Triton's Destiny

Part Twelve

"Maki!"

His gaze darted across the shop to see Tristan already there, waiting for him at a small table in the corner. Grinning brightly, he waved and made his way over to him. "Hi, Tristan. How are you today?" He sat down across from Tristan and folded his hands on the table.

"I'm great! Not too many messages today, the weather's nice, and now you're here." Tristan leaned forward with his elbows on the table, his green eyes bright and smiling.

"That's good." Maki felt his cheeks warming as he blushed.

"And you? How are you today?"

The warmth from Maki's cheeks seeped all the way down into his chest. "Today is a good day." He leaned in and clasped Tristan's hand across the table. "Because I get to see you."

"All right, you two..." Emilie came over and propped her hand on her hip as she smirked at them. "It's getting awfully warm in this corner."

Tristan pulled his hand back to his side of the table, and the pang of loss made Maki's heart ache. "Sorry, Emilie."

"No need to be sorry about it." She met Tristan's gaze directly. "It's cute. Now, what can I get for you fine gentlemen?"

"Two coffees," Tristan said.

"Cream and sugar?"

"As usual."

She tilted her head at Tristan with a look of impatience. "It's been a while, Mr. MacHale. How am I supposed to know if your 'usual' is still your usual?"

Maki covered his mouth as he laughed softly and Emilie winked at him.

Tristan glared at them both. "I'm still the same, boring Tristan I've always been. Coffee with cream and sugar, please."

"Got it. Anything else?"

Maki smiled at her. "Is the salted caramel cheesecake on the menu today?"

"It's always on the menu, sweetie."

"Then we'll take two servings, please."

She winked at him again and gave him a flirty smile. "You got it, cutie."

"Hey!" Tristan scowled at her and shook his head.

"What?" Emilie was the picture of innocence.

"Dial back the predator vibes, Ms. Joslynne."

Lifting her chin, she sniffed haughtily. "Well, if you're not gonna..."

Tristan immediately reached back across the table to take Maki's hand again. "I'm gonna."

A smugly satisfied smile curled her lips. "All right, then. I'll be back in a minute with your coffee." She sauntered behind the counter and left them alone.

Heaving a sigh, Tristan rubbed at the furrow between his eyebrows. "Sorry about that. She's harmless, I swear."

Smiling at the way their fingers were tangled together between them, Maki lifted his gaze to look at him. "I don't mind."

"She's always trying to set me up."

Maki shrugged. "I think she's nice. And perceptive."

"I think you mean nosy."

"Maybe," Maki said, huffing a laugh.

When they were settled with their coffee and plates of cheesecake, Emilie left them alone entirely, though Maki caught her frequently glancing in their direction with a fond little smile on her lips.

He paid close attention to how Tristan was preparing his drink and copied it, stirring a spoonful of sugar and a generous pour of cream into the dark coffee in his cup. He was pleasantly surprised when he took a sip, enjoying the strong flavor and how the cream and sugar balanced the bitterness of the coffee. But when he took a bite of the cheesecake, there was nothing he could do to stop his eyes from fluttering closed or the pleased moan from escaping his lips. He immediately went back for another bite, savoring the creamy texture in his mouth and the sweet, slightly tart, and salty flavors dancing over his tongue.