Authors: Sydney Lane
“Fancy,” I said too sweetly and held out my hand for the money she was pulling out of her sparkly pink wallet. Cass flashed me a sour smile.
“Next,” I continued. I refused to let Grey’s presence affect me any longer.
“It’s Bryce. Make me a mint brownie mocha. Large,” an albino boy with an athletic body and braces demanded as he tossed a credit card on to the counter. The card slid swiftly across it and onto the floor. I just stared at him. I wasn’t about to pick it up. I
was
about to have him come around and get it off the floor himself when Alisha grabbed the card and put it in my hand. I had to hide a snicker with a cough, because the name on the card was Bryce Price. I looked up at the tall, muscular boy with his dark pink eyes and his bad skin as I swiped it. I saw Bryce and Alisha exchanged a brief uneasy look, but neither one said anything. They must have known I was laughing at him. Oh well. Gayda wouldn’t care.
“Here you go,” I said as I handed Bryce Price his credit card.
“Next.”
“Large chai tea,” the next girl demanded.
The rest of the group ordered one after another. Iced vanilla latte for the short boy with white curls, a brown sugar blended ice for the chubby girl with long pale hair and vague blue eyes, a blended vanilla bean for a little blonde with a short cropped pixie cut. All the orders were in, but one.
I looked up through my lashes as he took his turn at the counter. His eyes were on the menu as his new friends offered suggestions. I couldn’t take
my
eyes off
him
. He was tall, six feet and his fair skin was the most beautiful shade I had ever seen. He was as pale as his friends, but somehow his pallor wasn’t as dull as theirs. Of course, his hair was a brilliant white. It was very straight and parted on the side. The right side was cut shorter than the left leaving the longer hair hanging over part of his face. He ran his fingers through it. The hair fell immediately back over his ice blue eyes. His eyes. They were gorgeous.
“Well, I’d like an iced coffee with three sugars, please.” The words rolled off his tongue cool and soft like an angel.
Get it together,
I screamed at myself.
Like an Angel? Humph!
I had clearly read too many silly love stories. My internal criticism sobered me so I didn’t sound like a total idiot when I spoke.
“Sure, anything else?” Anything else? I never upsell.
Joanne, you have lost it
, I thought. I also never internalize in the third person either.
Grey shook his head no.
“Name?” I asked, even though I already knew it.
“Grey,” he said. I looked up just in time to see him roll his eyes and add, “With an E” under his breath. He shot a quick glance at Cass who was impatiently waiting for her drink. She stood with one hand on her hip, fingers rapping unconsciously against her jeans in acute agitation. In her other hand was a cell phone, pink and sparkly to match her wallet. I was the only one who heard; the rest of his group had already headed down to the pickup area at the other end of the counter where Cass stood. With a wink, he followed.
Oh. My. Gosh. What was that? I couldn’t believe he just said that. I had to laugh out loud. Alisha eyed me with wary disbelief. I wasn’t much for giggling. Rather than explain I shook my head and helped her prepare the drinks.
I watched him from the corner of my eye for the next hour or so. Lounging in a cozy corner Grey and his friends seem to be having a wonderful time. He smiled often, and I hid behind the machinery. He was just so beautiful. His long white lashes were mesmerizing. His vibrant pale blue eyes gleamed. The way his thick lips pulled up into a smile made me want to smile too. Grey’s chin looked narrow next to those lips, but the line of his jaw was strong and angular. Could there be a more perfect face? I didn’t think that was possible. I caught a glimpse of more than just his blatant good looks and solid tall body. There was something more that I couldn’t put my finger on. Arrogance, maybe? No. Confidence? I liked that. He seemed so at ease sitting amongst his new friends. Relaxed and enjoying himself. He didn’t speak often, but when he did he commanded all of their attention.
I went into the backroom to grab a bottle of vanilla syrup. On my way back I snuck a glimpse of him through the little window in the door and he caught me. He looked at me for just a moment with a strange mix of uncertainty and enchantment. Then he smiled. I ducked out of view immediately, but his stare had seared right through me. For seventeen years I had tried to build an air-tight wall around me, but that one look crumbled it into rubble.
I was almost relieved when he finally got up and headed for the door. Almost. What I was not prepared for was the surge of jealously I felt as he held that door open for Hanna Fry. Ugh. Not only was she the most beautiful girl in school, but she was also the biggest phony I had
ever known. Such a snake in the grass. Sugar-soaked words rolled off her forked tongue as they disappeared out the door. Well, it didn’t say much for his character if he was already fooled by that little viper.
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