of life.

“Dinner’s ready,” Lark said, bringing me out of my mental funk.

“Great,” I said, standing up to go grab my plate.

* * *

The funk continued into the next day as Lark, Liam, and I dealt with the morning rush. I tried to shift my brain to autopilot like I usually did and go by muscle memory, but it wasn’t working. I kept dropping things and fucking up drinks, but I couldn’t stop, couldn’t take a break.

“I don’t know what is wrong with me today,” I said as I went to remake my third drink that I’d messed up.

“You’re just having an off day. Happens to all of us,” Lark said, chucking a croissant into the warmer.

I topped the finished drink with whipped cream and took it to the counter, calling out the name on the order. The woman wearing scrubs took it and thanked me as I apologized for the wait.

“No problem at all, you have a nice day,” she said with a smile and my stomach did a little flip because hell, she was cute.

“You’re welcome,” I stuttered and then had to go deal with the next order. My teeth automatically clenched when I met a set of golden-brown eyes set in a pretty face.

“Large iced lavender vanilla macchiato. Iced,” she said, as if I hadn’t heard her the first time. “Light on the ice, heavy on the whip. Please.” She added the last word as an afterthought. To be fair, a lot of people didn’t know when to use that word, and Tenley always did, eventually. She had that going for her.

“Coming right up,” I said with a sigh.

Tenley flashed me a smile and went back to her table to set up her laptop and I went to make her drink.

“How is she today?” Lark asked.

“No more annoying than usual,” I said, grabbing her cup and pumping the syrup into it. I double-checked Tenley’s drink before I set it on the pickup counter and called out her name.

She came up to get it with her phone attached to her ear. I pointed to the sign that said that phone calls should be taken outside, as a courtesy, but she ignored me like she did every other time I’d drawn her attention to it.

There was a brief lull a few minutes later so Lark and I leaned on the counters to take a breather.

Tenley was still on the phone, and it didn’t look like the conversation was going well. Probably fighting with her boyfriend again. Yawn.

“Lark, do you want to take your break?” Liam said, coming out from the back.

“Yes please,” Lark said. “Back in fifteen.” She squeezed my shoulder as she passed me to head out to the back and chill out on the picnic table in the tiny employee courtyard. We shared our parking lot with a bank and a car wash, but at least we had our own little area.

“You good?” Liam asked, frowning at me.

“I’m good,” I said, stretching my wrists and rolling my shoulders.

Liam didn’t seem convinced, but then Tenley came up to the counter again.

“I asked for a lavender vanilla latte, and you definitely forgot the lavender syrup,” she said, holding up her cup and shaking it.

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