Page 38 of Loving the Sinner
We stand there and stare at each other in silence while I debate internally. I really don’t want to change, so I shrug and plop down on a barstool.
“Alright coffee connoisseur, what’ve we got.” I gesture to the five cups of coffee on the table.
Wes claps his hands together. “Alright here we go. I’ve got five options for you, but one of them is my regular order so I’m hoping you don’t take a liking to that one.” He points to each one as he explains, “I’ve got an iced white mocha, which is espresso, white chocolate sauce, and milk. Regular black coffee, coffee with cream and sugar, a vanilla latte with oat milk, and a caramel macchiato which is just a fancy upside down espresso drink.”
“Which one is your regular order?” I think I know, but I want to make sure.
Wes shakes his head with a smirk, “I’m not telling you until you try them all.”
“Fine.” I grab the black coffee first, knowing that’s probably his go-to order and take a tentative sip. The liquid is bitter and hot and I immediately hate it. I shake my head no, pushing the cup away from me.
“That’s gross. No thank you. Next?” Wes slides the coffee with cream and sugar over. It’s less bitter, more creamy. Not entirely unpleasant. “Okay, not bad. Can I try the vanilla one next please?”
Wes chuckles and slides it over. It’s not my favorite either and my nose scrunches as the taste hits my tongue. “I don’t think oat milk is my vibe.” I say.
“That’s Robs’ favorite drink. I don’t know how she drinks that stuff, but she does.” Wes explains sliding over the caramel macchiato.
This one is okay, caramel isn’t my favorite flavor unless it’s mixed with chocolate, but it’s better than the other ones. I shake my head and slide it back, feeling a little dejected. “I don’t know if coffee is for me.”
“Try the white mocha and if you don’t like that, there are a million other flavors to try. If you don’t like coffee, that’s okay! At least you tried something new.” Wes slides over the iced coffee.
It’s bitter at first, but it’s creamier than the other ones and once the sweetness of the white chocolate takes over, it’s actually pretty good. I take another sip and nod my head. “This is the one. It almost tastes like a milkshake.”
Wes beams, “I thought you might like that one the most. You seem to have a sweet tooth. I noticed it when you got the cinnamon pretzels at the mall, then you insisted on getting ice cream after lunch with Izzy andLuke.” He grabs the coffee with cream and sugar and takes a large swig.
“I thought you’d like black coffee.” I scoff, trying to ignore the way my belly flutters at him admitting to paying attention to my sweet tooth.
“Life’s too short to drink plain bean water.” Another sip, “Robin said you, her, and Sav are going out tomorrow? Are you excited?”
“Yeah, I’m excited! It’ll be good to have some girlfriends again. I was thinking about trying alcohol tomorrow night, but didn’t want you to feel like I was betraying you by not having it with you for the first time.” I feel a little silly saying it out loud.
“Well, thank you for not wanting to betray me,” he smirks, “but don’t hold out just because of me. I want you to enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you. Do you… have any suggestions for drinks for my first time?”
“Hmmm. Something sweet, something fruity perhaps…” He taps his fingers on the counter while he thinks. Then he snaps his fingers, “A Pina Colada.”
“I do love some coconut. In Utah they have these soda shops where they put flavored syrup and coffee creamer in them. My favorite was Dr. Pepper with fresh lime and coconut syrup.”
“They put coffee creamer in soda? That’s… disgusting.” Wes pretends to gag.
“Can’t drink coffee, so they’ve got to use the creamer for other stuff.” I shrug, taking another sip of my coffee and frowning when the straw makes that weird sound after you finished your drink and are just sucking on air. “Bummer. That was really good.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hate to cut our activity short, but I’ve got some errands to run. Have fun tomorrow night, okay?” Wes comes around the counter and wraps me in a big hug. “Keep sending me selfies ofyour outfits. They’re the highlight of my day.” He murmurs into my hair.
“Thank you for this morning. I’ll be sure to send you my outfit for tomorrow.” I say against his chest.
He pulls back and grins down at me. “Good. Have a good day, Elli. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Then just as quickly as he came, he’s gone, and I have to go about my workday like I’m not thinking about Wes.
Friday night is finally here, and I am pumped to have a distraction from my own imagination.
My fingers have been getting well acquainted with my vagina, thanks to the smutty books I’ve been reading to distract myself from thinking about a tall, dark, handsome musician with tattoos and a biteable neck.
Okay, so it hasn’t been the best distraction. I always just end up picturing Wes as the male characters, saying the things they say and doing the things they do.
Tonight I’m going out with Savannah and Robin, so I’m going to try and focus on getting to know them. Maybe I’ll let loose and let a guy take me home and make me forget about Wes.
