Page 58 of Chasing After You

“Hey, Josh, right?” I nodded, smiling back at him. “Great! Eli, of course. Did you make it here okay?”

“Yeah, I lucked out with some street parking. Thanks for meeting up with me,” I said.

“No, thankyou. You look good, really good. What would you like? I’ll go to the bar and get our drinks.”

“Uh… I don’t really know. I’m not great with names of things. Typically, I just drink whatever’s in front of me.”

Eli chuckled, standing and smoothing a hand over the front of his shirt. “Dangerous answer. I could come back with something horrible, like warm Malört.”

I blinked. “Is that… real? Wine names are so weird.”

“Oh yeah. It’s basically paint thinner with emotional trauma. Don’t worry, I won’t do that to you on a first date.”

I smiled despite myself. “I appreciate your restraint.”

He smiled and headed toward the bar. I took a moment to glance around the room again, admiring the low, golden lights and the quiet, instrumental music that played softly over the hushed voices of the other couples. It was the kind of place you were supposed to fall in love in. Or at least kiss someone, maybe?

I exhaled slowly, willing myself to relax.

I could do this.

When Eli returned, he set a pale orange cocktail in front of me. “It’s a bourbon peach smash. Figured it was a safe bet.”

“That… actually sounds good, I think. You have good instincts.”

He grinned. “High praise coming from a man who’ll drink anything.”

I laughed a little, then took a sip. “Okay, yeah, that’s dangerously drinkable.”

“I know, right? But let me know if it starts tasting too good. I don’t want to be responsible for any ‘accidental sleepovers.’”

I choked a little on my next sip. “Noted.”

We settled into an easy rhythm, the kind of pleasant small talk that didn’t require too much energy. I asked about his job, and he told me he worked remotely for a cybersecurity firm, spending most days yelling at his monitors while in pajama pants.

“I keep meaning to get a treadmill desk,” he said. “But I know if I buy it, I’ll just be wasting my money. I’m a chair guy through and through.”

“I respect that level of self-awareness,” I replied with a soft laugh.

He also asked about my job, and I told him about Wild Roast. He smiled when I talked about how weird some of the regulars were, or how seriously people took their foam art.

“So you’re, like, a part-time barista, full-time therapist,” he said.

“Exactly. But I also own the place.”

His eyebrows raised. “Wow, that’s impressive. And how do you spend your time when you’re not caffeinating the world?”

Trying not to picture my brother’s dick,I thought.

“I like to work out,” I answered instead. “Lift weights, mostly. And sometimes I like watching those trashy reality shows. I don’t know… I guess I’m kind of boring?”

“I don’t think that’s boring. Honestly, it’s kind of nice. You seem grounded.”

You have no idea how absolutely un-grounded I am,my brain supplied.

I smiled politely, swirling my drink. “What about you? And what brought you into the wonderful world of dating apps?

He leaned back slightly, relaxing into the seat. “I guess the usual. I had a long-term relationship that ended a few years ago. Took a break from dating for a while, focused on work, therapy, and figuring my own crap out. But I miss the connection, you know? The little things. Shared playlists, lazy weekends, having someone to cook for. That stuff. I don’t miss my ex, but it is nice having someone around.”