Page 116 of Daily Grind
Love. He’d promised love.
Prickling up his arms. He rubbed it away.
Finally, the shop door rang, heralding the entrance of Eli and Justin. “Coffee break?”
Justin’s smile was as bright as always, though the fuchsia ends to his hair were brighter. “You bet.”
Eli’s grin was more restrained and it fell away the longer he looked at Brian.
So Brian turned to Lamont. “I take the orders, you make them?”
Lamont nodded. “I need the practice.”
That he did. Great on the register, not so good putting together anything more complicated than an Americano. Getting better. Slowly.
A large Americano was exactly what Eli ordered. Justin ordered a medium cafe mocha. Lamont’s brows furrowed at that, but he started both orders.
Justin leaned against the counter. “How’s life?”
He hoped his shrug covered the wince. “It’s going.”
Eli still had that penetrating and thoughtful frown and Justin’s gaze flickered over Brian and then the shop itself.
Lamont placed Eli’s drink down. “I left room for cream.”
That teased a grin from Eli. “Good memory. Thank you!”
Lamont smiled in return and went back to Justin’s drink. One pump of chocolate, then another and another and …
“That’s too many.” Shit. “You’re going to have to start over.”
It must have come out too harsh, because Lamont jumped and set the cup down. “You said five.”
“For a large. He ordered amedium. You’re holding a damn medium cup.” How hard was that to figure out?
Crestfallen didn’t even begin to describe the way Lamont looked. Brian sighed. “I’ll make it.”
Justin murmured something to Eli. A moment later, he was behind the counter and hauling Brian toward the back room. “Hey, Lamont,” Justin said. “Finish that one up. I like extra chocolate.”
Once they passed through the doorway, Brian shook himself free from Justin—who stood between him and the doorway to the shop. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” Justin gestured behind him. “What the hell wasthat?”
“That—” He peered around Justin. “He’s still learning.”
“And you call that training?”
“Yeah, I do.” Brian sucked in a breath. “He keeps getting the orders wrong.”
Justin stared at him and Brian recognized horror under the anger.
This was not what he needed today. “I don’t have time for this.”
He tried to push past Justin, but despite his advantage of height, he ran straight into Justin’s hand. “The Brian who trained me was infinitely patient and helpful, not a snappish oaf.”
Ouch. He stepped back. “I’m not—” Except hehadbeen rough on Lamont. Unkind. He swallowed. “You hardly needed training.”
Justin’s eyebrows rose into his fuchsia hairline. “You have a piss-poor memory.”
