Kill My Time-LH

*Chapter Ten*

Rhiannon didn't know what to do. After the shock of seeing Dylan and Luke rescuing her, she was at a loss. She invited a stranger, well not really a stranger, but someone who didn't know her name to her business at night. Alone. 

Rhiannon unlocked the door with Luke right behind her. She could feel him towering over her even in her chunky heeled boots. The bell on the door chimed loudly startling Rhiannon. She jumped slightly. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she flipped on the lights of the small coffee shop. 

"Thank you for saving me back there. Dylan is an ass and I can't stand to be near him," Rhiannon said gratefully. "It's really no problem. I'll get you away from a creep any time", Luke smiled.

"I believe I owe you coffee and cookies for your good deed," Rhiannon said enthusiastically. 

"Do you want to learn how to make a latte?" Rhiannion asked, bouncing over to the counter. "Lattes are way better than drip coffee. The espresso really gives it a different flavor and richness."

Luke smiled lightly, "Sure, Rhi. I'd love for you to teach me how to make a latte." Rhiannon stopped in her tracks. Her head snapping back to Luke behind her. "What did you just call me?" Luke chuckled, "I called you Rhi. That is your name isn't it?" Rhiannon's eyebrows were furrowed. How the hell did he know her name!? She shuffled nervously, her fingers playing with the end of her shirt. Then it dawned on her. Marnie. She's the only one who could have told Luke her name. 

"Uh, it's part of my name. And just so you know I'm going to kill Marnie. She shouldn't have told you that," Rhiannon grimaced. 

"Don't be mad at Marnie. It was an accident. I came looking for you and she slipped up," Luke spoke softly. It was half of the truth. Marnie has accidentally told Luke her name, but he wasn't necessarily looking for Rhiannon that day. He was interested in talking to Marnie to find out more about Rhiannon. 

Rhiannon took a deep breath and smiled at Luke. "Okay, so for today, I won't kill her, but she's on thin ice," she said while painting a finger at Luke. Luke raised his hands in defense. "As long as you're still talking to me, I'm good."

"Let's make some lattes, yeah?" Rhiannon cocked her head toward the espresso machine signaling for Luke to follow her behind the counter. She gathered everything they would need for the perfect latte. "The first thing we have to do is grind the beans. It's important that the beans are fresh and you have a good grinder. Without those, your espresso won't taste as good. Espresso should be delicious on its own. It shouldn't need any extras".

Luke watched Rhiannon in awe as she showed him how to grind the espresso beans. Her eyes lit up when she turned on the grinder watching the whole beans being ground down to a sand like texture. She turned to look at Luke once she was finished with the grinder.

"You have to tamp the ground espresso in this next." She held up a contraption that looked like a little metal cup with a handle. It had a name that resembled the word porta potty, but Luke couldn't remember what it was called. He's sure he wouldn't need to know what the tools were called anyway. It's not like there would be a quiz when she was finished explaining. "Once you do that, you hook it into the machine here. The water will come out and make the espresso," Rhiannion said as she looked up at Luke to make sure he was paying attention still. To her surprise he was looking right into her eyes. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks due to the intensity of his gaze. 

She cleared her throat, "Um, next is the milk. It has to be frothed perfectly. If it's too hot, it'll burn and taste bad. We want it to be between 140 and 160 degrees. We have to make sure not to scald it." She could feel Luke's eyes boring into the side of her head. Maybe she was talking too much about coffee. He probably didn't care about all the details of how to make a latte.