The grinder made a bunch of violent noises as it did its thing, and I tried not to notice how close we were standing. His shoulder was nudging mine, and I could feel the heat from his body. I wondered ifhewas on Grindr. Not that I actually had an account or anything. But if I did, and he did too, I wondered if I’d tap on his profile. Like if I didn’t know about his personality, I meant. Just, if he was my type physically. I thought that maybe he was. I liked his dark hair and his light brown skin. I liked that he was solid and chubby around the middle. And I liked the way it made me feel when he was right behind me like this, close enough that a single step back would have me pressed up against him. I just didn’t like anything else about him.
When the grinder stopped, I wrenched the portafilter free and jammed it into place on the machine.
“Not that one,” he said. “That’s the group head.”
Group head, seriously?
I removed the portafilter and put it on the other bit.
“Tight, but not too tight,” Lee said, checking it.
“That’s what all the boys say,” I said. “You know. The boys who come around for the group head.”
He gave me a look. “Now select the shot button.”
“I don’t know which one,” I said, narrowing my eyes at the machine.
“It’s a single shot for a macchiato,” he said, taking a cup and setting it under the portafilter. “So that’s the first button there.”
I pushed it, and the machine started to dribble coffee out into the cup.
“Now get some milk in the jug.”
Fuck, of course there was milk too. And of course Lee watched while I totally fucked up trying to use the steam wand. I reached out to move it, and he grabbed my hand before I could touch it.
“It’shot, Chase.”
And now I was even more pissed because I felt like an idiot.
“Just move the jug up and down a bit,” he said, and I did. “Hear that? That sound tells you you’re doing it right.”
“That’s what my last Grindr date said.”
“Concentrate,” he said quietly. But how was I meant to concentrate when he was holding my hand in his and I could feel the warmth of his skin against mine? His warm breath teased the side of my neck, and it took all my self-control not to tip my head back and expose my throat. I wondered what kind of reaction I’d get from him if I did.
I kind of wanted to find out.
And now I was thinking about Grindr, andLeeand Grindr, and the fact that I’d jerked off to him—more than once now, because my brain and my dick had both latched onto him as my go-to fantasy when I needed to rub one out. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to straddle those thick thighs.
I wasn’t sure Iwantedto stop.
“Okay,” he said, breaking into my fantasy, “now you put just a dollop of the foam on top, and you’ve got yourself a macchiato.”
I side-eyed Lee. “That seems too easy.”
“It’s an espresso machine, Chase,” he said, “not a space shuttle. Go on.”
I grabbed a spoon and dug out some foam. Let it drop with a splat on top of the little coffee. Stared at it, and then at Lee.
“Try it,” he urged.
I tried it and made a face. It was gross.
“What?” he asked. “What’s wrong with it?”
“I don’t like coffee,” I said.
He blinked at me. “You…” And then he laughed. “Holy shit. You don’t like coffee!” Like it was the funniest thing in the world. “How are you even a barista if you don’t like coffee? How did Bobby evenhireyou?”
