Page 19 of Cups of You

Amber chuckled to herself when she thought about how much she and Josiah were paying for their one-bedroom apartment.

Expensive might be an understatement.

Wilhelmina nodded. “I’m sure it is.” She smirked. “But I notice how you didn’t answer my question about there being someone special. What are you hiding? Did you get married and not announce it on social media or something?”

“No, I—Benjamin. Hi.”

Amber’s attention shifted to the familiar man who had just stepped into the aisle. Mocha met espresso as they locked gazes and Amber swore she could taste the bittersweet aroma of roasting beans on the back of her tongue. It was the first time Amber had seen Benjamin outside the café and in the harsh light of the grocery store, his presence seemed somehow more real.

His height was even more impressive when not partially blocked by the counter. His shoulders were broad, and his shirt clung to his chest. Long legs were encased in dark blue jeans that molded around his thighs in a way that should have been illegal. Amber knew she was staring, but she couldn’t help it. Benjamin was a whole damn meal.

“Oh hey, Benjamin. Good to see you.”

Amber blinked quickly. She didn’t know what it was about this guy and why his very presence kept throwing her off. Thankfully, Wilhelmina was turned now and addressing him as he walked over to them. Benjamin glanced over at her before his large brown eyes fell on Amber again.

“Hey Willie. How’s it going?”

“Pretty good. Can’t complain too loudly.”

Wilhelmina turned back to Amber and paused her dark brown eyes narrowing slightly. Amber tried not to look like she had just been undressing Benjamin with her eyes. “It seems you two have met?”

“Yeah,” Benjamin said finally looking away. “I met Amber when she came by the café a couple weeks ago.”

When he looked back at her, she nodded.Speak bitch.“Right, yeah. I’ve gone by his café a couple times to pick up things for my aunt. She loves his muffins.”

Wilhelmina’s smirk grew deeper. “As do we all.”

Amber frowned. That did not sound as innocent as it seemed, but it had been a while since she had talked to Wilhelmina, so she gave her the benefit of the doubt. Surely, she hadn’t meant to make that sound dirty.

Never mind that you were thinking it too.

“What are you up to?”

Benjamin held up his basket. “Just grabbing a few things to try out a couple new recipes.”

Wilhelmina’s smirk morphed back into a smile. “Really? Do you need any taste testers?”

“Oh, sure. Liv is gone to her mom’s, so I was just going to take whatever I made to Ms. Jay and Amber to try.”

“You were?” Amber asked surprised at that. Benjamin’s cheeks flushed slightly, and Amber found herself bewildered with the desire to reach out and brush her fingers across them. The man was the size of a damn magnolia but blushed like a teenager. Amber didn’t know what to do with that. Bashfulness was something she left behind in high school.

Benjamin nodded. “You mentioned it being okay if I came by. Is it still okay? It’s fine if it’s not. I don’t want to bother you if you guys are busy.”

“Oh…” Amber trailed off. She didn’t know what to respond with. The man confused her in ways she was unfamiliar with and while normally she would have immediately shut it down, she didn’t want to deal with the guilt of hurting Benjamin’s feelings.

That alone was confusing as hell.

She didn’t owe the man a thing and yet here she was worrying about how he would feel if she declined. She didn’t even want to say no anyway. Something about his earnest desire to not overstep was intoxicating.

Then again, maybe it was the promise of free coffee and baked goods.

“Amber?”

The sound of her name being called pulled Amber form her thoughts and she realized Benjamin and Wilhelmina were staring at her. “Yeah?”

Benjamin shifted from one foot to the other and looked up at her from beneath his lashes. “Is it okay if I come by? I won’t stay too long if you have things to do.”

Wilhelmina angled her head and gave Amber a look she couldn’t decipher.Probably telling you to answer the man and stop acting weird.

---