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“Dark roast.”
He turned and filled up her cup with dark roast, then reached under the counter to the fridge to get the oat milk.
“You came in at just the right time,” Michael said, adding oat milk to her cup. “It’s been busy today but there’s finally been a lull. Tuesdays are definitely an afternoon coffee kind of day. Makes me appreciate my employees even more.”
“Yeah, they’re all great,” Hannah said. She fidgeted with the strap of her bag, trying to think of something else to say. Being around him was getting easier, but looking at him for too long still made her tongue-tied.
Michael put the oat milk back, then handed her the cup and the squeeze bottle of simple syrup. Hannah liberally squeezed the liquid sugar into her cup, then tasted it before adding a few more squirts.
“Do you always get oat milk?” Michael asked.
“Um, most of the time. It’s nice. Why?”
Was he trying to memorize her order? Hannah’s heart raced as if she’d already chugged her whole cup.
“I’m putting together some new drinks and oat milk seems popular.” Michael shrugged and Hannah’s heart slowed down. “Anyway, how are you feeling?”
“Fine.” Hannah’s cheeks reddened. “I still feel silly that you had to come out there and save me.”
“It’s no trouble at all, Hannah.” Michael took the simple syrup back once Hannah finished with it. “I really didn’t mind.”
Hannah wasn’t sure what to say in response. Did he mean that he was happy to save her in particular? The smile on his face suggested it. Maybe. Hannah wasn’t entirely sure, but she was more optimistic that he meant more than he said he did this time. If he had just saved her without thinking of her as more than just Hannah, the nice girl who worked at The Crab, he wouldn’t have asked about how she was again. Right?
Her heart fluttered, more out of excitement than nerves this time. Riding the wave of courage that this realization brought her, Hannah cleared her throat and said, “Are you looking forward to the Blueberry Bay Luau?”
“Yeah, of course.” He smiled again, deepening the faint smile lines that fanned out around his eyes. “I’m always up for all the surfing and the food. Are you excited?”
“For sure. The Crab is going to have a lot of great food, so I’ll be working a lot, but I have some time off.” She bit her bottom lip for a moment, calling on the last pieces of courage that she needed. “A lot of people are asking each other so they have someone to dance with during the event.”
Sure, she wasn’t asking him to the luau directly, but she felt like she had put the idea out there for him to think about.
“Yeah, I heard that.” His smile broadened. “I’m sure it’ll be fun for everyone, even if they can’t dance.”
The bell above the door jingled again, and Michael looked past her at the next customers. Hannah turned too, catching sight of a group of three people entering the shop. They looked like out-of-towners, and from experience, she knew tourists expected faster service than the locals
“I’ve got to get going to The Crab,” Hannah said. “I’ll see you around.”
“See you.”
Hannah left, turning over her interaction with Michael in her head again and again. Maybe she didn’t have to wait for him to ask her. Maybe, if he showed her a little interest, she could ask him to the luau instead.
CHAPTER NINE
Dane ran both of his hands through his hair and sighed, glancing at the how-to video on hula dancing that Josie had pulled up on the screen of her computer again. The person giving the tutorial made it look so easy, but whenever he tried, he felt like a baby horse trying to take its first step. Except he wasn’t getting to the stage where he could take off and run.
Trying to learn how to do this in the office after hours was even more awkward. Usually the office was the place where he felt the most in control, the most competent. Now he felt anything but. Was asking Josie to help him learn how to hula dance a bad idea?
“Can we go back a little?” Dane asked. “Maybe about five seconds?”
“Sure.” Josie rewound the video and pressed play again. Just seeing the person demonstrate on the video made Dane feel embarrassed all over again. “Are you okay?”
“I’m… fine, I guess.” Dane rested his hands on his hips.
“It’s okay to be a little embarrassed when you’re learning something new,” Josie said.
“I’m way beyond a little embarrassed.” Dane snorted. “I feel like I have two left feet, and they’re both backward too.”
Josie laughed. “You’re not that bad.”
