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“You’re in a worse mood than usual,” Shelly said, eyeing me, one of her pencilled-on brows raised.
I ignored her statement, knowing it was true. Luckily, it was busy enough that I had an excuse not to verbally respond. Without Sophie manning the counter, I was flooded between taking orders and making the drinks. A small line had built up, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. I was used to fast, hard work. My body was built for it. And I’d always worked alone on Aiden’s days off, too. Normally I looked forward to them, even though I didn’t mind working with him. But now, for some reason, it felt... too quiet. Even with the din of the station’s inhabitants and visitors and the screech of the steamer, the roar of the coffee grinder, it felt quiet.
I knew exactly why it seemed that way. Because there wasn’t that chirruping, sweet human voice greeting customers next to me.
“Well, I’m done here for the day,” Shelly said, popping a bunch of fresh-baked goods she’d just pulled from the oven onto one of the shelves. “That should get you through until tomorrow." She looked at the line building up, then back at me.
“I think I already know the answer to this, but want me to jump on the counter for a few minutes?”
I shook my head as I swirled steamed eggnog into espresso and handed it out the window.
“I’m good,” I said.
“Thought so. Although I hope you’ve been a little more welcoming to Sophie than you are to me.”
My spine straightened. I almost missed the customer’s order – a flak bone tea latte. I turned and fetched three of the little white bones from a jar, placing them into a mesh pouch then dropping them into a cup and adding a small amount hot water. The flak bones were white in colour, but when added to hot water, their signature black marrow seeped out, turning the liquid dark and thick. I steamed some milk to go with it.
“I have been welcoming,” I grunted as the milk heated.
“Hmm. You sure about that?” Shelly teased.
“Yes.” I’d already shown Sophie more courtesies than I’d shown anyone else on this station, and she’d only been here a few days.
“I’m going to check in with her at some point, just to make sure,” Shelly said. I didn’t respond, focusing on the pour of the white milk into the hot black drink.
“A heart?” Shelly said.
I finished pouring and looked at her inquisitively.
“Don’t you normally do leaves for your latte art? When did you start doing hearts?” Shelly was staring down into the drink I’d just poured. I looked down too, to see a foamy white heart settling into the black.
“And since when do you analyze my latte art?” I grumbled, passing the drink out to the waiting customer.
“Well, I never thought to until now. Because you’ve never done a heart until now.” She looked at me for a long moment, until I finally had to turn away to face the next customer.
“Alright, mystery man. You keep working and let me know if you need anything. See you soon.” Finally, mercifully, Shelly left, leaving me to my work. Even more mercifully, the next order didn’t require any steamed milk. No strange, unexpected hearts were going to appear in that cup.
As I worked, my mind kept drifting back to last night. And every time it did, it irritated me more and more. I was letting myself get too close to Sophie. And I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. Yes, she was lovely and kind and I was undeniably attracted to her. But the walking her back to her room when there really was no security risk? And then, when she’d asked me what word I’d meant instead of goofy when referring to her smile, I’d almost blurted out that she was beautiful. And the fact that her quarters were in the same block as mine had almost sent me over the edge. My usual two hours of sleep last night had been reduced to thirty minutes as I paced my room, only a hall away from hers. Wondering what she was doing.
It was pure insanity. Utterly and completely.
But somehow it seemed like unavoidable insanity. Even when she wasn’t here, my mind was on her.
And, though I knew it probably wasn’t, I couldn’t help but wonder if her mind was on me, too.
Insanity.
