Page 6 of Perfectly Us

Customers order iced coffee, though some order hot lattes despite the stifling heat. Technically, the first day of summer isn’t for another month. It’s still only mid-May. The downfall of living in the South, I guess. Spring only lasts like a few days. Winter is a joke. Fall can be nice. Summer seems eternal though.

The bell above the door dings.

“I’m tellin’ you. Bucky and Captain were definitely boning.” Alex fans his face. “I’m dying. Too hot.”

“They were not,” a Hispanic guy says to him. “Stop shipping everyone. You’re like a crazed fangirl.”

And then, the green eyes I haven’t been able to get out of my head since last night find me.

“Shiloh!” Alex approaches the counter, beaming with a smile like I’m one of his favorite people in the world even though we’re barely more than strangers. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

When I met him last night, he was in his work uniform: maroon shirt, black pants, gold name tag. Seeing him now, I get a better sense of who he is as a person. His style is a combination of preppy meets nerd with his light brown hair swooped to the side and a casual tie pulled loose on his short-sleeved, collared pink shirt.

“I didn’t know you worked here,” Alex says. “Kinda cool, right? You show up at my work, and now I show up at yours. Feels like fate.”

“Or you could be stalking me.”

“I wouldn’t make a good stalker. I’m too loud.”

Somehow, I get the feeling he’s right about that.

“What can I get you?” I ask.

Alex scrunches up his face as he looks over the menu on the wall. “I’m not big on coffee. Do you have any smoothies?”

Not a fan of coffee? Guess it explains why I don’t remember seeing him come in before.

“Yeah. We have strawberry, orange mango, and raspberry vanilla.”

“Oh. Strawberry. I’ll take one of those.” He bounces a little in place as I ring up his order. Probably a good thing he doesn’t drink coffee. He’s hyper enough as it is. “Can I get a brownie too? One of those ooey-gooey fudge ones with nuts.”

“Sure.” I select the item on my screen and tell him the total before opening the glass case and getting the brownie. “For here or to go?”

“For here.”

I place the brownie on a plate and slide it across to him as he hands over the money. The transaction is like every other one I’ve made today, so why is my heart beating faster? His personality is magnetic.

I count back his change, and he smiles before placing two dollars in the tip jar.

The other guy orders an iced mocha latte, and I take his money before stepping aside and starting their drinks. Alex leans against the counter as he waits. I feel his eyes on me, but I pretend like I don’t.

“How long have you worked here?” he asks.

“About six months.”

“Where did you go to school?”

“Charleston.” I peek up at him through my bangs and quickly look away.

“Ah. You were a tiger, huh? I was a Spartan. Still am kinda. I feel like it anyway. I just graduated on Friday.”

“Congrats.” I put a lid on his smoothie and slide it over to him.

“Thanks. When did you graduate? Or are you still in school?”

What’s with the million questions?