Chapter Three
Rowan
The next three mornings, Tuesday to Thursday to be exact, Milo was not at the coffee shop.
I glimpsed him closing up in the evening when I was walking back to my hotel, though.
I had noticed only because the green-haired lady, Sophia, didn’t make the coffee as good as Milo.
Not because his smile made for a better day whenever I saw it. Nope.
On Friday, I grabbed a quick breakfast at the downstairs restaurant at my hotel and headed to the Cryptid Café for my wake-up brew. This time Milo was in, bustling behind the counter, all energy and sunshine, talking to everyone while still doing his job efficiently.
He swiveled to face me. “Good morning! Just black, or…” He chewed on his bottom lip, his intense gray eyes crinkling from his wide smile.
From the mess of his unruly hair, one strand was poking him in the eye. If I’d reached over, I could have brushed it away. Instead, I shoved my hands into my pockets. What the fuck was wrong with me? “With sea salt chocolate, please. And morning to you too.”
Milo blew air up, and the hair fell back into place. “Coming right up! What’s your name?”
I was taken aback. “What?”
“I’ll write it on your cup. You can make one up as long as you know that’s your drink.”
Oh. It wasn’t a personal question. I was such an idiot. “It’s Rowan. Sorry—a lot on my mind.” Which apparently included Milo’s sunshine smile, his pretty eyes, and his hair, which stuck out in all directions.
“No worries, Rowan. Black with sea salt chocolate.” He danced toward the coffee machine in rhythm with the music playing quietly through the speakers all around. I recognized the latest Swimming with the Sharks album.
Sophia stepped out from the staff door and took the order from the lady behind me, then handed a printed note with it to Milo, who finalized my drink with chocolate powder.
He caught my gaze and set my cup on the counter. “Enjoy. And have a great day.”
“Thank you.”
With a nod at me, he swiveled back on his heel and began preparing the next order.
I took my cup and stared at his chicken scratch handwriting, feeling weirdly robbed of an interaction with him.
It didn’t matter. I was in town only for the summer until the office renovations finished, so it would be better not to get used to the locals.
Then again, I might make the best of the few weeks here and attempt to enjoy the small-town vibe as much as I could before leaving.
Treat it like a working vacation of sorts.
I had half an hour left before I had to go to the office, so I looked around the welcoming place and spotted an empty seat in the corner. Better than getting to work early.
Sinking into a well-loved armchair under a set of shelves with books on them was not the worst thing that could happen to me.
I couldn’t deny that the coffee was fan-fucking-tastic again.
The disastrous ball of energy that was Milo was buzzing about from table to table, making people laugh, and grinning like he’d been rolled in pixie dust as a kid and it seeped into his pores to remain there forever.
Pretending to scroll on my phone wasn’t working when Milo was around. The aura surrounding him lured my attention as if he were the center of gravity. Or maybe I needed to get laid and stop being so affected by a coffee-making twink.
With work being insanely busy since I moved to this place, I hadn’t had the time to go to a club or swipe right on Crypti-Match for a one-night stand.
Wendigo Hills was a cozy town, but not so tiny that it didn’t have clubs.
Thankfully, a table next to me had a rack full of leaflets of local places, including one that had a party tomorrow, on Friday evening.
A quick online search helped me confirm that it was cryptid-friendly, as the entire town seemed to be.
Unusual, but not unheard of, especially so close to a big and inclusive city like Chicago.
With one last look at Milo, I binned my empty cup and walked five minutes to my temporary office in a modern building that had not been updated for at least two decades.
I used to have a view of downtown Chicago.
Now I was facing a park with kids playing on swing sets, elderly folk walking dogs, and fit-looking people jogging.
It wasn’t too bad, but I felt like I’d been demoted.
I still earned the same and held the same position, but the stark contrast to the surrounding area seemed like I was about to be yelled at by my boss for mixing up the letters that arrived in the morning, not about to deal with a multi-million company’s loans.
I’d worked hard to get to where I was in my career. My discomfort wasn’t about the change of scenery but the undeniable proof that I didn’t matter. Not really.
When I was a kid, I towered over my classmates, and by the time I was eleven, even the teachers.
My basketball coach had been as excited for me to join the team as I had been.
The game had been my life until I’d realized that I was being treated like a tall piece of meat for dunking, which took away the charm of playing.
Out of spite, I quit basketball and signed up for the math club.
Now, I was spending my days in a soulless office instead of on a basketball court.
I still shot some hoops alone in the evenings, wondering if I hadn’t been a stupid kid who’d given up on an opportunity.
Success had never been guaranteed, though, and at least I’d quit on my terms, not because I hadn’t been good enough to make the game my career.
“Have you seen the seating plan?” Troy’s voice brought me back to the present. We’d met in college and ended up working alongside each other for years. Now the geeky brown-skinned hazel-eyed werewolf was about to marry my eldest sister.
Initially, I hadn’t been excited about them dating, but Troy’s heart eyes for Raina convinced me quickly. They’d been together for five years, and I’d never seen either of them happier.
“Yeah. Raina sent me the file this morning, and I told her I don’t want to be seated next to random singles.
” My eldest sister was the epitome of organization, which may have roots in her having three younger siblings.
Between Riley, Ruben, and me, we had been looking up to her and sought her advice in matters where only siblings could help, like what to buy our parents for their anniversary.
Or, in Ruben’s case, how to prevent Mom and Dad from finding out that he’d slept through the orchestra he’d been professionally playing piano with.
Troy smoothed his black curls back, but they returned with a bounce. “She left a provisional plus-one for you, so maybe you’ll find someone by then.”
“The wedding is in two weeks, Troy.”
He shrugged. “I knew she was the one that evening at the party we met. But you can get someone for the night to keep Raina’s friends off your hairy ass.”
“It’s the dick they want,” I said, grinning.
Troy snorted. “The killer dick that scared people away from your bed at college? Sure.”
“You’re just jealous.” I elbowed him, but both of us knew how the size of my dick both terrified and fascinated my previous lovers.
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“Whatever. I’m going out tomorrow to a local club. Will you be my wingman?” We’d been hyping each other since college, and even after Troy had got together with Raina, he’d go to bars with me to hang out.
“I can’t.”
“Are you blushing?”
His fingernails suddenly became very interesting to him. “I have a video date with Raina.”
“Oh. Ew. Okay, I’ll go alone.”
“I’m counting the days until Friday,” he added quickly. “I’ll get to see her for the entire weekend.”
“Sap.”
“Fuck you.”
I gave him an exaggerated once-over. “You’re not my type.”
Troy grinned. “That guy from the coffee shop is, though?”
“What?”
“Oh, come on. You mentioned him several times today.”
“He’s easy on the eyes, but I won’t ask him out when he’s at work. I’ll find someone at the club.”
“Whatever will make you less grumpy next week.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he quickly continued.
“I’m going to the hotel for my lunch cause Raina is showing me the flower arrangements. I might stay to work from there for a while after.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Have fun.”
Troy narrowed his eyes. “I actually will. These things are important to her, and I don’t mind pretty bouquets.”
“Sure. I’ll go to the coffee shop then. Joseph doesn’t expect us back until the meeting at three anyway. I’ll take the work laptop with me.”
“Don’t get too distracted.”
I flipped him the bird and closed my laptop.
Lunchtime was less busy than mornings, and I treated myself to a Caesar salad wrap and another coffee. Milo brought my order to my table.
“Those wraps are amazing, you’ll see,” he said with his usual smile and sunshine demeanor. “The restaurant next door makes them for us.”
“Thanks. Is it okay if I work from here for a bit?”
“Make yourself at home. The Wi-Fi password is here.” He tapped the standee on the table, then returned to the counter.
Author’s notes:
Sorry this one was so late. As you may have noticed, I updated my Milo Has Tentacles fic, but I’ll be setting it aside to finish this one first. One shot? Dunno her.