Page 7 of Coral Prince Conundrum
Daryl
The past week has been an amazing time working as a barista. Most days, it’s uneventful; a job is a means to an end where you get to buy the things you want and need. I’m trying to fund my grad school life and my apartment. But these past several days have been the best.
And it’s all because of the man I’m currently sitting across from.
“How do you like it?”
He sips his latte and then nods. “It is flavorful.” He licks frothy remains from his lips in an insanely hot gesture. “As always, you should be proud of your skills.”
I snicker. “Being a barista isn’t that skilled.”
“Do not downplay your abilities, Daryl. You are great.” He smiles, and I bite back a swoon. Today marks the sixth day in a row that Seero has visited the café. Each time, Justice or the others make sure that I’m the one to serve him. They give me so much shit behind closed doors about my little crush, but they’re glad he tips so well. He always commends me on my customer service and coffee-making skills. Of course, I wish I could service him in a very specific way, but that’s not what we sell at Café Magnifique.
And he makes small talk with me every day. He sips whatever concoction he orders, I come up with some excuse to restock napkins near him, and we chat. Typically, I take my break whenever he sits down. My days go by so quickly after chatting with this beautiful, charming man. He puts the biggest grin on my face, and I can’t help but notice how natural our banter is. I’m a barista, so I’m supposed to be polite and friendly, but he doesn’t need to be. He asks questions about me and seems to be genuinely interested in my graduate work in marine biology.
“You do not have to spend your break with me,” he says with a grin. “If you want to relax.”
“This is relaxing!” I lay out my hands, and we both laugh. “Why, you wanna get rid of me already?”
“No. I like talking to you, Daryl. Did you get your semester grades back?”
He likes talking to me!I smile and nod. “I did. All A’s for the spring. The highest grades!”
“That is wonderful.” He beams at me, and my chest warms. Why is this hot stranger being so friendly to me? “Have you always known you wanted to work with marine life?”
“Yes, ever since I was a little boy.” I gaze at the customers mulling about, having their coffee. They don’t give a second glance at my not-a-date with the pretty Asian man. “I used to walk on the beach and peer at the tiny crabs in the sand.”
“That is so cute,” he replies. I bite my lip at Seero’s words—he thinks young me was cute! “Did you grow up here?”
“Yes. And you? You’re new to the area, right?”
His shoulders slump, and he takes a long sip of coffee. I’m no body language expert, but I can tell I’ve hit a sore subject. “I am. I am from…nowhere important.”
“Oh.” I can tell an evasive answer when I hear one.Way to dampen the mood, Daryl.I need to remember that not everyone has to be an open book. The Renversé has a reputation forhiring people from a diverse array of backgrounds. Moreso, I haven’t told him about my family or the fishery company I’m unfortunately tied to. His home is obviously very personal since he changes the subject immediately every time I ask. It’s no big deal; I’m not trying to marry the dude. I’m becoming friendly with my crush, maybe get him in bed, and that’s more than enough. Even if he’s not gay or bi, flirting can be fun.
After five seconds of quiet, he sits up straight. “So, you work at the zoo?” He beams at me and sips from his cup.
“Yeah,” I reply. “Well, not technically. My marine conservation degree requires me to spend certain practicum hours at the zoo. Hence, I’m a regular there.”
“And there are ocean creatures there?” he asks.
“Oh, so many.” I smile and tap the table. “Because we’re near a beach and ports, the Princedelphia Zoo has several aquatic exhibits. I’m able to, like, study and take pictures of all sorts of animals for my classes. It’s super convenient for presentations, since it’s not like I can summon fish from the deep whenever I want.” I laugh, but Seero shoots me an uncomfortable smile.Huh.
“Why do you ask?”
“I am also interested in, uh…marine conservation,” he replies.
Be still my beating heart.A man who’s fine as hell and who wants to take care of the oceans? Talk about my dream prince. I clear my throat and puff up my chest. “Well, you should know, I’m kind of an expert.”
“I can tell,” he says. “You have a true heart for the oceans.” His eyes fill with something more than friendliness. Veneration perhaps?But why…
He sips his coffee, but before I can say more, I notice several patrons lining up. Justice seems swamped, and I know my breakis over. I hook my thumb behind me. “My, uh, fifteen minutes is…”
Seero waves his hand. “No, go. I get it.”
I stand up and lean on the chair. “But maybe, if you’d like to see the zoo, I can take you—WOAH!” The chair slips from under me and I fall on my ass.Ouch.
Before I can curl up in a ball and die from embarrassment, a hand appears in front of my face. I look up to see Seero reaching out. Of course, the super-hot guy I’ve been flirting with witnessed my fall. I knew things were going too well for me.
