Note to self: no more true crime after dinner.
For now, I smile and work through it since it’s the only thing I can do.
I dig through my brain trying to determine what else I can say to get him off my case. He’s obviously a misogynistic asshole who doesn’t like educated women, but how can I use that to my advantage? Unfortunately, the only thing that these types of men respect are other men.
When he leans further over the counter trying to get an answer to his last statement, he is so close that I can feel his breath. Without thinking, the words come out before I can stop them.
“Well, I have a boyfriend!” It comes out so fast that I don’t even register the entirety of what I just said. Fuck, what am I saying?
With a confused expression, Greg shifts himself back. Not far enough to make me feel comfortable, but enough to know that my statement made an impact.
He stares incredulously at me and manages to call my bluff right away. “Sweetheart, if you’ve had a boyfriend all this time, why are you just mentioning him now? You wouldn’t lie to me would you?”
Turning around, I pour green tea into a cup to buy some time, needing to think quickly. If I hesitate, he is going to know I’m lying.
My eyes quickly scan the store trying to look for a solution. At this point, Greg won’t leave me alone if I don’t have physicalevidence, but I have no idea what I can do. I think about saying that Nick is my boyfriend, but that wouldn’t be believable since he has been present for all of these past interactions.
The line at the register is about five people deep when I see Nick ringing up one of our regulars. He is about my age, maybe a little older. I don’t talk to him much, but we always exchange pleasantries when he picks up his coffee. He’s been coming in here for as long as I can remember, and we’ve never had a bad experience with each other. Trying not to be too obvious, my gaze lingers on him for a few extra seconds as I start steaming some milk.
Patrick always looks presentable dressed in business casual, and today isn’t any different. He comes in at the same time every weekday, so he must have a steady job. His brown hair is a little long, but it’s styled tastefully. He looks put together with a nice button down tucked into dress pants, and anyone who looked at him would be able to tell that he takes care of himself.
There must be something wrong inside my head because for some odd reason, I keep the lie going.
“Well, Patrick and I have only been dating for a few months, but we are getting pretty serious. I didn’t even realize I hadn’t mentioned him, but I guess I just like keeping my personal business to myself.” There’s just enough bite in my voice to make a point without seeming too aggressive.
Looking towards the register, I lock eyes with Patrick. He offers me an endearing smile, and I’ve never noticed how green his eyes were until now. He looks tired, but the brightness still shines through.
As he moves away from Nick, I hope and pray to any higher power that can help me that he will pick up on my panicked look. As Greg follows my eyeline to Patrick, I know that I need to make my move. It’s now or never.
This is it. If he doesn’t go along with it, I am so fucked.
Imouth the word ‘help’and begin my performance.
“Hey, babe!” The giant smile on my face and extra emphasis on ‘babe’ is a little much, but I’m trying to get a point across. “I didn’t know you were stopping by this morning! I was just talking about you.”
My heart drops as he gives me the most unreadable expression. In this moment, I realize that I fucked up. I ruined everything. Not only am I going to look like a liar, I’ve made an actual regular uncomfortable. They are going to fire me, and I’ll have to find a new job somewhere else. Fuck, I love my job. How am I going to—
My inner monologue gets interrupted by a deep, soft voice.
“Hey, Ellie—” Patrick clears his throat, and his expression changes from confused to curious. “Uhh, I meant to be here earlier, but I slept in a little.”
He scratches at the back of his neck and turns to walk over to me, causing Greg to take another step back with a disgruntled look on his face. I’m surprised and elated that it’s actually working.
Doing my best to ignore Greg’s existence, I keep the charade going.
“That’s okay, babe. You’ve been workingsohard lately; you definitely deserve a little rest,” I say with a flirty tone, desperatefor Patrick to continue playing into my ruse. The machine whirs loudly as I steam Greg’s milk to a hundred and ninety degrees, which is as hot as the machine will let us go without having it bubble over. “Are we seeing each other this weekend? I work tomorrow morning, but Ireallywas hoping we could spend some time together.”
He moves towards the counter exactly where Greg had been standing, and I’m intrigued by how far I have crane my neck up to see him. Normally, when he waits for his drinks, he stands at the back wall, so I’ve never realized how tall he was until now.
Leaning himself forward, he still speaks loud enough for those around us to hear. His scent seeps into the air around me, and I am captivated. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what he smells like, but it’s enticing. His close proximity makes me realize that he is fully committed to the lie, which allows me to relax slightly, but when he gives me a smirk, my chest gets tight.
Fuck, I’ve never seen Patrick look like this.
There is a fire behind those green eyes, making it hard for me to think straight. “Do we have to wait until tomorrow? I was hoping we could see each other tonight.”
If I was not in on the bit, I would think he was flirting with me.
My cheeks warm, but I ignore the feeling, putting a lid on Greg’s drink and placing it on the counter. “Greg! Here’s your extra-extra-extra hot, soy latte!”
