Smitten Over Coffee

Chapter Fourteen: Burnt Chocolate Raspberry Coffee

He was going to do it. This would be the day. No hesitation, no interruptions. Well, there could be interruptions. When he and Flora were together, it seemed like they got interrupted quite often. And at the most inopportune moments. Like last time. He knew he couldn't resent her friend, but her phone call came right as he was about to tell Flora how he felt.

But not this time.

He was determined. Nothing could stop him. Not work, not friends, not even his awkwardness. This was the day.

With his hand on the door, Julian caught sight of Flora sitting at one of the tables inside of the cafe. Warmth spread from his chest all the way to his fingertips and toes at the sight of her smiling face. The face he searched for every time he came to Doki Doki. The face that lingered in his mind after every encounter. The face that made him belt out every love song he heard on the radio.

He quite liked that face.

Just as he was about to throw open the door and make a beeline straight towards her, he realized that she was not alone. His confidence faltered when he saw a rather muscular, tanned man sitting across from her.

Flora hadn't mentioned any siblings. From the way she spoke, it seemed like her aunt was the only family she had left. Could he be a cousin? A friend? Or—

All doubts seemed confirmed when Flora jumped to her feet and threw her arms around the tanned man. Her face was beaming as she squeezed him tightly, practically toppling into his lap.

Julian's hand fell from the door, and the warmth in his body was quickly chased away by the autumn chill. There were likely plenty of explanations for the scene playing out in front of him. But as the butterflies in his stomach dropped down dead all at once, he was convinced that there was only one truth.

Swallowing hard, he averted his eyes and went in the opposite direction of Doki Doki. There was a Mickey's Muffins down the street. Though his taste buds protested the prospect of a burnt chocolate raspberry coffee, his sore heart didn't care. He just needed caffeine to try and ease his utter disappointment.

And if it was from Mickey's, he'd also need a whole lot of sugar.