Page 26 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
The jab wasn’t subtle in the slightest, but then again, Riley hadn’t meant for it to be. I pressed my lips together as I unpacked my lunch, fighting the urge to air outherdirty laundry.At least I’m not considering cheating on my boyfriend. Again.
The chatter continued on around the lunch table, but I couldn’t get swept up in it. I bit down on my lip to keep from asking Jade for my phone.
Things had been off when Loganand I had parted ways on Monday, but notblock me and never speak againoff. Right? No way had I misjudged the atmosphere that badly.
“Hey, since we’re all here,” Jade began in a hushed tone, leaning far over the table to make eye contact with each member. “We need to talk about the Most Likely Tos.”
“Again?” Kyle groaned.
“We need to vote,” Jade said, shooting him a look. “Right after school, then? Since we don’t have practice? Let’s meet at Expresso’s.”
Riley nodded eagerly. “I’ll need my caffeine fix before the first game of the season.”
Even though Expresso’s was in Jefferson, I knew it wasn’t odd for Jade to suggest it. Her thought process was as obvious to me as my own. Since it was in Jefferson, there wouldn’t be any Brentwood High students milling about over there—which meant our labels were pretty safe from getting leaked. We could hold our own against any Bulldogs if they showed up, especially if we had Ashton with us.
Plus, too, from her lingering stare, I knew. Jade offered it up for me.
“Four o’clock,” I echoed, a relieved smile touching my lips. “I’ll be there.”
At three-fifty, I pushed open the doors to Expresso’s café, surprised to find it a lot different than it usually was at seven o’clock.
When I visited Logan at work, it’d always been closer to closing time, and the interior usually had only a few tables taken up. It’d usually been just us, listening to whoever’s Spotify mix was hooked up to the speakers. That was how I’d discovered Logan liked Untapped Potential, too.
During the day, though, it waspacked.
The coffee shop’s door dinged as I walked in, and an entire sea of people greeted me. High schoolers with their backpacks, college-aged kids with their laptops, moms with their kids. The order line stretched to the door, and I almost walked face-first into some guy’s shoulder.
Every table was filled, even the ones by the bathroom. It looked like the Top Tier wouldn’t be picking the Most Likely Tos here after all.
I’d raced to Expresso’s right after school. I wasn’t embarrassed of my friends, but I knew without a doubt that they’d embarrassmethe second they heard me askabout Logan. Especially Ashton; he’d poke fun relentlessly. But if this line didn’t move any faster, I wouldn’t have time before they all got here.
I bounced back and forth from my heels to the balls of my feet, pulling out my phone once again to look at my unanswered texts. I’d use it as proof that Logan and I were friends, and I wasn’t just some stalker. Besides, one look at me and they’d be able to tell I wasn’t freak material. I wasn’t that worried.
The line moved forward slowly, causing me to glance back with mild paranoia each time the door opened with a chime. Not the Top Tier, not yet, but each person who came in added to the line.
“Next,” the barista called, and I stepped up to the counter. It was the same guy who’d been working with Logan Monday night. The Bulldog. His expression changed the instant our eyes met—his smile went from simple and service worker-y to sour. “What can I get you?” His tone was flat.
Despite the evil eye, I gave him my megawatt Brentwood Babe smile. It feltwronggiving it to a Bulldog, but I’d blur the lines of enemy territory. Only this once. “Hi. Can I speak to your manager?”
“The line moving too slow for you?” He arched a black brow. “Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s just me back here.”
Until he’d pointed it out, Ihadn’tnoticed. As the line slowly shuffled forward, it didn’t occur to me that it was because there was only one barista manning the post workday rush. Were they understaffed because Logan couldn’t work?
“Are you going to order anything or just stand and stare?”
I blinked at his tone. He wasn’t even pretending to be hospitable.
I looked down his red apron, finding the nametag.Noah.
His gaze slipped past me, as if he were about to move onto the next customer.
“I—I actually have a question.” I couldn’t remember the last time my confidence had been so shaken, but then again, I also couldn’t remember the last time someone stared at me with such open hostility. Not even Maisie did that, and she had reason to. “Your coworker, Logan…” Crap, I still didn’t know his last name. I kept my voice steady, pretending I hadn’t just slipped up. “I was wondering if you knew?—”
“I’m not giving you info on him,” Noah cut me off. “So don’t ask.”
My temper began to rise. “I was here the other day with him. You saw me?—”
Noah’s gaze went over my shoulder. “Next.”
