揋ear? You抮e telling me it抯 on the market and not something you rigged up yourself??He groans, swiping a hand over his face.
I grin and nod happily.
揟here are some inventions humanity was never meant to discover,?he says bitterly. 揑f this is the latest trend everyone adopts, I抣l let Wired Cup go bankrupt. Where did you even get that thing??
揑t抯 a brew pipe, and Wayne found it online.?
揥ayne. Of course,?he says gruffly.
Snickering, I uncap the water bottle I brought along and pour it into the end. Then I flick the lighter on and hold the flame under it. The metal heats up fast.
揜idiculous,?he grinds out again.
揘ope. What抯 ridiculous is you not knowing about it when a lowly barista did, Commander Coffee. Seems like a major intel failure.?I smile sweetly.
揘ow that I do, I wish I could un-know it.?
揃y the way, he appreciated his referral bonus. It helped his mom big-time.?
He nods, turning his gaze away like he抯 suddenly uncomfortable.
Ugh. Leave it to this lunk to turn into Captain Modesty when he does a good deed.
揑t抯 almost brewed,?I say a minute later, setting the pipe down on the tiny holder it came with. 揘ow we let it cool a few seconds for optimal taste.?
Cole laughs, brushing sand off his thigh. 揑抳e never met anyone as serious about coffee as you, and I grew up coffee royalty. You and Wayne spend a lot of time together??
揘ot really. Before I took this job, I bounced around a lot of coffee shops, studying their flavors and menus. I picked up a few shifts when Wayne was short on people, but nothing too official. We抎 talk about coffee whenever I went to Wired Cup, and we抳e hung out occasionally at charity events together…？
Is it bad that I like the jealousy gleaming in his eyes?
揟hat抯 a relief. You can do better than him,?Cole snaps. 揥hat the hell sort of boyfriend only shows up part-time??
I laugh. 揃ehave. Wayne isn抰 my boyfriend. He抯 not even my type.?
He turns his head, raking me with a slow, burning look.
揥hat, pray tell, is your type, Eliza??
Oh. My. God.
I ignore the question, but I抦 sure he finds his answer with the way I jerk away, staring intently at the brew pipe.
I touch the end to make sure it抯 cooled, then put the pipe end to my mouth and languidly sip half the shot. My head rolls back and I purse my lips like I抦 enjoying a fine cigar.
揗an, that抯 on point. I added a hint of macadamia nut to the roast.?I pass the pipe. 揟ry this.?
He tilts it in his fingers like he抯 holding an alien device.
揅areful. It抯 still hot. Go ahead, taste the nuts,?I urge.
揘o need. You are nuts, Eliza Angelo.?But he shuts up long enough to suck a long pull from the pipe.
The way his eyes ignite with stunned pleasure tells me he抯 about to swallow his pride.
揥ell??I venture.
揋ood. Surprisingly smooth. I never imagined I抎 enjoy sucking coffee through a damn crack pipe, however…？
揅offee pipe, you idiot,?I insist with a giggle.
揥hatever, badger.?He leans back on the sand, casually draping his arm around me.
My face heats.
At first, I make no effort to move, but then when I see he doesn抰 pull back like he抯 realizing his mistake, I scoot closer.
We sit there, sharing the stillness, alone except for the murmuring waves and my heartbeat drumming in my ears.
My boss has his arm around me.
My hot, unhinged, tightly wound boss who seems too smart to complicate our lives.
Even with the fresh caffeine hit, my brain keeps stuttering, trying to process what we抮e doing. His seductive, masculine scent doesn抰 help when it smells a thousand times better than the finest fresh-brewed coffee.
揧ou never answered my question,?he says. 揑f Wayne isn抰 your type, then why are you so serious about coffee? I thought for sure it was the barista抯 influence…？
揌onestly, I抦 not sure I have a type,?I lie. Because unfortunately, I do, and it抯 totally Cole Lancaster. 揘o time to date much.?
His jaw sets and he sighs. 揇amn shame. You抮e young and pretty and you have an annoying sense of humor. Men should be lined up at your door holding grudge matches to take you out梩hen again, are there still men in the age of Tinder? Can抰 imagine sending pickup lines over a screen.?
What the what? He thinks I抦 pretty?
My giddy heart vibrates like a plucked guitar string.
And I can抰 help but laugh. He抯 not that old, but his ideas about dating are hilariously old.
I抦 starting to believe his love life is more boring than mine.
揅ould be because I don抰 know that many people in Seattle,?I say carefully. 揑抳e lived there a few years, but it抯 harder to meet people as an adult.?