Page 9 of Cups of You

That wasn’t to say the man wasn’t attractive. He just wasn’t what she usually went for. Nice and sweet was all well and good, but Amber tended to prefer partners with a little bit of a bite. Benjamin seemed like the type to roll over at the first hint of a challenge.

“Well, I can definitely do that for you.”

His gaze locked onto hers and for a moment Amber’s thoughts fell away as she lost herself in its warmth. His freckles seemed brighter today standing out prominently where they fell in constellations on the bridge of his nose.

She wondered if she would be able to feel them against the pads of her fingers or what patterns would show if she traced them from start to end.

Amber shook herself slightly before turning her attention back to the menu. She didn’t know where the desire to trace his anything had come from, so she was going to ignore it and get back to the reason she came.

“Let me get a latte. Large, please.”

“Would you like soy and two extra shots today too?” Benjamin’s voice was teasing, and his smile was lopsided. It made him seem younger even though the man was the height of a small tree and had a chin covered in soft looking hair.

“Yes,” she croaked. Her intrusive thoughts left her floundering for words.

She fumbled with her card hoping that he would just assume she needed coffee and not that she was dealing with the confusion of finding Benjamin attractive. Not that there was anything wrong with considering him good looking. He was tall, relatively fit, and had a nice smile. With a new wardrobe, he could probably be put in a new category of attractiveness.

And to be fair, I’m allowed to find other people attractive. It doesn’t mean anything other than the fact that I have two eyes and damn good taste in men.The thought was only a slight comfort, but she clung to it desperately.

Benjamin’s smile didn’t wane as he nodded and reached for a cup. “Does Ms. Jay want her usual as well?”

“Yeah. And some muffins too.”

“Perfect. I just set out a new batch so they’re nice and fresh. What kind do you ladies want?”

Amber shrugged. “One of everything, I guess. I’m not sure which ones Jackie wanted but whatever she doesn’t eat I’ll take.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Do you not have a favorite?”

“I’m picky about my coffee but a muffin is a muffin to me.”

“No allergies?”

“Nope,” Amber said popping the ‘p’ as she shifted from one foot to the other. She heard the bell of the door clang and moved over slightly to make room for the next customer.

“Hey there daddy-o!” The new voice was accompanied by a blur of ginger and Amber’s gaze shifted to a carbon copy of Benjamin but in teenager form. He rolled his eyes, but his smile shifted into a fondness that Amber recognized from working with parents and kids on the daily.

“Amber, this is my daughter, Olivia. Olivia, this is Amber, Ms. Jackie’s niece.”

Sky blue eyes assessed her, and Amber was alarmed to feel herself standing taller.Why the hell am I trying to impress a teenager?“Nice to meet you Olivia.”

Olivia nodded and her lips curled up into a smile almost as wide as her dad’s. “Oh, Amber. I’ve heard about you.”

“Liv.” Benjamin’s tone had Amber’s eyebrows raising. A deep rose hue slowly spread across the bridge of his nose as he glanced up at Amber from beneath his lashes and then back to his daughter. “You’re late and there are dishes waiting for you.”

Olivia walked around the counter and patted him on the arm. “Had to finish packing my bag for mom’s. Besides, I want to talk to Amber. We don’t get new people in here every day, you know.”

“Now, Liv.”

She puffed out her cheeks before rolling her eyes. “Fine. You never let me have any fun.”

Amber put a hand over her mouth to hide her twitching lips and coughed softly to cover up her huff of laughter. Olivia’s grin grew wider, and she nodded. Amber always found the forwardness of teenagers enjoyable. For the most part, they were straightforward if you weren’t their parent.

“Nice to meet you Mrs. Amber.”

“Just call me Amber. I’m not married so that Mrs. stuff isn’t needed.”

Olivia’s smile curled up more. “Oh? So, you’re cute, single and ready to mingle?”

---