Chapter 37: Chapter thirty seven

Arielle

Turns out making coffee was way harder than it looks.

Drayton suggested that I get some practice in before his boss arrived. It would increase my chance of passing the interview. And because I didn't know the first thing about being a barista, I didn't argue with him.

But now I was kinda wishing I had refused because I don't see myself passing the interview at all.

“How about I make the coffee and you stick to serving it?” Drayton said after my hundredth failed attempt.

His face was calm and void of emotions but I knew he was frustrated with me. I was embarrassed with myself. I've never failed so miserably at something in my life, not to talk of something as simple as making coffee.

I tucked my hair behind my ear and nodded. My eyes darted around the coffee shop. There were just about three people in there, but they were seated faraway so they didn't witness my utter failure.

Drayton's coworker wasn't back from her break yet. I was grateful for that. I had a feeling she would be smug about my failure. I didn't miss the stink eyes she threw my way earlier. She didn't like me, that much was obvious.

Drayton said she was in junior year at our school but, honestly,she could have easily passed for a freshman. I've tried to remember if we've had an encounter before, but nothing was coming to mind. Maybe she just hated the ‘me’ I was before cancer.

“...and when you're done, you hand it to the customer.” Drayton finished. I was so lost in thoughts I didn't hear half of what he said.

But because I had already embarrassed myself enough for the day, I didn't bother asking him to repeat himself. I gave him a nod and grabbed the to-go coffee cup.

“No no no, don't hold it by the lid.” He said, reaching towards me.

I opened my mouth to ask him why he said that when the cup slipped from my hand and the content spilled on the floor.

“That's why you shouldn't do it.” He said, his gaze pointed at the mess on the floor.

My eyes burned with unshed tears as I stared at the spilled coffee on the floor, but I blinked them away. I wasn't going to cry because I spilled coffee. But when I dragged my eyes across the place and beheld the mess I made, it became harder to hold the tears at bay.

After everything that happened today, at the mall, my dad blocking my card, and now trying to find a job, I was just so fucking exhausted.

“It's nothing. You're doing great so far. You just made a little mistake.” Drayton said but I could sense the uncertainty in his voice. He was trying so hard to smoothen the frown on his forehead.

“A little mistake?” I scoffed. “That one has too much sugar, the other one has too much milk, this one has too much caramel, this one is too cold, this one is too hot, I'm literally making a coffee disaster. Before you know it, there will be a… coffee Armageddon or worse.”

I stared at Drayton, panting, but he seem to be trying to rein his laughter in.

“Yeah, I heard what I said. It's not that funny.” I said and rolled my eyes.

He seem to have lost the fight as he burst into laughter. I don't think I've ever heard anything like that from him. His laughter wasn't mocking or humorless like the ones I was used to receiving from him.

This sound was full of pure joy. It was so contagious that I didn't realize when I started laughing too. I felt relieved, all my earlier frustrations forgotten.

When I finally got a control of myself, my eyes met Drayton's but he was already staring at me, an emotion weighing in his eyes. It made my stomach flip and tiny creatures take flight in it. I couldn't ask why he was looking at me like that before he cleared his throat.

“I couldn't help it, that was funny. So you think the coffee beans will come together and fight you?” He said while definitely battling another laugh.

“Haha! Laugh all you want.” I rolled my eyes.

“I'm not laughing.” He released a sigh. “The problem is that you want to be perfect right from your first trail.

“That’s because I am perfect.” I muttered and immediately regretted my words. The events that unfolded today was a clear evidence of how untrue that was.

“Well, you don't have to be perfect everytime. Life isn't like that. You're allowed to make mistakes. You're allowed to fail at something. It doesn't make you a failure, it makes you a person.” Drayton said, his voice surprisingly soft and soothing.

His words were strangely comforting, so unlike the harsh words I was used to receiving from him.

I found myself staring into his eyes. Those grey eyes that I always thought to be empty were now staring at me with varying emotions. Emotions I didn't want to know the meaning of.

I averted my gaze quickly.

“Didn't know you could give such pep talk.” I chuckled.

“There's a lot of things you don't know about me.”

“Well, I know you're horrible and mean, but strangely a gentleman when you choose to be. What else is there to know?”

He placed a hand on his chin and acted like he was in deep thoughts.

“Uhh, maybe the fact that I make really good coffee and you don't.” he said with a smug smile on his face.

I rolled my eyes hard and chuckled.

“Yeah yeah, I suck at it. I know.”

But unlike any of his previous jabs, it didn't sound like he was making fun of me. This felt like the kind of jokes exchanged between friends.

Friends.

The word made my breath came out faster as I stared at Drayton. I didn't know what this is between us, but I was certain we weren't friends. Not really. He'd saved me from myself twice now.

The first time might have just been because I was already in the middle of a panic attack, but he didn't have to help me get a job now.

Even though, he claimed he was helping me so I could forgive him for what happened at the party, a small voice st the back of my mind kept whispering for me to be on guard.

There's no way he did all those things for me just out of the kindness of his heart. He must want something in return. Everyone always do. I had a feeling that whatever Drayton wants, I couldn't give it to me.

Drayton must have sensed the shift in my mood before his smile fell. His lips parted slightly and my gaze dipped to it for a millisecond before I snapped it back to his eyes.

I DID NOT just wonder what those lips might taste like.

“Why are you helping me? And don't give me bullshit about how this is part of your grand apology. What do you want?” I asked, momentarily distracting myself from thinking about the taste of his lips.

Drayton's smirk returned, but this time, they lacked humor. He looked straight into my eyes and I found myself becoming self aware under his scrutiny. I was hot all over, including places that had no business being hot in Drayton's presence.

We hate him. I tried to tell him my body, but it was perfectly okay with not listening to me. I wondered if this was how he got all girls to sleep with him.

I didn't avert my gaze from him. I wasn't going to let him see how badly he was affecting me. But when his eyes dipped from mine to my lips, I suddenly ran out of oxygen.

His eyes continued their journey and swept over my body, leaving tingles in their wake. I tried not to shift so I didn't break…whatever this was.

I'd never been so turned on with just someone's stare, and it's not like Drayton has ever looked at me with anything but contempt before. The most disturbing thought crossed my mind as I realized I didn't quite hate him looking at me like this.

“I have a message for you, D.” A feminine voice said, finally jolting me back to my senses and I turned away from Drayton.

My eyes met with the female barista fron earlier and she scowled at me.

Yup, she definitely liked Drayton. And she just walked in on us eye fucking each other. She basically melted when she turned her gaze towards Drayton who regarded her with much interest as he did the woman he was currently attending to.

“Chuck wouldn't be coming in today. He had something very ‘important’ that can't wait till tomorrow. He asked us to close up. But I bet Brett wouldn't show up today anyway.” She shrugged and flipped her hair back in a clear flirtatious way.

Either Drayton didn't notice or he was being an asshole because he didn't even look at her once. His gaze shifted back to me and I became hot all over again.

“If Chuck isn't coming in today, that gives you a few more hours to perfect your skills. That's great, right?”

I gave him a simple nod, my mind drifting back to why I needed money. I might not have what it took to pass my interview if Chuck had shown up today, but I had one thing. My immense hatred for my father.

Nothing would piss him off more than knowing his attempt to get us back didn't work. And I was determined to make him so mad that he tore off his perfect mask for the world.

I was going to ruin Charles McAlister.