Another Monday

When Brian enters Coffee Monster, he unwraps his scarf and heads straight over to join the eight-person line. He spies Justin immediately. He’s hard to miss; radiating sunshine and happiness despite his all black weekday work uniform. Their eyes meet across the shop briefly, a momentary exchange of smiles and waves. Unlike the past few days, Justin isn’t in any position to leave his post by the cash register and allow him to skip the line. There’s only one other employee working and neither can afford to cut corners with the growing crowd. But Brian doesn’t honestly mind that much. He’s not in any hurry to leave the sight of the barista.

“Can you believe these prices?” A voice asks in his ear. A voice all too familiar which provokes a groan from him.

“Ted,” he shouts, turning around to find the older man’s dark eyes squinting up at the coffee menu. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Ted takes a quick sip of his homemade coffee before gesturing with his other hand to the shop’s menu. “Now, Brian, don’t take offense but I’m speaking in my professional capacity as your financial advisor-”

“You aren’t my financial adviser,” Brian responds, glancing warily back over to Justin. The last thing he wants is for Ted and Justin to meet or God knows, make any contact with each other including eye contact.

Ted smirks. “I’m Babylon’s and Kinnetik’s financial adviser-”

“A mistake I will soon be correcting.”

Ted ignores him. “Since I’m an adviser for those establishments- which you own, makes me yours. With these coffee prices, if you invested in a coffee maker,” he says flaunting his coffee canister. “You could save a good $30 to $35 a week, $120 a month and $1-”

“Okay, I get it,” Brian interrupts, waving the man off. Trust an accountant to make the innocent act of purchasing coffee seem like a reprehensible offense. “I already have a coffee maker.”

“I’d suggest you start using it.”

“I’d suggest you get lost before you find yourself in the unemployment line,” Brian argues, loudly. Too loudly. The red head women in front of them turns around and frowns disapprovingly.  He ignores her, instead glancing over at Justin, checking to see if the barista has noticed Ted with him. Nothing, Justin is still taking orders and making friendly conversation with the customers.

“So- the blond must be Justin then, huh?”

“Fuck off Ted!” Brian crosses his arms. How the hell did he even know?

“You keep looking over at him,” Ted states plainly, taking another drink of his coffee. “To be fair, he keeps looking over here too. He’s probably wondering who the hell I am, because let’s face it- You’ve never been much of a social guy. I can’t imagine you talking to the oth-”

“Why are you here?” Brian asks, tensely. The line is disappearing too fast, and soon he’ll be in Justin’s company. Brian would hate if that time was spent alongside Ted.

“I’ve realized a few things last night. I went home and told Quentin about dinner.” Quentin, that’s right. Not Roger, Quentin is Ted’s florist boyfriend. A man with as equally of a boring job as his boyfriend.  “He, like Em, thought the situation about you and Justin was too sweet. But when I was rehashing things in my head- it put things into perspective.”

“Oh, please do tell,” Brian responds sarcastically.

“Em was right- you didn’t really seem upset about the names which leads me to believe that you’ve known about Justin teasing you, maybe not about him spelling out your name because you seemed as shocked as the rest of us, but…to allow it to go on like this- makes me think that you like-”

“Oh, so what, sue me for not getting upset,” Brian snaps.

Ted smirks, knowing exactly what Brian was up to. “I, also, don’t think you and Justin have had sex either. I think you want to but if you did- I can’t imagine you continuing to come back like this. I was a little unsure about this one until today but the expression on his face whenever he looks at you doesn’t scream, I want your cock in me again, it’s more of an I can’t wait to talk to you again. It’s sweet. It’s weirdly innocent.”

What kind of lesbian bullshit is this?

“I didn’t come here to fuck with you, or fuck things up with you and Justin, but to encourage you.”

“Encourage me to do what?” Brian ask, tight jawed and staring blankly past Justin.

Ted touches his shoulder lightly. “I think you should ask him out.”

“The fuck? How is this any of your business.”

“You like him,” Ted states, and then rolls his eyes. “I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't point that out to you. I’m sure he likes you. You should just do it.”

They’re next in line, watching as Justin prepares the red head women's coffee, when Brian feels desperation hit him like a slap on the back.

“Well, I’ve been encouraged Theodore. How about you fuck off now? Since you obviously don’t need any coffee.”

Ted purses his lips. “I’m thinking about getting a croissant.” Patting his stomach. “I didn’t have much for breakfast.”

Brian sighs, there’s no losing him.

Ted nudges his arm. “I think he wants your attention.”

Instead of coming back to the register, Justin is still standing by the coffee machines, gesturing for Brian to come over. He nods, ambling over and Ted follows behind him.

“Well, well, well. No wonder you keep coming back here, for the perky bottomed blond and the free coffee. You sure didn’t tell us about that last night, Bri.”

By the time they reach Justin, Brian’s face is flaming red and he’s on the verge of committing murder in this very public place. Brian notices the wary look on Justin’s face as his eyes bounce between Ted and him. Brian almost gags at the implication.

“Hey,” he says in greeting. “Th-is is Ted, we work together.”

“I’m a friend of Brian’s,” Ted adds, holding out his free hand. Justin’s eyes brighten visibly, it’s almost too much to look at….almost.

“I’m-

“-your Justin,” Ted finishes, shaking the barista’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” What the fuck? Brian pulls out his safety net, his phone, burying his face in it to block away his red cheeks. Fucking Ted! Didn’t he just say he wasn’t going to fuck things up…..what the hell is this then?

Justin smiles over at Brian. “Really, you have?”

“He has,” Ted assures him. “I especially liked hearing about the coffee’s. How the wrong names ended up being his name all along. It was very clever and very adorable. I don’t think he would have gotten it if it weren’t for his friends.” It’s almost worth it, Ted being there, Brian thinks, as he watches the seemingly cool blonde turn pink and then bright red in embarrassment as Ted’s words sink in. Brian can’t drag his eyes away from the deep flush, as it travels like wildfire from his cheeks and down to his neck. That is, until Justin drops down to take out ingredients from the mini fridge underneath the counter. Effectively hiding his own face as he gingerly takes out ingredients.

Never fear Justin, never fear. Brian will have his revenge.

When Justin makes his appearance again, cheeks only slightly pink, and eyes actively avoiding Brian’s, he begins to work.

“So, what does Brian usually get?” Ted asks Justin.                                         

“I usually get the large Skinny Vanilla Latte but Justin has been making me…try new things.”

“I’m trying to expand his interest,” Justin explains, as he pours a fourth of a cup of 2% whole milk into the coffee mixer, followed by hazelnut and chocolate syrup. Brian feels Ted’s astonished stare at his lack of protest about the large amount of calories Justin is placing in his coffee. He doesn’t acknowledge Ted, instead he waits patiently for Justin to finish making his fatty drink.

“I see,” Ted replies with a smirk. That simple sentence says more than it should. “So, Justin, do you ever go to Woody’s?”

With a frown, Justin shakes his head. “No, not really,” he says, stirring the coffee. “It’s a little far out from where I live. I mostly hang out at Wall Street.”  Wall Street, Brian remembers, is a gay bar near PIFA and Carnegie Melon. Full of weird looking queer drunk college kids and a mecca for public displays of childish drama and scorn. Brian went to the place one time in his late 20s, as the bar wasn’t around when he was in college, and had taken one look and walked right back out. By the look on Ted’s face, Brian can tell their recounting the same memory.

“You should come to Woody’s tonight with us,” Ted tells Justin.  Brian scrunches his hands into tight fist. He should’ve known this was where Ted was headed. “We always go to Woody’s on Monday’s.” Lies, the gang hadn’t been to Woody’s altogether for several months.

Justin cocks his head to the side. “Us?”

“Just a few friends of ours.”

Although, Justin’s responding to Ted, he stares straight at Brian. “I don’t know if they would want me around.”

“Oh, I’m sure they would,” Ted says, nudging Brian. “Right, Bri?”

Brian clears his throat a few times, tucking away his phone. “If you want to come with us. You should....I don’t think anyone would object to your presence.”

Justin’s answering smile is blinding. “What time should I be there?”

Brian doesn’t know whether to kill Ted or kiss him.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Happy Monday! Olivia.