Coffee and Cafés - Book Two of the Café Latte Trilogy

Babyccino

Owen checked, and said, "I can do the thirtieth?"

That was a Saturday, so we agreed and signed the forms. While Owen signed his part, leaning over the forms, I shot a look at Raven. She frowned, mouthing 'what?', and I nodded to Owen, then pointed to myself, and then mimed drinking a cup of coffee. Raven followed my motions, and then realisation dawned on her. She nodded at me, and rolled her eyes.

"I've got to run," she said, once everything was signed. "Meeting my brother and his boyfriend for dinner. Tom, can you organise getting the keys?"

"Sure," I replied, kissing her goodbye. "Say hi to Ross and Jasper for me. See you soon."

"Nice to meet you, Owen," she shook his hand, and promptly left.

Owen gestured to the door. "Want to get that coffee?" he asked.

I grinned. "Is this you asking for the date now?"

He checked his watch as we left the flat. "Seven minutes, then I'm off the clock," he winked, and locked the door behind us. "I like your friend, she's very no-nonsense."

"You don't know the half of it," I laughed at the compliment to Raven. "Trust me, she takes no shit."

*****

Owen and I went for coffee, which turned into dinner, which turned into more coffee. He was charming, funny, and just about reigned in his surprise when I got a fifth coffee.

"Aren't you... going to be up, like, all night?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, I'm pretty much immune to insomnia. My mothers are big on coffee, so I just kind of grew up with it. Although, if I'm honest, I sometimes wonder if my biological parents are huge caffeine nuts."

"I take it you don't know them?" Owen asked.

"No," I replied. "It was an open adoption, but they decided to drop contact with us after I'd been adopted for a couple of years. I think it was a bit too much for them."

"That's understandable," Owen commented. "But I imagine that was painful for you?"

I smiled, sipping my coffee. "Honestly, I don't really remember it, or them. I know they exist, I know their names, but in terms of actual memories... I just don't really have any. A couple, maybe. My mothers are my mothers, you know?"

Owen smiled. "I know. I'm adopted too, but it was from birth, so I've never known my birth parents. I get it, though, my parents are my parents, regardless of birth. I've never had the urge to go looking for the biological ones."

"Me neither," I replied. "I think, if they ever approached me, it would be nice to get to know them as people, but I could never think of them as parents."

"Me too," Owen nodded, and then leaned back in his chair. "You know, it's not often I meet someone who's this easy to talk to."

I beamed. "You, too. Especially someone my own age. All my friends seem to be a decade older than me. Except Jasper."

"Jasper?" he enquired curiously.

"Oh, he's my closest friend," I explained, unable to help my smile at the mention of Jasper. "We knew each other at school, and I helped him come out. I also inadvertently set him up with a friend, Ross, but boy was that an experience."

Owen laughed at my face. "Difficult couple?"

"You don't know the half of it," I grinned. "But they eventually calmed down enough to get their shit together. They're pretty cute, although I'd never tell them that. Their collective ego is already over-inflated."