godswerepoetsonce:

Here comes The Sun.
Photo by @fluffypoppostcards

“Hi there, welcome to Sun Coffee. The usual?” Donovan chirped.
“Er. Er. Yes. You know my usual?”
“Chai with cinnamon, coconut milk. Medium.”
Evan flushed. “Yes. That’s it.”
Donovan rang him up. “$4.06.”
Evan passed over his card. “Here you go.” There was a moment of quiet as the card processed. “That uh, shirt looks good on you.”
Donovan smiled way too wide for a response. He could feel Katie’s gaze burning into the back of his neck. Yesterday’s conversation with the barista was still fresh on his mind:
“Another chai for our regular, Katie.”
“Ha, a regular? You know he wasn’t a regular before you got here.”
“What?”
“He only comes in on days you work. …What? You never noticed?”
Donovan stared at her until a customer rang the bell at the counter and made him jump.  

“Ok sign here.” Donovan turned the screen around. Evan signed. “All set. Number 18.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you.”
They looked at each-other. Donovan thought Evan was going to say something. Donovan raised an eyebrow. Evan turned pink again. Donovan thought it was pretty how the color showed up behind the freckles.
“Sorry. Nevermind.” Evan grabbed the metal sign with the 18 on it and went to his table. He looked defeated.

Donovan could hear Katie giggling behind him.
“Hush.”
“He’s SO cute, but so pitiful. I can’t stand it. If you don’t take him, I will.”
Donovan made a face. “…I don’t think it works like that.”
Katie shrugged and made the chai latte. “Just saying. I mean, we like the money he spends, but he’s gonna go broke here if he hasn’t already. Have some pity on the poor heart-sick bastard. Either ask him out or put him out of his misery.”
Donovan held his hands up. “Alright alright.”
“I’m serious. Do we have more coconut milk in the walk-in?”
“There should be one behind the almond milk.”
“Aha. Found it.”
“Mm.” Donovan had a thought. He was busy writing something when Katie tapped him on the shoulder a few minutes later. She handed Donovan the finished drink and shooed him out on the floor.

Evan looked Donovan’s way, and his eyes went huge. He looked down at his phone at once. The way he was maniacally scrolling through Facebook in a panic almost made Donovan laugh. Donovan set the napkin and drink down on the table in a careful way. “There we go, enjoy your latte, Mr. Meade.”
Evan swallowed and gave Donovan a puppy gaze. “Thank you.”

Donovan walked back to the bar and wished he had eyes in the back of his head, so he could see Evan’s face when he noticed the phone number written on the napkin.

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Captions are fictional.