The Barista

Water

As I run my hands under the lukewarm water, I gawk at the bathroom. I never knew this restaurant was so high class that the bathroom itself has sinks that just look like deep oak and dark brown tops. They don't even look like sinks!

If it weren't for the tiny drain holes, I wouldn't know these were sinks. I'd just assume they are counters. The stalls are wide and pulled apart from each other. The walls are a beautiful deep oak with warm lighting and the deep oak beams on the ceiling only accentuate it. The marble flooring looks like it'd cost more than everything I've ever bought in my entire life.

I dry my hands and open the door. I step into the hallway and my face quickly meets a man's cologne and neck. My lips touch the person's neck.

"Oh my God!" I roar in embarrassment and quickly pull away. "I'm so sorry! I don't even know how that's possible!"

A small chuckle. "It's okay." He says and steps back revealing Liam.

Great! Now I am even more embarrassed. I just kissed Liam's neck!

"Oh!" He says with surprise. Elle! It's you. Now I know what it feels like to have you kiss my neck. I can't recall a girl's lips ever so soft."

"Stop." I plead. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how my lips managed to plant onto your neck. I don't..." Frustration builds inside of me. "Don't add to the embarrassment, Liam."

His lips curl into an amused smile. "No boyfriend... yet your lips feel like you should have a boyfriend."

I narrow my eyes, growing confused. "Okay, not going to lie. That sounded a little creepy."

He flashes his eyebrows and nods. "You're telling me. I caught onto how creepy that was the second the words rolled out."

I chew my bottom lip from the confusion this man is putting me through. What is he trying to tell me?

I slowly wave my head from left to right. "Is there...anything else you need?" I question.

He looks deep in thought. "Forgive me for being so intrusive but when a woman's lips barely touch my neck and I feel what I feel, I have to be intrusive. Why or what happened to your last boyfriend? It's not my place and I know it's not. But now you have me wildly curious."

I want to answer him! "You're right," I say sternly. "It is none of your business. So why ask? And why would my lips touching your neck even make you question that? We met an hour ago."

He shrugs with that stupidly boyish charm radiating off him. "It's in my nature. I'm not the kiss-and-tell type of person, but something tells me you can be persuaded to be."

I scoff with disgust. "That makes me sound like a slut or something."

"No." He argues. "It makes you sound like a woman who knows what is right and wrong and you've been choosing right this entire time. You have an intelligence; unlike anything I've ever heard of. That means playing stupid is not something you get to do. And me asking about your last boyfriend isn't a big deal. It's just a question."

"I'm aware," I say and flash my eyebrows with a snarky attitude. "Now, if you don't mind. I have people waiting for me."

"Yeah, my family." He interjects and wraps his hand around my arm. "Can I ask you one last question before you head back to the table?"

Everything inside of me is screaming like a little girl from the wild excitement of his hand wrapped around my arm. I don't even know if I like this man. But it is Liam Easton. And he is very attractive. And I am very single. But it doesn't change the fact that I am not looking, and he is not someone who'd be interested in me if I was looking.