Page 40 of Latte Girl
“Hailey!” she calls when she sees me. “Long time,nosee.”
“You know me. Eat,sleep,work.”
Mina eyes Jordan as he continues to look aroundthecafe.
“No time for any play?” she quips, raising aneyebrow.
I just smirk as ananswer.
“So what’ll it be?” she asks. “I have a new latte you might like. Our liquor license just got approved last month, so we’re a cruisin’ for some boozin’. Mel came up with the latest recipe. It’s got amaretto andvanilla.”
I give Jordan a questioning look. He turns to Minaandnods.
“I could cruise for some booze,” he sayssuavely.
“Two for the booze cruise,” Iconfirm.
We pay for the drinks and then take a seat on one of the couches, sinking back into the creased leathercushions.
“You must come here a lot,” comments Jordan. “They know your name andeverything.”
“I used to,” I explain, the warmth of the air and the coziness of the couch making everything feel dreamy. “Now I don’t really have time. My mom mostly works the night shift these days, so I have to be home for mysister.”
“I always wanted a sister,” he tells me, “or a brother. Even a dog would have been fine. It was always just megrowingup.”
His body is turned towards me, one arm resting along the top of the couch. I think about how easy it would be to slide closer, to let him wrap his arm around my shoulders and put my head on his chest. My hands almost twitch at the thought of creeping up under his shirt again and feeling the smooth ridges of his stomach, the heat coming offhisskin.
“Just you and all your millions of dollars,” I say, trying to get the conversation back ontrack.
“We’re notthatrich,” protestsJordan.
I give him askepticallook.
“Okay, we’re rich,” he concedes, “but are you really telling me that growing up in a two million dollar house would be worth growing up without asister?”
“Point taken,” Iadmit.
But growing up in a house where I could actually use a vibrator without my entire family hearing would have been nice, I add tomyself.
Jordan is staring at me like I’ve announced I have a third nipple and I realize with horror that I just spoke my thoughtsoutloud.
“Oh shit!” I swear. “That last part was supposed to be inmyhead.”
He starts laughing so hard he has to lean forward to put a hand on the table. The sight of him so carefree, so completely in the moment, makes me forget my embarrassment and start tolaughtoo.
We’re both still trying to get ourselves under control when the drinksarrive.
“Must have been a good joke,” says Mel, Mina’s purple-haired girlfriend and the other co-owner of Cuppa Joe, as she sets the lattes down in frontofus.
“We’re just taking pleasure in my own embarrassment,” I tell her. Mellaughs.
“I see my lovely Mina has convinced you to try my latest creation. Take a sip and let me know how they are. I want an honestopinion.”
Jordan and I both try our lattes. The almond and vanilla offsets the espresso just enough to be sweet but not overpowering. The smell alone is todiefor.
“Delicious,” I inform Mel, putting my mug back down. “The amaretto is amazinginthis.”
“Really, really good,” agrees Jordan. “I don’t drink much coffee, but this might be enough toconvertme.”
