Page 68 of Hits Different

“Di Rossi, if I were to forget your coffee order when it’s plain black roast, I’d need an MRI. Another MRI”. He turns his phone facedown. “Frankly, at this point I’m basically one MRI away from a free MRI”.

“How many of those have you had?” I raise my eyebrow, teasingly.

“I’ll never tell. Three”, he adds instantly. He’s adorable when he blushes. And that’s the first time I’ve ever thought about him like that.

“Not that I’d encourage a fourth or we’ll be vibrating home, but what’s your coffee of choice?” I ask. Just in-case I ever need to shout him one back. He flushes slightly, embarrassed. “Come on, it can’t be that bad”. I drop my voice to a scandalised whisper, “If it’s fruit tea, you can tell me. I promise we’ll still be friends”.

“It’s interesting your mind went tofruittea first…”

“Stop Dodgering me with the threat of social cancellation”.

His fingertips dance on the tabletop. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“I can take it”. His eyes are particularly blue today.

“Okay. Pay attention. Firstly, it depends where I go”. Brandon gestures to our surroundings. “In a place like this? An iced cappuccino. No question about it”.

“That’s not exactly controversial, as coffees go”.

“Made with oat milk”.

“Got it”.

“With four pumps of vanilla”, Brandon continues. “Sugar free. That’s very important”.

“Four?”

“Then a shot of caramel”.

“Thus rendering the sugar-free vanilla completely pointless…”

“Then two sachets of brown sugar”.

“Hang on, as well as the vanilla?”

“Chocolate powder topping”, Brandon carries on like he hasn’t heard me. “Ideallysieved into the shape of a soccer ball.What?”

I just stare at him. “How, and I cannot stress this enough,howdo you not have diabetes?”

“I thought this was a safe space, Di Rossi”, he sniffs dramatically, “I’m feeling very judged”.

“Carter, you’re basically ordering a dessert. There are less calories in a tiramisu. There can be no justification for muffin-theft if you have to eat your coffee with a spoon and a side of ice-cream”.

He bursts out laughing. It’s so genuine, and warms me from the inside out. It lights up his whole face, and before I know it, I’ve reached across the table and squeezed his hand. His mouth opens in surprise, and I realise my mistake immediately.

My hand releases his like it’s spring loaded.

What was I thinking? I glance up. The elderly couple of across from us smile and nod. A woman in the queue asks the server a question about the ingredients in her smoothie.

I feel like everyone’s staring at me.

“Are you okay?” Brandon asks, quietly.

“I’m fine”.

“Nobody saw anything. We didn’t do anything wrong”.

“I know that”, I say, more sharply than I intend to. Fuck. I take another sip of my coffee. “This coffee’s cold, that’s all”.

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