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in notebooks, or drinking their coffee.
    A few of our regulars are enjoying their muffins, cakes, cookies, and sweet treats from the bakery display case. I decide to replenish the display after asking Erik if he needed help making the cappuccinos and lattes. He reassured me that he and the other baristas had it under control.
    On my third trip to the display case from the kitchen, the door opens and I feel the air suddenly charge. I finish the petit four display I’ve been working on, before wiping my hands, and slowly raising my head. My eyes meet and hold uncertain hazel eyes.
    I take in his appearance. Today he’s wearing regular jeans that hug his thighs, an old LSU t-shirt, showing off the now full sleeves of tattoos on both arms, and a beat up LSU ball cap. His aviators are sitting on top of the crown of his cap.
    “Hello, Lex. Good morning. Everything looks wonderful.”
    I take a second to breathe and swallow because my throat suddenly feels dry. “Good morning, Jude. Everything is wonderful. Is there something I can get for you?”
    That was good. See I can be calm. Shit! Who am I kidding? I’m not calm! My heart is racing and my hands are shaking like a leaf. At least he can’t see them. Thank God this display case is so high. Wow, he looks amazing, like he just stepped out of the pages of Rolling Stone magazine. Shit, did I get all the flour off? Did I miss some on my face? Is that why he’s looking at me like this? Ugh, this is so unnerving.
    Jude gives a slight shake of his head, like he’s having an internal debate as well. He looks down at the display case and is suddenly distracted. “Are those red velvet brownies? Wow! Do you make all of this stuff, Lex?”
    I hear the words coming out of his mouth, but it’s as if there’s a delayed connection between my ears and my brain. Finally they register. Thankfully it’s only been a few seconds, and not the minutes it’s felt like. “Um, yes. Red velvet brownies with my special cream cheese icing. And yes, I do make all of this. I bake everything here,” I say with pride.
    “This place is amazing, Lex. I mean it,” he says, looking around, taking the room in. “It looks like business is good. You should be proud. This was your dream and you did it.” He clears his throat. “I’ll take three of those brownies and a black coffee.”
    “Three? You want three brownies? These are pretty big. And rich. And you now drink coffee?”
    He smiles sheepishly, showing me a glimpse of the old Jude, my Jude. “Yeah well, um, red velvet is still my weakness. I could make myself sick with it. And, um, no. Not actually. I still hate the stuff. But this is a coffee shop, right?”
    I’m secretly thrilled. I have never understood my need to always have the red velvet brownies on hand, but I now understand that it’s because of Jude. They’re just brownies, but they are his favorite and by always having them here, it’s kind of like having a piece of him here with me.
    Oh boy. I am so screwed.
    I laugh lightly and smile back. “Yes, this is in fact a coffeehouse. But we do serve other things. Tea, milk, water, juice, smoothies… Have you ever actually been in a coffeehouse?”
    Well look at that. Jude Delecroix and I are talking to each other and smiling. This is surreal, but I kind of like it. Whoa girl. Down… Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Breathe, just breathe.
    I cannot believe it, Jude blushes. “Yes, I actually have been in a coffee shop. Honestly, I don’t know why I said that. I’m out of my comfort zone here and, well, I’ll have water. Would you um, would you join me for a bit?”
    Oh my God! What did he just say? I’m hallucinating. There is no way in hell he just asked me to join him, is there? I’m projecting what I want to hear and not hearing what he actually said, right?
    “Um… what?”
    Jude’s cheeks get pinker and he starts shuffling his feet from side to side. “Well, I asked if you wanted to join me for a bit, for a cup