Page 18 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
Logan lifted his golden head, lips moving before his eyes followed. “Hey, welcome in—” And then he stopped. His lips parted, as they always did when he spotted me—it was a consistent sort of shock that morphed his face, as ifmecoming tohimwas something to be stunned about. I found it totally adorable.
One other thing I could always count on: Logan’s instant, puppy-dog-like smile. It was like a switch flipping, blooming across his mouth. Warm, happy welcome, instantly reliable.
Logan threw his arms out wide, and in a loud voice, he announced, “There she is!”
Every single head in the café turned toward the door—towardme.
Granted, there were only a handful of people lingering past seven o’clock. A couple in their twenties sitting at one of the window booths. An elderly man with his laptop in the back corner. A middle-aged woman atthe counter, pivoting with cash clutched in her outstretched hand.
I fought the urge to cringe at the sudden, dramatic attention, feeling my ears burn. That was Logan’sonedownside. He could be so…dorky.
“I was wondering if I’d get to see you today,” he went on, speaking to me from across the room like we were the only two people in the world. “What a lovely surprise.”
The woman in front of him cleared her throat.
Logan chuckled a little at her impatience, waving at a section of empty tables while simultaneously taking her cash. “Sit, sit,” he said to me, still not shedding his grin. “Give me one sec.”
He actually didn’t need to tell me twice. The twenty-something couple watched me as I crossed the floor to one of the empty booth seats, and I sank down, fighting the urge to crouch lower.
The sound of the coffee grinder roared to life, filling the small space. I had an awkward angle of Logan from where I sat, so I had to crane my head to watch him work. The Expresso’s uniform was a solid red polo paired with a black apron that hung from his neck and tied around his waist.
Jefferson colors,yuck, but I couldn’t help but imagine what he’d look like in Brentwood Blue.
Logan glanced over then, our gazes locking. My stomach flipped.
He’d look drop-dead gorgeous. Duh.
Logan disappeared briefly behind the coffee machine again, drawing it to life, and my legs bounced underneath the table for a few more minutes before he rounded the counter.
“Your usual,” he said to me, setting the cold drinkdown in front of me. “Butdecaf.It’s a little late for espresso.”
“My usual?” I murmured, finally able to shake off some of the embarrassment.
“Two pumps vanilla, almond milk, light ice.” Logan hummed as he slid into the booth across from me. “You’re predictable.”
“I prefer consistent.”
His eyes danced. “Right.”
Logan was dangerous for me. If my heart kept fluttering like this, I’d go into cardiac arrest. I took a long pull from the iced coffee, all the sweet notes practically dancing across my tongue. “Why did you do that?” I asked him, scrunching my nose as I tipped my head toward the door. “Make a scene like that.”
“You’re a cheerleader,” he said cheerfully. “Aren’t you used to attention?”
“Notthatkind of attention.”
“What kind?” A knowing smile crossed his lips. “Did I embarrass you?”
“No,” I said immediately, but it was a total lie. Jade would’ve been cringed out if she saw him do that, honestly. The girls at cheer practice would’ve probably all giggled and tittered, but not in a nice way. Inwow, what a loserway. “When you meet my friends tomorrow, it might be a good idea to… tone it down a bit.”
Logan laced his fingers together and laid his hands on the table. “Noted.” His eyes drifted from my face to my frame. “Brave of you to be sporting Brentwood blue in enemy territory.”
I looked down at my Brentwood Babe sweatshirt, the one we got from our cheer camp a few weeks ago. Even though it was hot out, there was something comfortableabout school spirit. But Logan was right; Expresso’s was totally Jefferson territory.
“You’ll defend me,” I said. “Since you’re joining my side starting tomorrow.”
“I’m more of a Golden Retriever than a Doberman, I’m afraid.”
“Give me your best intimidation face.”
