Coffee Shop

• 12 •

"Oh." Jun laughed and waved back. "Hello, hello, I'm Jun," he said. "Kay's brother. Who are you?"

"I'm Brian." Brian laughed and grinned. "I think you guys are talking about me. Hopefully, good things?"

I turned again to block the camera's view. I could see how red my face was on the camera. "Okay, okay," I said to Jun, "I'll go now."

"Ay, yo, I was just going to talk to the guy!" Jun pushed back against his car seat, complaining while he laughed. "Can't your brother get to know your boyfriend?"

"Ohhhhh." Brian turned, leaning his side against the counter. When I glanced back at him, he was grinning. "I get it, no worries," Brian said to me before glancing at my phone. To Jun, he said, "No worries, man, it was cool to say hi. Next time we'll talk."

Jun repositioned his phone to get a better look at us. "There better be a next time—" That was meant for me. "—But both of y'all have a good day, okay? I won't argue. I know how she is."

"It's cool," Brian said, chuckling. "Me too."

I would not let them gang up on me. They weren't even in the same room and it was happening. It was nice that their initial interaction was simple and polite, but no, no, no—no teasing little Kay.

"Bye Jun," I blurted into my phone, "love you."

Jun laughed. "Love you, too, sis."

Ending the call, I pressed my phone into my pocket and fully turned around to face Brian. I leaned against the counter just like he did. "Why are you here?" I asked him. "I would've been at work in an hour."

"I know." Brian looked around the shop again before glancing at me. "But I thought I'd scoop you up and we could walk together. Nothing wrong with that, right? And besides," he smiled, "looks like you missed me if you were going to talk to your brother about me."

"I, um..." I felt my cheeks redden. My heart thumped in my chest. It wasn't that I wanted to just outright tell my brother, I was just an awful hider. I couldn't hide my happiness, my heart, and according to Jun, it was all over my face.

Looking down, I slid my finger over the counter, "I know, I—"

The door chimed again. Brian didn't tear his eyes away from me, but I took mine off of him. Readying myself to greet the next customer who had walked in, I wiggled my shoulders to calm down and smiled. But when I saw the man who had walked in, my smile changed. Not in a bad way, more of an ah, it's you again.

"Afternoon." The older man with his dark sunglasses stood by the door. He looked at me with a smile, not moving. I'd gotten used to him stopping by, visiting Mr. Paul. The two of them had some kind of business arrangement and I wasn't one to intervene. Besides, after our initial meeting, he wasn't all bad. Just didn't say much.

I also didn't know his name...

"Afternoon, Mr. Henrickson," I said, then pointed at the back. "Mr. Paul's in the backroom. I think he was expecting you. So, go ahead."

"Sure thing," the man said. Nodding once at me, he started to walk past us but stopped when he stood just near Brian. He lowered his head to glance down at him. His lip twitched. And I thought I heard him grunt.

Pushing off the counter, Brian stood and looked back at him. The two of them held the longest stare I'd ever seen. I wasn't sure what went on in their silent, almost aggressive conversation, but I was the uncomfortable one.

Looking at both of them, I gulped. "Do you guys know each other? Old friends or something?" I asked.

And at the same time, without blinking, and as though they had planned it, they both said, "No."