Page 6 of To Love the Stars too Fondly

I tried to say no, tried to summon the lie, but I gasped when Alex’s hand suddenly covered mine to take the napkins away. Against her calluses, there was comfort, but surely Cliff was watching, everyone was watching, Alex was here, but I couldn’t give in to the unexpected safety in her presence.

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. He’s just someone I know.”

“If you’re sure,” Alex said. She knew I was full of shit, given she glared at him across the room. “I’ll be around.”

“I’m so sorry. I-I’ll pay for anything that’s ruined.”

Alex didn’t even do her fuckboy grin. She spoke so sweetly. “I promise it’s okay.”

She turned to leave, but I wanted her to stay. I wanted…something.

Dammit.

I threw out the coffee-soaked rags, opting for paper towels instead. Cliff’s location wasn’t immediately apparent—hopefully the creep had left—so I returned to the spill, kneeling down and pretending the nice Boomer patrons weren’t watching me, judging me, thinking I was a whore—

“So when are you off?”

There he was.

I bit my tongue and kept my gaze to the floor. My words trembled from adrenaline. “I’ll be here until they tell me to leave.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it. When’s your lunch break? We could spend it in my car.”

If I cried, it was over. If Barbs overheard, it was even more over. “I-I’m really not comfortable talking about this here.”

“Then tell me when you get off. I’ll even put money in your tip jar when we’re done—”

Alex shoved him away, placing herself between us. “You should leave,” she said.

I gasped, frozen solid as Cliff turned red in the face. “What are you? Her dyke bodyguard?”

I scrambled to my feet, even as Alex chuckled. This was getting out of hand—dammit all, he was so much bigger than her! “Cliff, please don’t—”

“I’m the dyke who will ruin your damn life if you don’t get the hell out,” Alex replied. “Cliff Benson? You’re on a football scholarship, right? It’d be a shame if Coach Grayson caught wind of how you treat baristas. It’d be worse if he got a bribe.”

“How the fuck did you know—”

“WHAT IS GOING ON?”

Shit. Barbs.

My manager cut through the chaos with the ease of a storm through the tropics, epitomizing the phrase ‘small but mighty.’ Her glare fell upon Alex. “You again—”

“No!” I yelled, courage coming from somewhere deep inside. I stepped between Barbs and Alex. “She was trying to help.”

Barbs’ eyes narrowed, which was a rather frightening sight given the magnification of her glasses. “What is happening?”

“This man was harassing your employee,” Alex said, and only then did I notice the comical drips of coffee remaining on her otherwise pristine shirt and slacks.

“I know her!” Cliff replied, clearly indignant. “We’re practically dating! But this bitch came out of nowhere and threatened me.”

Idly, Alex began removing her watch, flexing her fingers all the while. “Oh, I could do worse.”

“Stop it!” Barbs came between Alex and Cliff, fully prepared to throw herself into the fray, it seemed. “Terra, what happened?”

We’d drawn quite the crowd, surrounded by uncomfortable patrons acting like they weren’t listening with gusto. But they were. It sucked the air out of the room.

“Terra!”