Chapter 54
Levi lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The first rays of sunlight creeped through the window. He would rather be asleep, though he was thankful Jon had woken him before leaving. In his stupor, he got the main points. Computer wouldn’t start, need to go to the office to get it fixed. Had he been conscious, he would have asked why Jon was logging in early, not that it mattered.
He sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched. His muscles screamed at the intrusion on their rest.
“Fuck it. I might as well get my shower.” He glanced over his shoulder at the vacant spot on Jon’s side of the bed, as if he had expected a response.
Summoning every ounce of willpower he could manage, he stood and trudged to the bathroom. He hoped a hot shower would prepare him for the day.
He stood in the bathtub and turned the water on, bracing himself for the cold onslaught before the calming warmth.
Water streamed down his body as steam filled the room. His eyes flew open when he started lathering up. He knew he had to hurry to seize a golden opportunity.
Levi rushed through the rest of his shower, toweled off, and threw on some clothes, smiling as he tied his shoes, thankful he was lucky to be in charge of the dress code. There might not be enough time if he had to come home to change clothes before opening the bar.
He sped into town and parked in his normal space at the bar. When he saw the ‘closed’ sign in the jewelry store window when he turned the corner, he cursed under his breath, and realized he hadn’t considered the time. It wouldn’t open for another hour.
A voice called from across the square. “Levi? What are you doing in town this early? I hope nothing’s wrong.”
He turned toward the sound and saw Caitlin setting up the patio of her cafe. Smiling, he made his way across the courtyard.
“No, nothing’s wrong. Jon had to go into the office unexpectedly this morning and I couldn’t go back to sleep after he left.”
She flashed a sly smile. “Is Jon that cute boy from the Mardi Gras party? I don’t think I’ve had a chance to meet him properly.”
Levi blushed. He knew Cate was a semi-regular, but thought it was more because of proximity. She’d always been one of his favorites, but he didn’t think she’d been in since the remodel. “Yeah, that’s him.”
She grinned. “Good. I’ve seen that asshole James around a lot lately, and I was worried you had gone back to him.”
He laughed. “God no. But James is turning his shit around. Dating a guy that plays some weeknights, and he’s been helping around the bar a lot since Gus has retired.”
“That’s good. Wait! Gus retired?”
“Yep, moved to his beach house in Galveston. Me and Jon moved into his place here.”
“I knew I hadn’t seen him around much.” Her eyes widened. “Did you say that you and Jon moved into his house?”
“Yep.”
“Levi! I didn’t realize y’all were living together. When you said what you said about going into the office, I just assumed…” Her brow furrowed. “You were looking at Tom’s shop. Are you in the market for some jewelry?”
He smiled at her question. She interrupted before he could respond.
“Shit! What am I thinking? You’re my customer today. I’m so sorry. Come inside and let me get you something. You can tell me all about it.”
He followed her inside. He hadn’t set foot inside the cafe since long before Caitlin had taken over. There was something familiar about it. A cozy sense of comfort in the design. There were a couple of high top tables, but most of the space created a space to lounge and enjoy a cup of coffee with friends. Levi was suddenly aware of his lack of friends and wondered if he would have more use for a such a space in his life if he didn’t keep everyone at arm’s length.
“I like what you’ve done with the place. It’s very inviting.”
“Thank you. I’ve not seen the grand remodel of the Dragon yet, but I’m hoping to get by soon. Life’s been crazy.” She disappeared behind the counter.
He thought about how the past few months have been in his life and hoped her craziness worked out. His head cocked to the side when she started working behind the counter. “I didn’t tell you what I wanted yet.”
She turned with a devilish smile. “I know. I bet you’d order a coffee. Black. No frills, no fuss. Am I right?”
He gave her a tacit nod.
“I’m going to give you something different. If you don’t like it, I’ll deliver you a black coffee every day next week.”
He shrugged. “I’m game.”
She set to work. Levi was concerned by the noises he was hearing, but she didn’t seem to be. She smiled and looked his way. “So tell me. What are you looking for over at Tom’s?”
Levi felt the blood rush to his face. He looked down and felt a smile forming on his face. “I’m thinking of proposing. I don’t know how any of this works, so I’m just hoping to see something that says ‘I love you and I will always love you’ without being a very feminine typical engagement ring.”
“You’re pretty masculine. I know I was trying to flirt with you when you first came to town. I take it he is too?”
“Yeah. I’ll have to bring him by for a date so you can meet him. I don’t need to show too much extra romance before next weekend. We’re swapping houses with Gus to have a romantic weekend at the beach, and I’m worried I may have already tipped my hand and ruined the surprise.”
She nodded from her post. She looked to be deep in thought while looking down. “I get that. Either way, I can’t wait to meet him.” She set a cup on the counter, looked at it, and frowned for a moment. Her eyes lit up. “Do you like blueberries?”
“I guess, but I don’t know about blueberry flavored coffee…”
She laughed. She grabbed something from a case of baked goods, placed the cup and the now plated item on a tray and walked it over to him, smiling.
“Here’s a cappuccino and blueberry scone. I made the scones fresh this morning.”
Levi eyed the cup skeptically. He’d never had a real cappuccino. He’d had one from a machine in a gas station once, and that had been enough. This cup looked nothing like that.
“Is that a heart on top?”
She blushed. “I’m practicing my latte art. Figured you’d be a good guinea pig and wouldn’t know the difference if I messed it up.”
He chuckled. “It looks perfect.”
“Since you prefer black coffee, I didn’t add any sweeteners or flavor. It’s just espresso and steamed milk, with the foam from the milk on top. Steaming the milk gives it just a touch of sweetness naturally. So what do you think?”
He raised the cup and smiled. “It smells fantastic.” The moment the liquid met his tongue, he knew he would be back. He felt the warmth stream down his throat. “This is damn good. I can’t believe I’ve never tried this before.”
“Well, it sounds like I’ve met a new Levi today, and there’s a whole wide world out there for you to discover.”