Page 8 of Like You Want It
“Muscles always hurt if you never use them, frowny face,” I reply, stepping past Jet to grab my coffee cup. “Try exercising them at one customer a day and I bet it starts to be easier to do.”
He rolls his eyes.
“Or better yet, practice on me!” I say, my smile getting bigger. Jet just continues to glare. “Come on, mister, lemme see those gorgeous teeth.”
He crosses his arms.
I set down my coffee and mimic his stance, glaring right back at him. I barely last ten seconds before I start laughing.
Jet shakes his head and turns to empty the trash.
Well, he might be everyday emo, but he works his little tush off for me. He listens well, he follows direction, and he’s never disrespectful. So I say hiring Jet is a mistake happily made.
I help another woman that comes in – this time with an iced latte and a chocolate chip cookie – and then walk into the seating area to clear trash off the tables.
“You know, you could always tell the kid to do that,” I hear from behind me.
I turn with a big smile and bounce my way over to Dina, trash in hand, and wrap my arms around her for a hug.
Dina’s not a hugger, and I see her recoil as I get closer to her, but she loves hugs from me. And I’m not just saying this because Iama hugger. I know how to read people. I know when they’re not feeling the physical touch thing.
But Dina’s different. She pretends she doesn’t like it. It’s a fun game we like to play.
“Hi bestest friend!” I say, smooching her loudly on the cheek, making her laugh.
I drop my arms and make my way over to the trash that Jet just put a new black bag into, dumping the empty plastic cup and scraps of napkin and straw paper.
“Flat white?” I ask, looking at Dina just long enough to catch her nodding head, then heading to the espresso machine to get started. “And I’m not gonna just boss Jet around for no reason.”
I hear her snort. “I thought that’s literally why you hired him. You’re hisboss.Your job is tobosshim around.”
I laugh. “No, you weirdo. I hired him so I didn’t have to work five o’clock opens every morning anymore. It’s so I get to enjoy my mornings, sometimes.” Then I roll my eyes. “Or at least, that was the idea.”
Dina leans herself over the pay counter and watches me steam the milk. Once I’m done, I pour it into the cup of espresso.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asks.
I hand her cup of coffee over and give her a big smile.
“Well, Harriet and Leo’s place finally got rented out. Apparently by a really sweet, quiet girl named Susie.”
Dina finishes taking a sip, then licks her lips.
“I feel like there’s a bigbutcoming.”
“A massive one. Like aBaby Got Backsized one.” I rest an elbow on the tall counter and rest my chin on my fist. “The girl’s brother had this massive party that kept me up until forever o’clock and then we got into a fight and he was just… really rude.”
Dina blinks, one eyebrow lifting until it’s practically colliding with her hair. “You got into a fight with someone?”
I scoff. “Well what was I supposed to do? He was an asshole.”
“Oh I don’t care about that. If you say he was an asshole, I believe you. I’m just… wracking my brain trying to remember the last time you fought with anyone. Besides your dad, of course. But he doesn’t count. Everyone fights with their parents.”
“You don’t.”
She smiles at me. “That’s because my parents are too self absorbed to care, not because I’m a saint.”
I laugh a little bit, but not too much.
