The Secrets of Attraction Read Free

had been.
    â€œDude, we’re backed up on drinks. What’s the holdup?” Broody Barista joined in. The line that had been near the door now surrounded the pickup area.
    â€œThere’s coffee in our chais,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Maybe if your coworker wasn’t busy checking out my friend’s rack, he would have realized he was screwing up our drinks.”
    I’d meant it to be funny, but annoyance seeped through. Wren coughed and slunk back. Tanner paled. Some of the people waiting around us shifted. I was aware that Leif and my mother were beside me, still carrying on what must have been the world’s most interesting conversation. My nerves sizzled, but I felt vindicated.
    â€œSorry,” he said. “I’ll take care of this.”
    He grabbed our cups and whispered something to Tanner, who suddenly lost the clueless glint in his eye. They both worked quickly on the drinks, hammering them out one by one, until Wren, my mother, Leif, and I were the only ones left from the original line. Leif’s matcha involved some special brewing method and a whisk. I wasn’t sure what was taking so long with our lattes, but standing near Leif was enough to make me forget about the whole thing. He smelled like sandalwood incense.
    Wren checked her phone.
    â€œMy mom’s outside.”
    â€œHere’s your chai, Thursday Girls—my apologies, next week is on me.” Broody Barista slid the cups toward us. Wren grabbed her drink and hoisted her yoga bag over her shoulder.
    â€œSure you don’t want to hit the mall?” she asked.
    â€œNah, have fun perusing the diaper bags,” I said.
    â€œYeah, right. Thanks for the chai.” She wiggled her fingers at me as she hightailed it out of the café. For a split second, I wanted to change my mind and go with her. Wren complained about her family sometimes, but in the end it was always with a smile. The Caswells were awesome—always something going on, so different from my own family.. Not that I had anything to complain about either. My mother and I were a tight unit of two. Small but fierce.
    Broody Barista’s eyes were on me. Waiting. I took a sip of the much-improved chai.
    â€œIt’s great,” I said. “Thanks.”
    â€œAnytime you have a drink emergency, please, consider it handled.” He put a hand over his heart and bowed. Ice broken.
    â€œI’m Madison,” I said.
    â€œJesse,” he answered.
    â€œSo now you don’t have to call us Thursday Girls.”
    â€œI came up with that.” Tanner poked his head out from behind Jesse as he put Leif’s tea on the counter. Leif broke away from my mom to get his drink. I turned to see her take out her phone and tap, tap, tap something into it. What in the world were they talking about?
    Tanner touched my shoulder. “So your friend . . .”
    I swallowed back a grumble. Really? “Is very involved,” I replied.
    â€œHow involved?” he asked. For a moment I felt bad for him; his eyes were so hopeful. He was sort of cute, in that messy, guy-who-doesn’t-know-how-to-take-care-of-himself kind of a way. Sort of a fixer-upper.
    â€œLike, soul mate–involved.”
    At this Jesse let out a derisive pop of a laugh.
    â€œAh, soul mates. I guess that means she’ll be available in a month,” he said, resuming his post at the register to help someone who’d just wandered in. It might have been funny if there hadn’t been an edge to his voice. Maybe soul mates was overstating it, but did he have to be so freaking dismissive? Tanner put both hands on the counter and leaned toward me. His nails were bitten to the quick.
    â€œOkay, well, um, what about you?”
    I stepped back. “Dude, you did not just ask me that.”
    His face got twitchy. “Wait, no, I didn’t mean—”
    â€œLook, I can still tolerate you at this point, so before you say anything