Chapter Five
A Latte Bad Intentions
Bellamy
The next morning I’m heading down the sidewalk to Curios I can literally see it from all the way out here. The slow blinks, the slight pink hint on the apple of her cheeks, and she’s even twirling a curl around her finger. Gross.
I can’t resist the urge to rain on their sunshine parade. Pulling the door open, I slide in behind a display of bat-shaped shortbread cookies. Close enough to hear what they are saying, but far enough away not to be seen. Hopefully.
The barista, Clarissa, giggles as she asks, “So, what can I get you today, Miles?” She drags out the syllables of his name, and it sounds like nails dragging across a chalkboard. Why do people flirt like this? It isn’t cute.
“I would love a hot maple cinnamon latte,” Miles says with a lilt to his tone.
Perfect. Clarissa turns to the espresso bean grinder to push the button. This is my chance.
Whispering a flavor charm, I intend to make it something he won’t like.
Adding in a dash of blackberry, lavender, and cardamom.
To everyone else the coffee will look unaltered, giving me the perfect chance to watch this play out.
An evil smile spreads across my face. That will completely disrupt his palette when he takes that first sip.
The air next to me shimmers as Nyx appears. It smells of burnt marshmallows and stale beer. “What did he do now?”
“He ordered essentially the fall equivalent of a hug in a mug. Does he have to be so freaking predictable? He’s probably one of those people who hug with their full body and pat your back as they’re doing it. Gross.”
Clarissa doesn’t even seem to smell the difference in her coffee she’s making. She is humming a tune as she continues the brewing part of his order. Oblivious to the fact that it’s not his order anymore.
“You’re hexing a man for a comfort drink. You need therapy.”
I cut my eyes at him, and he just picks up his paw and licks it. Grooming himself as if we aren’t on a covert mission to sabotage someone’s morning like he did mine.
She pours his drink into a to-go cup and pops it inside a holder before handing it over to him. She even wrote her number on the cup, just in case. Eww.
He picks up the cup, gives her a wink, before turning to head in the direction I’m hiding by the front. Ducking down, I hope he doesn’t see me. Thankfully, he’s staring at his screen, typing something instead of looking around when he walks right past me.
He shoulders the door open, coming to a stop right outside of the shop. As if in slow motion, he brings the cup to his lips. Yessss. Here comes the disgust. But…
Instead of spitting it out or even grimacing, he smacks his lips and takes another sip. What is happening? He sips it again. Pauses. A smile spreads across his face.
I look at Nyx, and we both stare at each other before I look back to Miles. He’s turning around, sipping the coffee he should find gross.
“Oh no,” I mutter. “No, no, no. He likes it?”
Nyx snickers.
Miles walks back inside, and I do everything I can to blend into the wallpaper as I slide into a booth, hoping he doesn’t see me. He finishes what he was doing on his phone and pockets it as he walks back towards Clarissa.
My phone lights up right as my ringtone sounds. The funeral march chimes as the text message from an unknown number lights up my screen.
Fuck. My. Life.
Miles stops mid-step. I can see a smile spreading across his face. I’m so caught. There’s only one person who would text me from an unknown number. As if I’m in a horror movie and the killer just found me, I watch in terror as he turns towards me.
“Trouble,” he says with a purr as he walks towards me.
I pick up the menu and pretend as if none of this had happened. Running my finger down the menu, as if I don’t have the entire thing memorized. It only changes when the owner gets a wild hair and adds something new.
He slides into the booth across from me. The coffee of failure sitting between us.
“I’m assuming this is your responsibility?” he asks as he pushes it a little closer to me.
I continue to stare at the menu. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
I can see his smile in my peripheral vision.
“Sure you don’t.” He picks it up and swirls the liquid around before taking another sip.
“The blackberry with the maple tastes amazing. It gives it a witchy, dark edge.” His eyebrow hooks up.
“Kinda like someone I know. The lavender was unexpected, but I like the floral, soft chaos of it. But…” He takes a sip of it again.
“It’s the hint of cardamom at the end that really threw me off. It adds a nice warm touch to it.”
My eyes keep scanning across the menu. If I don’t give in to this, then he has no way to prove it was me. Also, can we talk about his incredible palette? I mean, this guy could be a literal taste tester for people.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Sure.” he waves his hand towards someone, and I can’t resist turning to see who. Of course it’s Clarissa. She is beaming from the attention.
“Hey Miles, did you not like the coffee?”
“Actually,” he winks at me, “I loved the coffee. But, it’s not a maple cinnamon latte as I originally ordered. Who do I talk to about having this added to the menu? It’s my new favorite drink.”
“What?” She looks between the two of us. “Uh…You can tell me and I’ll pass it on to the owner.”
“Perfect. We are going to call this the Trouble Latte. If you could get me a sheet of paper, I’ll have Bellamy here write down the ingredients.”
She flicks her eyes between us as she bites her lip.
“Uh, sure.” Clarissa tears a piece of her receipt paper and lays it down on the table between us.
She’s clearly confused as she continues to stare at the coffee in his hands.
I have to stifle a chuckle as she clearly doesn’t understand what’s happening.
She looks at Miles who smiles at her before looking back at me.
I’m back to staring at my nails, acting as if I’m not fully aware of her staring at me now. Anything to avoid giving myself away.
“Thank you, Clarissa. That will be all.”
She disappears from the table and heads back behind the counter.
Miles leans back in the booth, his long legs spreading to each side of my own.
I don’t need to look under the table to see how close he is to me.
Damn wolf shifters and their unnaturally warmer bodies.
I can practically feel the heat radiating against my stockings.
I went with a short skirt, black spiderweb tights, and ankle boots today.
Clearly not enough of a deterrent for wolf boy.
He doesn’t say anything. Just waits. As if he knows that eventually I’m going to crack. Fuck, if he isn’t right, though.
“It was a joke. A magical accident. You weren’t supposed to like it, and it definitely wasn’t supposed to become a menu item. What’s wrong with you?”
Miles only smiles as he picks up the stupid coffee and takes another sip.
“Stop drinking it.” I throw up my hands.
“Why,” he says with a chuckle.
Grr. “You know why. It’s supposed to be gross.”
“Is it?”
“Why are you so infuriating?”
He smiles as he sets the cup back down. Sliding forward in the booth, leaning across the table between us, his smile spreads, showing off his beautifully straight, white teeth. Of course, he has a beautiful smile. Everything about him is beautiful.
“So you’re admitting to hexing my coffee?”
“No, I didn’t hex your coffee. I don’t even like lattes. Or lavender. Or…you.”
He laughed, a sound that seemed to taunt me, as he leaned back, his legs tangling with hers. He knows I’m lying. I can tell by the way he’s looking at me. I’ll never admit it.
He lifts his hands behind his head, linking his fingers together. He is the picture of relaxation, while I’m spiraling inside.
From his spot on the booth next to me, Nyx turned his head, observing the interaction between us. He's probably thinking, "Why is she still here instead of turning Miles into a toad for his earlier remarks?" Me too, Nyx, me too.
“Well, I like all of those things. Especially you, Trouble.”
Gaw. I glare at him, slamming my hands down on the table as I push myself out of the booth.
I never should have come in here. I came in here intending to ruin his morning, only for him to ruin another one of mine.
I don’t look back as I push out of the cafe, heading a couple of doors down to my corner store.
Nyx jogs lightly next to me as I move swiftly.
“He called you Trouble again.”
“I am trouble.”
“I know. Which is why he’s doomed.”