“You look like shit. Maybe you should have one of these yourself.” Mandy, my co-worker at Beans and Things, gestures with her chin to the latte she’s making.
“Thanks.” I frown, catching a glimpse of myself in the espresso machine. “But I’m fine.”
“Define fine,” she deadpans. “Because I think we have different definitions.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha.” I nudge her with my shoulder.
Mandy’s the closest thing to a friend I’ve made since landing here in Boston a month ago. I’m not usually so anti-social. Not a single Friday or Saturday night has gone unplanned since I hit my teens.
But that’s what got me into all this mess to begin with. Instead of staying in and studying like my brothers wanted me to do, I was out meeting people and living it up. I’ll never repeat this, but I should have gone ahead done what they wanted for me and kept my nose in a book. No matter how much I hated it.
“Tommy!” Mandy calls out the order and slides the latte toward a tall blonde man dressed in typical business district fashion. His hair is styled neatly away from his freshly shaven face. A pair of wire rimmed glasses sits on his perfectly straight nose. He could model for any number of fashion magazines.
Yet, he does nothing for me.
I should get around to getting my head checked one of these days. Maybe while I’m away from home I can finally figure out why a certain man won’t leave the back of my mind, no matter how hard I try or who I date. Maybe they can get inside my head and do some magic to make men like this guy make me feel something other than boredom.
She leans a hip against the counter next to where I’m pouring more coffee beans into the machine.
“Stone and I are going to a new club tonight; you should come with us.”
I raise my eyebrows. “What new club?”
She lifts a shoulder and gives an impish grin. “The kind that pops up for one night only.”
“Hmm. Let me think.” I tap my chin. “No thanks.”
Last night’s adventure with a pop-up rave was more than enough for me for at least a week.
She grabs my arm. “Come on, Elana. You can’t spend every night alone. Come with us. You’ll have fun.”
“And another sleepless night,” I point out, crumbling the espresso bean bag between my hands. “I’m exhausted. You said yourself I look like shit.”
“So? You get off at three today, right? Go home, take a nap, wash your hair, put on some make up, and come with us!” She bounces with enthusiasm at the prospect.
“Elana, can you get the next customer? I have to pee so bad!” Katherine taps my shoulder as she jogs past me.
“Sure.” I leave Mandy to make the next coffee and take over the register.
“Yeah. I’ll have a large coffee—black—and an extra-large vanilla latte with an extra shot of espresso, and can you use sugar free syrup?” The order flies at me before I have a chance to greet the customer.
“Yep. We can do that. That will be thirteen dollars and seven cents.” I look up from the register.
“Here.” A credit card is shoved at me. I take it, press it to the reader that’s on his side of the register and wait for the beep signaling the purchase went through before handing it back to him.
He tilts his head with his lips pressed in a thin line.
“You could have just told me to do that.” He snatches the card back from me.
“Can I get a name for the order?” I ask in my best customer service voice. My brothers would never believe how sweet I can be to the worst-mannered people.
“Tony,” he says over his shoulder while he heads to the end of the counter to wait for his drinks.
My chest clenches at the name, and I take a beat to let it settle. I remind myself that there will be a time when that name doesn’t give me such a visceral reaction. It would be nice if that time came around a little faster.
I grab the paper cups for the order and scribble the name across both before handing them off to Mandy.
“You good?” Her brow wrinkles.
