coffee // joshler

20

alright, pals, we're back to josh's point of view

i choose to wear my old leather jacket instead of a hoodie on my way to pick up tyler. its not even that cold out, but dressing to impress can make a difference.

his face is flushed pink when i pull up next to him. "hey," he leans forward and kisses my cheek.

"hi," i smile brightly and hand him his helmet. "ready?"

"always."

tyler's grip on my jacket is tight until we reach our destination. he steps off and undoes his helmet, messing up his hair in the process. i strap the helmets in their place and then run my hand through tyler's hair.

"you're cute," i kiss his cheek as he did mine before. i take his hand in mine and lead him inside.

we're immediately met with a blast of cold air and tyler's grip on my hand tightens.

"why is it so cold?" he steps closer and leans his head against my shoulder.

"do you want my jacket?" i answer his question with another question and he nods sheepishly.

i let go of his hand and shrug my jacket off before helping him into it. its too big for him, and the sleeves cover his hands. he giggles and it makes my heart melt into a puddle of fondness.

"what do you want to eat, baby?" we step closer to the counter and he hums in thought.

"a chalupa?"

we order our food and then find a place to sit. tyler sits next to me in a booth instead of across from me.

"now, how were your interviews, love?" i drape my arm across his shoulders and he takes a sip of his drink.

before he can answer, my name is called and i walk to the counter to get our food. by the time i come back, he's got his answer prepared.

"i already emailed the two people im hiring. only about ten people interviewed, so it wasn't hard after i was able to sift through the applications," he explains. "jenna and some guy named alex."

"aw, you hired jenna?" i smile a little and split up our food. "she's a nice girl. and what about this alex? whats he like?"

"um," tyler pauses to take a bite. "he's nice. he's worked in bakeries and stuff a lot. his dad owned one when he was young. he's studying to be a vet i think. he volunteers at the animal shelter and stuff."

i nod, a small hint of jealousy uniting with my anxiety for a second. "nice."

tyler sets his chalupa aside and wipes his hands. "are you okay?"

"just a little tired," i reply, somewhat nervous at the fact that such a small thing made my anxiety visible.

"no. what's wrong?" he persists, and i give in.

"i dont know. i guess i get jealous easily. well, not necessarily jealous. i just worry that im not good enough, and youll realize that once you get to know someone like him," i attempt to explain my mess of thoughts, and he seems to understand.

i mean volunteering at the animal shelter? come on.

"josh," i look over at him and he takes my hand in his. "i dont like alex. i like you. i promise."

"promise?"

"promise."

(an: lowkey a filler. deal with it.)