Rhiannon didn't know what to do. After the shock of seeing Dylan and Luke rescuing her, she was at a loss. She invited a stranger, well not really a stranger, but someone who didn't know her name to her business at night. Alone.
Rhiannon unlocked the door with Luke right behind her. She could feel him towering over her even in her chunky heeled boots. The bell on the door chimed loudly startling Rhiannon. She jumped slightly. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she flipped on the lights of the small coffee shop.
"Thank you for saving me back there. Dylan is an ass and I can't stand to be near him," Rhiannon said gratefully. "It's really no problem. I'll get you away from a creep any time", Luke smiled.
"I believe I owe you coffee and cookies for your good deed," Rhiannon said enthusiastically.
"Do you want to learn how to make a latte?" Rhiannion asked, bouncing over to the counter. "Lattes are way better than drip coffee. The espresso really gives it a different flavor and richness."
Luke smiled lightly, "Sure, Rhi. I'd love for you to teach me how to make a latte." Rhiannon stopped in her tracks. Her head snapping back to Luke behind her. "What did you just call me?" Luke chuckled, "I called you Rhi. That is your name isn't it?" Rhiannon's eyebrows were furrowed. How the hell did he know her name!? She shuffled nervously, her fingers playing with the end of her shirt. Then it dawned on her. Marnie. She's the only one who could have told Luke her name.
"Uh, it's part of my name. And just so you know I'm going to kill Marnie. She shouldn't have told you that," Rhiannon grimaced.
"Don't be mad at Marnie. It was an accident. I came looking for you and she slipped up," Luke spoke softly. It was half of the truth. Marnie has accidentally told Luke her name, but he wasn't necessarily looking for Rhiannon that day. He was interested in talking to Marnie to find out more about Rhiannon.
Rhiannon took a deep breath and smiled at Luke. "Okay, so for today, I won't kill her, but she's on thin ice," she said while painting a finger at Luke. Luke raised his hands in defense. "As long as you're still talking to me, I'm good."
"Let's make some lattes, yeah?" Rhiannon cocked her head toward the espresso machine signaling for Luke to follow her behind the counter. She gathered everything they would need for the perfect latte. "The first thing we have to do is grind the beans. It's important that the beans are fresh and you have a good grinder. Without those, your espresso won't taste as good. Espresso should be delicious on its own. It shouldn't need any extras".
Luke watched Rhiannon in awe as she showed him how to grind the espresso beans. Her eyes lit up when she turned on the grinder watching the whole beans being ground down to a sand like texture. She turned to look at Luke once she was finished with the grinder.
"You have to tamp the ground espresso in this next." She held up a contraption that looked like a little metal cup with a handle. It had a name that resembled the word porta potty, but Luke couldn't remember what it was called. He's sure he wouldn't need to know what the tools were called anyway. It's not like there would be a quiz when she was finished explaining. "Once you do that, you hook it into the machine here. The water will come out and make the espresso," Rhiannion said as she looked up at Luke to make sure he was paying attention still. To her surprise he was looking right into her eyes. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks due to the intensity of his gaze.
She cleared her throat, "Um, next is the milk. It has to be frothed perfectly. If it's too hot, it'll burn and taste bad. We want it to be between 140 and 160 degrees. We have to make sure not to scald it." She could feel Luke's eyes boring into the side of her head. Maybe she was talking too much about coffee. He probably didn't care about all the details of how to make a latte.
Luke kept his eyes on Rhiannon. He noticed how she would glance over at him occasionally to make sure he was paying attention. It was cute how excited she was about making coffee. It wasn't thrilling to Luke like it was to her, but he was excited to see Rhiannon so passionate about something.
"Then you put it in a cup with this fancy design and you're all done," Rhiannion smiled as she handed Luke the vanilla latte. He snapped out of his thoughts, missing the whole second half of the instructions. He took it from her small hands instantly and brought it up to his lips. He sipped the drink gingerly making sure it wasn't too hot. Once the decadent liquid hit his taste buds, a big smile that showed off a dimple grew on his face. "That's the best latte I've ever had. How did you do that!?"
"I guess it's my secret talent. I love coffee. That's why I opened this place," she smiled shyly. "You've definitely found your calling. I'll be here every day if I get coffee this good."
"That's sweet if you Luke. You wanna try now?" Luke just nodded trying to remember everything she had shown him while he was distracted watching her.
He scooped the rest of the ground espresso beans into the portafilter, tamping it down to make sure there was no air in between the grounds. He tried to attach it to the machine, but he was struggling. Rhiannon reached out to his hand grasping it lightly and guiding his hand into the right position to get the filter into the machine. She glanced up at Luke trying to stifle a giggle at his bewildered face. Luke felt heat rise up his neck and into his cheeks. Her hand was soft and so small compared to his. She slowly pulled her fingertips away from his grazing his hand softly before her touch was completely gone from his hand.
"I uh, kind of don't know what to do after this. I got distracted watching you," Luke said as he ran his hand along the back of his neck. "You have to froth the milk. No hotter than 160 degrees." Luke nodded, concentrating on the milk. He slowly poured the steamed milk into the mug trying his best to replicate the leaf design Rhiannon had shown him earlier.
He handed her the mug with a hopeful smile on his face. "Ta da!" Rhiannion took a long sip and a smile graced her pink lips. "That was good for your first time, Luke." He reached out and ran his thumb over her top lip where some of the milk had gathered from the latte. Before thinking, he popped his thumb into his mouth savoring the milk and vanilla flavor.
Rhiannon watched as he slowly took his thumb out of his mouth and wiped the rest on his jeans. "My name's Rhiannon," she blurted rather loudly, embarrassed that she was so engrossed in Luke's lips wrapped around his thumb. "Like the Fleetwood Mac song that was playing that night you were cleaning up?" Luke smirked knowing that he had made her nervous. "Why did you decide to tell me all of a sudden? I thought you didn't know me well enough yet?"
"I taught you how to make a latte. That's one of my secrets. I don't just show anyone. It took me months of owning the shop to teach Marnie. And because I don't kiss anyone who doesn't know my name."
Before Luke could say anything Rhiannon had placed her right hand on Luke's cheek and started to lean in. Her green eyes locked on his icy blue ones. Luke leaned his neck down more so he was closer to Rhiannon's height. His fingertips lightly grabbed her hips pulling her closer to his body. Their lips brushed softly, just barely touching before Luke closed the gap. Rhiannon sucked in a breath right before she felt Luke's warm lips fully push onto hers. Their lips melded together. The only sound was their heavy breathing.
Luke pulled away slowly, looking into Rhiannon's eyes while resting his forehead on hers. "It's nice to finally meet you Rhiannon, but I'm still going to call you wildflower," Luke smiled cheekily, pulling her lips to meet his again. Luke nipped at her bottom lip playfully earning a smile from the redhead. Her giggle was muffled by Luke's lips. Luke gripped her hips tighter pushing her against the counter in front of the cash register. Her hand slowly moved down from his cheek to the shoulder and finally landing in his bicep.
Luke felt his phone vibrating in his back pocket. He pulled away, slightly out of breath. He looked at his phone, seeing it was already past 11 o'clock. "I'm sorry flower, but I have to go. I have class early in the morning." Rhiannon nodded and smiled softly. Her hand was still rested on his bicep from the kiss. "I'll see you later Rhiannon. I'll make you a better latte next time," Luke said before he pecked her lips one more time. "Goodnight Luke, but who said there would be a next time?" She grinned and waved as he walked out the door backwards. Luke shook his head. His lips turned up into a dazed smile. "Goodnight Rhiannon."
*I made a mistake earlier, Rhiannon's ex is Dylan, not caleb. Just ignore that*
*What do we think about Luke finally knowing Rhiannon's name? We're finally getting somewhere*
*What do you think Luke planned with Marnie?*
*What's something you've always wanted to ask Luke if you got the chance to meet him or anyone from the band?*