“So tell me, Gia Gustafson." Jupiter leaned on his forearms across the break table toward her. There was a lull in the morning rush, and because she'd come in so close to when she was supposed to start, she'd asked for a rain check on Jupiter's Venus Rising and settled for a double shot of espresso to get her going instead. It had been bitter and intense and left a harsh taste in her mouth, but the jolt had come after only a few minutes as the caffeine hit her system. Now, three hours later, she was ready for a refueling, and Jupiter had obliged her with a cup of his special brew.
"Tell you what, Mr. Coffee?" She sighed blissfully as she took another sip from her cup. "How you make this perfect every single day is like magic."
Jupiter grinned with satisfaction and watched her mouth as she licked the foam from her lips. She felt her cheeks grow warm and dropped her gaze to what was left of the cute little bunny face he'd made in the foam. "Tell me what should a man like me do on his first weekend in America? And please tell me you will do whatever you suggest with me. I have only one class this afternoon; would you like to have dinner with me?"
Gia bit her lip, hating to disappoint him. But part of her was relieved to be able to tell him no. She was actually looking forward to the break from him and the way he made her feel. She couldn't imagine being alone with him on a... well, a date, for lack of a better word, without the parameters of work to hide behind. She had no clue what he'd expect from her if they went out together, even if it felt like a harmless flirtation to her. What if he thought she was more experienced than she was and expected a goodnight make out session—or more, God forbid—at the end of the night? Or in the middle of the date, for that matter?
"Oh, Jupiter. This town is tiny. Just because we have Mid-U here doesn't mean we have a happening night life. I think most of the college kids head out toward Los Angeles or Pasadena where there are all kinds of hot spots with live music and entertainment. You won't find much of that here in town."
"I don't need a hot spot. I was thinking more like a quiet dinner where we didn't have to worry about customers needing our services, where we could talk. I would like to get to know you better." He dipped his head toward her drink. "Now that I have figured out one of the most important things—how you like your coffee—perhaps I can figure out how you like other things in your life, too."
"Right. Um," Gia set the cup down on the table and wrapped both hands around it. The rain had stopped outside, but the day was still overcast and chilly, the kind of damp cold that seeped into your bones and didn't let up. The heat from the cup felt wonderful against her cold palms. "Well, I have plans for tonight. I'm sorry." Ugh. Why did she apologize? Having plans was nothing to be sorry about. He could have asked her before the last minute if he really wanted to do something with her.
"Of course, of course. I assume too much. Maybe another time, then." He straightened a little, bracing his hands on the surface of the table like he was going to rise and leave. "I will ask Ricardo if he is free to escort me. Perhaps he is a fun guy?"
Gia laughed out loud at the idea, not because she couldn't imagine Ricardo being a fun guy, but because she couldn't imagine him leaving the cafe for a night to have said fun. "Good luck with that," she said, not unkindly. "Listen, I'll see what tomorrow night looks like. Maybe we can do something then?" Now why on earth did she put that thought into words? Especially where he could hear them? Think before you speak, remember?
Jupiter nodded slowly, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled broadly. He pulled out a phone from his back pocket. "What is your phone number? I will call you tomorrow morning, okay? At ten o'clock?"
Argh. Now she'd gone and done it. But after a only a moment's hesitation, she gave it to him. She wasn't worried about him stalking her or anything sinister like that, and she really did enjoy spending time with him, even though it was a bit like walking too close to an electric fence most of the time. She could feel the tingle of current between them and had a sneaking suspicion that if she were to ever initiate anything between them, she'd get a jolt that would knock her off her feet. "I'm not promising anything, okay?"
He grinned at her, clearly reading between the lines, but didn't say anything. Feeling an overwhelming need to explain her disclaimer, she added, "I need to check with my grandparents first. They may have plans for us for this weekend. My oldest sister just got married, so it's been super busy around our place. They may need me to help out with some of the stuff we put off because of the wedding. Like gardening. Gramps always puts in a big garden each spring..." The longer she talked, the higher his brows rose. "...and I know he's behind, so he may need my help," she finished, her voice fading with embarrassment. Gia closed her eyes briefly; she sounded like Jules when she got nervous.
"I like to garden," Jupiter said with a shrug of his shoulders. "My family has always grown a garden. If your grandfather needs assistance, just tell me and I will come and help."
She was fairly certain he was just trying to put her at ease. She glanced at his elegant hands, his long fingers, with square nails that looked manicured. Nope. The guy didn't garden much, at least not in recent days. "Um, sure. I'll tell you if he needs help." She took another long sip of her coffee, draining the cup, and then moved to the sink to rinse it out. "I suppose we should get back out front and help. Thanks for the coffee, Jupiter. As always, it was absolutely amazing."
"It is my desire to pleasure you," he replied, still sitting with his phone in his hands, watching her every move. Gia stilled at his evocative statement, but when she braved a look at him, he just smiled and added, "And thank you for your phone number. I texted you just now so you will know it is me when I call in the morning."
Clearly, it had been a translation issue, not an outright innuendo, right? "Sounds good," Gia responded, hoping he didn't hear the slightly breathy quality of her voice. But the images that had just flashed through her mind at his statement had her thinking that perhaps she'd just stepped a little too close to the electric fence.