9. Early Bird
9
Early Bird
Zack stood sentinel at my side, reading the menu. I was transfixed by the wink of metal piercings and the tall magnificence of my barista. Not that he was mine . Just my favorite. I flexed my hands, sweating from the crowd and steam from the machines.
Hopefully, my cousin and I wouldn’t ruin the semi-camaraderie Harvey and I had been building. After all, I needed caffeine. And we had fun in the brief time we spent in each other’s vicinity. Those breaks gave me something to look forward to on tougher days.
Harvey dashed behind the counter, grabbing muffins, drinks, and that fabled cinnamon bread. The crisp honey-brown edges and delicious aroma made me salivate. Today, I was getting some of that meltdown-worthy deliciousness.
After we placed our order, the cashier with the man-bun asked for our name.
“Sugarplum,” I said.
Zack gave me a weird look. “Where did that come from?”
“It’s an inside joke with some of the staff.” I swiped my card and punched in the tip.
Zack scratched his ear. “Like some high school prank?”
“No, it isn’t Seymour Butts,” I said, recalling the name he and his friends used to give substitute teachers a few years ago. “Sugarplum is my work name.”
His lip screwed up. “So, besides the outfits, they force you into a cutesy name?”
“You don’t have to say it with such disdain. I like being ‘Sugarplum.’ And the kids like me too.” I strolled over to the pickup counter, searching for Harvey amid the bursts of steam. Outside of my work persona, I wasn’t all mischief and joy. But Harvey was probably complicated, too. His piercings indicated a certain openness to alternative lifestyles. Maybe he’d like the real me even better than the work-friendly version. Most of the guys who enjoyed my temperament treated our potential relationships like self-insert fanfiction with a bubbly anime character. But they didn’t really care about me . They wanted the fantasy. If only my heart was satisfied by the occasional stuffed animal and spanking.
Maybe I was the problem. Too weird, offbeat. But the heart wants what it wants.
I stuffed my sweaty hands in my pockets and scrunched down in my jacket.
What kind of person would someone like Harvey need?
“Sh–” A sheen glowed off Havey’s skin as he licked his upper lip. He blinked at a receipt, then scanned the crowd.
Was he looking for me?
Nervous energy propelled me toward the counter. I gave him a half-wave. “H-hey.”
A bewildered smile lit up his face. “Hey, I didn’t hear you come in.”
Aw, was he listening for me?
“No bells on this outfit. But I had to try your famous cinnamon twists.” I batted my eyelashes and clasped my hands, only half faking my enthusiasm.
Zack practically knocked me aside to point at the waiting cups. “Is this our order?”
A wrinkle knit between Harvey’s brows. “Are you the coworker?”
Zack gave him a bewildered look. I doubted anyone had ever suggested he was an elf too.
I rolled my eyes and gestured vaguely. “This is my cousin, Zack. We’re Christmas shopping for the fam.”
Weirdly enough, Harvey offered his hand. “Hey, man.”
Zack hesitated, eyeing the faded black sharpie on Harvey’s fingernails. “Hey.”
After a second, they shook hands. I had to strangle a little cry of indignation. Harvey and I had barely touched by accident, and now my cousin got to hold his hand? Totally unfair.
“Let me mark which one is the tea and you two will be good to go.” Harvey flicked a marker across the cup, then wiped his sweaty brow on the back of his arm, accidentally knocking his crown askew. So cute . Tugging his cap down much like a cowboy tipping his hat, Harvey set the drink on the counter. “Good luck, today.”
“Thanks. You too.” I smiled and grabbed our stuff.
Zack pushed his way through the pickup crowd to get back to the mall, the door dinging on our way out. He gulped down his coffee. “This is pretty good.”
My tea was too hot to sip, but I smiled at the smudged, speckled plum under my thumb. Zack would probably say it was a peach or a reference to a butt. But I didn’t think Harvey would flirt like that. Especially at work. Then again, maybe there were special circumstances, and with the right person…
“It’s the best.” I reached into the paper bag and tore off a piece of soft, fresh bread to ease my rumbling tummy. Cinnamon dissolved on my tongue, warming me from the inside out with possibility.