A Latte Love

Elliot hated mornings with the passion of a thousand unsnoozed alarms. For as long as he could remember, his brain refused to function before noon, preferring instead to linger in a fog of semi-consciousness while the rest of the world buzzed around him. Yet, thanks to his new job at a stuffy marketing firm that demanded he clock in at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m., mornings had become an unavoidable reality.

That’s how Elliot found himself in line at The Grind at 7:15 a.m., unshaven, half-dressed (his shirt was buttoned unevenly, but he didn’t care), and squinting at the overhead menu like it was written in ancient runes.

“Large black coffee,” he mumbled when it was finally his turn, refusing to meet the barista’s gaze.

“Wow,” a voice replied, thick with sarcasm. “Really living on the edge, huh?”

Elliot blinked and looked up for the first time. The barista, a guy with dark curls and a grin so disarming it could end wars, leaned casually on the counter. His name tag read Lucas, though Elliot didn’t think someone this smug deserved such a friendly-sounding name.

“I—what?” Elliot stammered, caught off guard.

“Black coffee,” Lucas repeated, pretending to write it down like it was the most groundbreaking order he’d ever heard. “The drink of daring adventurers and bold risk-takers.”

Elliot flushed. “I like it simple.”

“Simple is one word for it.” Lucas handed over the receipt with a wink, leaving Elliot too flustered to form a retort.

The exchange haunted Elliot for the rest of the morning, which, to his dismay, turned out to be the highlight of an otherwise dull day. But the next morning, he found himself back at The Grind, and Lucas was still behind the counter.

“Large black coffee again?” Lucas teased, leaning in like they were old friends. “Or are you ready to spice things up?”

Elliot felt the heat rise to his cheeks. “Fine. I’ll try…a latte.”

Lucas grinned like he’d just won a bet. “Look at you, stepping into the unknown. Proud of you, buddy.”

Elliot grumbled something unintelligible, grabbed his drink, and practically sprinted out of the café. It wasn’t until he was halfway to the office that he noticed a note scribbled on the side of the cup:

Life’s too short for boring coffee. Try vanilla next time. 😉 – Lucas

Elliot spent the rest of the day overthinking the message. Was it flirting? Just good customer service? Did Lucas leave everyone little notes, or was this…special?

By the end of the week, Elliot was convinced it was nothing more than Lucas being charming for tips. Still, he kept returning, trying increasingly ridiculous drinks: caramel macchiatos, chai lattes, even a mocha with extra whipped cream that made him feel vaguely like a sugar-craving child.

Each morning, Lucas greeted him with the same teasing grin, making Elliot’s chest tighten in a way he couldn’t ignore. The banter became more playful, more personal.

“So, what’s the deal?” Lucas asked one morning, sliding a lavender honey latte across the counter. “You really didn’t drink coffee before this?”

“I did,” Elliot said, eyeing the drink suspiciously. “It just…wasn’t as complicated. Or purple.”

Lucas laughed. “Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.”

Elliot took a tentative sip and immediately regretted it. “This tastes like soap.”

Lucas clutched his chest in mock offense. “Excuse me, sir, that’s sophistication you’re tasting.”

“Well, sophistication tastes like regret,” Elliot said, pushing the cup away.

Lucas smirked, leaning on the counter. “You’re cute when you’re dramatic, you know that?”

Elliot’s brain short-circuited. “I—uh—” He quickly mumbled something about being late and fled, leaving Lucas laughing behind him.

Over the next few weeks, their conversations grew longer. Elliot learned that Lucas was an art student with a penchant for bad horror movies and a cat named Pancake. Lucas learned that Elliot worked in marketing, hated mornings, and had a sarcastic streak a mile wide.

One day, Lucas handed over Elliot’s usual latte with a folded napkin tucked under the cup.

“What’s this?” Elliot asked, unfolding it.

It read: You should let me take you out for a coffee that doesn’t come in a paper cup.

Elliot’s heart did a little flip. He looked up to find Lucas watching him nervously, his usual confident smirk replaced with something softer.

“Only if I get to pick the place,” Elliot said, trying to sound casual despite the smile tugging at his lips.

Lucas broke into a grin. “Deal. But I’m warning you, if you pick a candle-flavored latte, I’m walking out.”

Elliot laughed, the sound bubbling up uncontrollably. “Fine. No soap coffee.”

They exchanged numbers, and that weekend, Lucas showed up at Elliot’s favorite café wearing a leather jacket and an even bigger grin than usual.

“I hope you’re ready for the world’s best black coffee,” Elliot said as they sat down.

Lucas pretended to gag. “You’re so predictable.”

“And you’re stuck with me now,” Elliot shot back, his cheeks flushing as he realized how true that statement felt.

As the morning stretched into the afternoon, Elliot found himself laughing more than he had in years. For the first time in forever, he didn’t hate mornings. In fact, he was kind of starting to love them—especially if Lucas was around.