"Here you go," I smiled and placed a cappuccino in front of Ben.

"Thanks," he replied slowly and unsurely, looking down at it with furrowed brows.

Since I had work today and had told him how nothing really happened around here, he had offered to come keep me company.

He was sitting on a barstool by the counters I worked at and had requested a cappuccino.

"Is it supposed to look like this?" He wondered carefully, pointing down at it while watching me move to the other side of the coffee bar again.

"Hm?" I turned to face him and grabbed a cloth to clean the surfaces a bit, "isn't it supposed to look like that?"

I leaned over the counter a little to be able to see what he was talking about. To me the drink looked completely fine.

"What would I know?" Ben the shrugged and brushed it off with a chuckled and a shake of his head, "you're the barista here."

"That, I am," I replied proudly and spun around on my heel to clean the countertops of the opposite side.

It was the early afternoon and there had only been two people here besides us. Billy had popped in to say hi, and I had introduced her and Ben to each other. Another elderly lady had come in as well, but had taken her coffee to go.

I turned around just in time to see Ben bringing the cup down from his lips while cringing very obviously. As soon as he realised I was watching him, he very quickly coughed and tried to cover his reaction up.

"Is it not good?" I frowned, stepping back up to the counter where he was sitting opposite at.

His eyes widened a little in panic and he shook his head adamantly, "no, no, it's great. I was just trying to hold back that cough..."

"Ben..." my frown deepened, wanting to know if the cappuccino I had made tasted horrible.

"Hey, it's good," he assured me with a smile, and I knew he didn't want me to know the truth and feel bad, "can I have sugar, though?"

"Sure," I shook my head at him and handed him a sugar dispenser.

I decided to stay and watch him, knowing he would break and tell me the truth, despite the risk of hurting my feelings.

Before Ben managed to add any sugar into the drink, I began reaching my hand to grab it and have a taste for myself.

"Let me taste it," I spoke, but was taken aback when he grabbed it before I could and brought it back up to his lips for a long drink.

He shook his finger at me, and I couldn't help but smile knowingly at what he was doing.

Only once he was finished he brought the empty cup back down onto the counter, meeting my challenging gaze. I raised my brows at him for good measure and folded my arms over my chest.

"So?" I demanded to know how it had really tasted to him.

He simply shrugged, "best cappuccino I've ever had."

"Don't lie to me," I leaned my elbows onto the counter and supported my chin up with my hands, getting closer to him, "you hated it."

"Okay, maybe it wasn't the best cappuccino I've ever had, but it was perfectly fine," he offered me, raising his hands up in defense.

I smiled and raised my brows at him, "why would you drink it if you didn't like it?"

"I never said I didn't like it," he chuckled, both of us knowing he wasn't being honest, "you just got me thinking..."

"About what?" I wondered, gazing at him like a teenager in love.

He mirrored my position and also leaned his elbows onto the countertop, leaning in a bit.

"You could do wonders to this place with a little outside funding," he scanned the small cafe over quickly, "is this something you feel passionate about?"

"Making coffees? Not particularly," I shook my head with a small laugh, "I just wanted to do something useful around here."

"You could use an update on whatever those machines are that you use to make coffees with," he nodded at the counter behind me where the machines were. He was right.

"I know. Not many people come here, though, so they work fine," I reasoned, "my manager Olivia would never want to buy anything new, she's very careful with her money."

"Alright, well say if I invested—"

I laughed before closing up the small distance between us to kiss him quickly, "you'd just be wasting your money, honey. You're very sweet, though."

"I'll take that," he murmured, smiling slyly to himself and leaning in to kiss me this time.

I pulled away right after and straightened up, no longer leaning down against the counter even when he had clearly been expecting more kisses. He sent me a small look and sighed dramatically.

"Can I make you something else? I'm really good at the iced drinks," I offered, smiling widely with excitement.

"I, uh..." he carefully scanned the list of cold drinks we had here, "what's the frozen attack?"

"Oh," I giggled, "just iced coffee with a shark fin sticking out of an ice cube."

His brows raised at me, "you must be joking."

"I'm not..." I shook my head, incredibly amused at his reaction and the fact that we actually had a drink like that.

"Oh my fucking Christ, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" He leaned his face down into the palms of his hand and laughed in disbelief, "I'll skip coffee. A glass of water would be great."

I playfully ruffled his hair and went to get him a glass of water. Just as I was handing it to him from over the counter, Olivia entered the cafe.

"Olivia, hey!" I sent her a bright smile, "this is Ben. Ben, this is my manager and friend Olivia."

She stopped in her tracks to stare at Ben by the front, before her eyes narrowed at him, "I know who you are."

Ben sent me a confused look before glancing back at her, "oh?"

"You run Capra Corp. Bloody hell, you're rich," she then stared at him while I watched in amusement.

"It's nice to meet you," he replied politely, "Sofia's told me good things about you."

Disregarding what he'd said completely, she moved her stare to me, "you know him? What a crazy world we live in..."

"He's—" I began, but she cut me off while rounding the counters to where I was standing.

"He's single, isn't he?" She whispered cheekily, before turning to him, "you don't have a girlfriend, do you?"

It was obvious that Ben wasn't used to anyone speaking to him in a way that Olivia now was, especially since she was a stranger. I could imagine him having replied rather rudely to shut her up a few months ago, but knew that he wouldn't now.

"I don't, but—"

"Rich, available and at my cafe?" Olivia turned back to me with a small squeal, "also, have you seen what he looks like? Sweet Mary mother of Jesus, I think I have a lady-boner."

I laughed, yet felt confused as I wanted to say that Ben and I were together, even though we weren't. I knew she wouldn't act like this if she knew about our past and what we were now attempting to be, but had no idea how to tell her.

"We're dating, actually," Ben cleared his throat, catching back Olivia's attention. She calmed down and her wide eyes moved between the two of us in shock.

"Is that true?" She whispered to me, and I nodded with a wide smile, "oh, my God! That's seriously amazing!"

I sent Ben a smile too, telling him that she was always a bit hyper like this. He just shrugged and drank his water.

"Thank you, I guess?" I giggled awkwardly.

She suddenly shook her head and calmed down with a few deep breaths, "listen, I came here to drop the keys off with you so you can lock up. Drop them in the mailbox outside, I'll fetch them in the morning."

"Oh, okay," I nodded, "sure."

Olivia gave me the keys before she winked and motioned rather obviously at Ben casually finishing up his glass of water. I just smiled and shook my head at her.

"Bye, you two!" She waved us bye before exiting the cafe, leaving Ben and I alone again.

"That's ADHD if I've ever seen it..." he mumbled underneath his breath, but I heard it.

"Ben! She's really kind and funny," I defended Olivia, "and the only person around my age that lives here, so it's kind of a given that we have to stick together."

"Sure," he didn't seem too interested in that, his eyes sending me a look that I instantly recognised.

A hot tingle ran down my spine at the look he gave me, knowing exactly what it meant. My core clenched while I leaned back against a counter to take him in and await what he would say next.

"There's a backroom here, right?" He wondered, concealing his plans in the innocent tone of his voice.

"Yes, but I have to stay here incase someone comes in," I reasoned, unable to not feel aroused when he was taking me in in such a way, "and what happened to going slow?"

"Nobody's been here all day," Ben countered, dark eyes shamelessly running along my front, "and you and your sexual frustration happened."

"Oh, please! You wanted it too," I rolled my eyes lightheartedly, knowing that if the space between us lessened in the least my resolve would break down and I'd end up being putty in his hands, "but just incase someone comes in..."

"Have you ever thought about anal?" He took me aback completely by asking this with all seriousness, making a surprised laugh leave my lips, "I don't mean to offend you."

"Anal? Ben, is this the cappuccino speaking? Was there something in it?" I shook my head at him, not admitting how much I was really enjoying this.

He laughed and shook his head, "no. I was just wondering."

"It isn't my favourite," I admitted, the curiosity in his eyes increasing, "why? Do you want to try?"

I smirked lightly and tilted my head at him, acting as innocent as I could. Ben's eyes widened a little and smile faded, before he blushed. Ben freaking Capra blushed.

"Are you blushing?" I couldn't stop the small laugh bubbling up from between my lips, "you're blushing!"

"I'm not," he protested firmly, "I just wasn't expecting you to... I don't know."

"We can try anal, if you'd like," I told him, smiling at his sudden shy demeanour, "but there's something I want to try as well."

"Which is?" Ben asked, still very much curious.

"Have you ever been tied up?" I tilted my head at him again, smiling innocently.

"Excuse me? Tied up?" His eyes widened and he leaned back a little, looking completely bewildered and most definitely not liking where this was going, "there's no way you're tying me up. I should be the one tying you up, shouldn't I?"

"But gender roles are so boring," I reasoned, adapting a very persuasive and sensual tone as I neared the counter he was at again, "I promise you'd like it."

"No," he shook his head despite my efforts, "never."

"Alright, fine," I giggled, leaning my arms onto the counter from opposite him, "let's just stick to slow and see how it goes."