I Like You a Latte {Completed}

52 | Mediating the Claws

"So, where did he take you for dinner?" Alicia asked the next day, her fingers wrapped around her mug of hot chocolate tightly. Beverly, Alicia, and Deb were settled in the booth of a bistro located near Deb's new college, having been called there (surprisingly enough) by Deb herself.

Meet me at twelve if you want food, was all the text had read, along with a link to the bistro's website. And, with such a warm invitation, how could Beverly have refused?

So, with a quick call to Alicia to ensure that the other girl's hardly-used car was up to the forty-five-minute journey to the location, Beverly had shot a quick text to Griffin, taken her medicine (per his pestering), and then left with Alicia.

On the ride over, the pair had mostly talked about the depressing reality that school would be starting in two days' time, so Beverly wasn't surprised that Alicia was only bringing the topic up now; the girl had probably been dying to ask since Beverly had casually mentioned that Griffin had taken her out the previous night.

Deb didn't seem to care for the topic, if her overdramatic groan was any indication. "God, you're such a girl," she sneered at Alicia.

Said girl straightened in her seat and flipped her hair over her shoulder with a huff. "And you're such a bitch."

Beverly rolled her eyes at the two; really, it was almost funny how they argued constantly, especially since Beverly got the feeling that they actually didn't mind one another's presence nearly as much as they claimed to. "So?" she was pulled from her musing by Alicia's expectant voice and eyes. "Where did he take you, Bev?"

Deb sighed morosely but peered at Beverly as well, and the girl shrunk down in her seat at the sudden attention. Picking at her chicken wrap, she shrugged pitifully. "That Greek restaurant downtown."

"Oh?" Alicia settled her elbows on the table and leaned forward with one eyebrow raised. "That sounds nice."

It had been perfect, actually. Griffin's soft touches and gentlemanly ways ("Let me get your door, please, Beverly." "Here, Beverly, do you want me to take your coat?"), once paired with the upscale but not over-the-top aesthetic of the restaurant, had been more than enough to make Beverly feel like an overeager schoolgirl (she'd almost squealed several times).

"From the way she looks, it was something out of a shitty fairytale dream." Deb's unamused voice pulled Beverly from her thoughts, and she stuck her tongue out at the other girl.

Alicia went a step further and kicked Deb under the table, since they were sat right across from one another. "Please, Deborah; there is no reason to be so blatantly jealous. In fact, try a smile—maybe you'll stop scaring the boys off."

"Have you seen Beverly with that overprotective ass of hers? I'm surprised he even let her out today. No, I certainly don't want one of those watching my every move."

"You talk about him like I bought him at the store," Beverly snorted, taking a sip of her own hot chocolate and sighing with pleasure at the smooth, rich taste.

"I thought you did," Deb responded flippantly, taking a bit of her sandwich and adding through a mouthful of food, "PetSmart was my guess."

"You have got to be one of the meanest and most horrible humans I have ever met in my life," Alicia announced, her eye narrowed at Deb.

"You should get around more." Deb lobbed back. "You'd be surprised."

"You should get a better personality." Alicia retorted just as smoothly. "Maybe you can buy one of those from a store—I think your current one is defective."