Page 12 of Suck My Puck

“Iced coffee with cream for Nate!” I holler.

A guy in his forties walks over, collects his drink, and tells me thank you. I dart over to the register and take over for my coworker and best friend, Lauren, who’s been dying for a pee break for the last ten minutes. I would have done it sooner, but we’ve been slammed since the second we opened.

“I’ve got this,” I tell her.

She offers a tired smile and pats her pregnant belly. “You’re a lifesaver.”

She scurries off, and I take over the early morning rush of customers.

It’s almost two hours before we make it through the bulk of the rush. When I look up and see just a couple of customers in line, I let out a breath. Then I grab a rag and wipe down the counter and the few tables that are empty in the lobby of the shop.

When I’m back behind the counter, I glance down at Lauren’s swollen ankles.

I wince. “You okay?”

She looks down at her feet and chuckles. “I’ll survive. It looks worse than it is.”

“Break time?”

Lauren closes her eyes and hums. “God, yes.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Always. Can you make me your special hot cocoa?”

“Absolutely. Go sit and rest.” I whip up my best friend’s favorite pregnancy snack: hot cocoa with extra whipped cream and a slice of chocolate chip banana bread.

I make the cocoa with the special blend I came up with when Lauren first found out she was pregnant. We’re both coffee addicts, and when she realized she had to cut down her caffeine consumption for her entire pregnancy, she was heartbroken. So I started making her my special hot cocoa. I roast the chocolate longer to give it a deeper, richer, and slightly bitter flavor so it tastes closer to coffee.

Lance, Lauren’s husband, walks in from the back room with a massive bag of coffee beans slung over his shoulder. He sets the bag of beans on the floor in the corner, then slides his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

He glances at the mug and plate in my hands and smiles. “Break time for Lauren?”

“Yup. You okay with manning the counter?”

“Absolutely. Thanks for taking care of her.”

I smile. “Always.”

I sit down next to her in a small booth in the corner of the coffee shop, pull her feet onto my lap, and rub her ankles. She groans as she takes a bite of the banana bread.

“Is it the bread or the massage that’s making you make that sound?” I laugh.

“Both,” she says with her mouth full. “Seriously, if this thing with Lance doesn’t work out, I’m marrying you.”

“I heard that,” Lance says from behind the cash register. The two of us laugh.

“Lance is a dream guy. You two are going to live happily ever after,” I say.

She aims a blissed-out smile at her husband. He grins at her and winks.

She pats her belly. “You know what isn’t a dream? Carrying my husband’s gigantic spawn for the next four months.”

Lance finishes helping a customer and then walks over to Lauren. He leans down and kisses her forehead.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I know you’re uncomfortable.”

Lance’s eyebrows crash together in concern as he gazes down at his wife. He looks so guilty; it’s honestly kind of sweet.

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