Fangs of Desire (BWWM)

08 'Obsessed'

5 pm

Bean and Pearl Cafe

I'm at the cafe once again, for the third day in a row. The fact was anything I found myself complaining about, though. In all reality, I begged the heavens the night before that my co-worker would walk through the doors of his job.

Heaven had delivered.

The purple haired male had earbuds in.

"Hey, hey hey," he says once he sees me.

"I thought you died or something."

"Well I almost did when my bungee cord broke off five feet into the water."

I raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I'm just messing with you." He passes around the cashier area and puts his bag down under the space. "Where's Shanice?" 

"She's in the back. She's got her hands full."

"Lucky I'm here to help."

My heart leaps with joy as I see Reggie, his familiar grin lighting up the room. It feels like it's been weeks since we last worked together, and his presence is a breath of fresh air that sweeps away the monotony of this place.

I can't help but smile, a warmth spreading through me as I realize that today will be one of those days – the ones where we team up to tackle the chaos of the café together.

I've always cherished the days when Reggie and I are scheduled to work side by side. There's a camaraderie between us, a friendship that's built on shared laughter, inside jokes, and the bond formed by navigating the quirks of our workplace.

Time seems to fly by when we're together, lost in our own world of gossip and discussions about the mundane and the absurd.

The door opens and a customer walks in the cafe. I immediately prepared myself to take their order. I exchange a quick high-five with Reggie, a small gesture that holds a world of camaraderie.

"Reggie, you're here."

"Hi, Shanice."

"There's a rush coming so I'm gonna need you in the back."

"Aye, aye captain."

The café buzzes with the energy of customers pouring in, and I find myself moving through the chaos with an ease I've come to appreciate. As I serve a customer their latte and hand off a bagel to another, a sense of satisfaction settles over me. I'm in my element here, navigating the whirlwind of orders and interactions with a practiced efficiency. The rhythmic clinking of cups, the aromatic embrace of coffee, it's all familiar and comforting.

But then, amid the flurry of activity, my gaze lands on someone unexpected. Riven stands at the entrance of the café, his presence like a jolt of electricity that disrupts my rhythm. My heart skips a beat, and I can't help but pause for a moment, the world around me momentarily fading into the background.

"Good day, Jade," he greets me, his voice a soft melody that tugs at my senses.

"You bit me," I responded in a hushed voice, my words a reflexive response to the unexpected encounter.

Riven's lips curve into a playful smile. "That's not how you greet a customer," he teases, his tone laced with an undertone of flirtation.

"You bit my lips when you kissed me. You're trying to feed me on weren't you?"

"I put you to sleep didn't I?

I sigh. "What happened to the whole 'pretend like your kind doesn't exist' talk?" I retort, my words edged with a hint of defensiveness.