There’salwaysroom for M&Ms.
Chapter Eighteen
I’m laughing. You’re laughing. We arealllaughing.
Roman
The bell above the door at Sweet & Salty chimes, followed by a happy male voice greeting, “Elodie!” Beside me at the counter where I’m restocking the display case after the morning rush, Elodie freezes.
“Soren,” she says, smiling rigidly at the man approaching. “Hello.”
Her discomfort is palpable, spurring me to check out thisSoren. I choke when my eyes land on him. BecauseSoren? Soren looks exactly like me.
Exactly. Like. Me.
He’s at least within an inch of my six foot four, and his auburn hair is cropped close, just like mine. His eyes, a blue nearly identical to my own, sparkle with a friendliness that leans perhaps a littlemorethan friendly as he gazes down at Elodie, the scruff of his short beard—again,exactlylike mine—casts shadows on the lower half of his face as he grins, a beacon in the dark.
He’s like…
He’s like me if I were shot up with pure sunshine every day.
How does Elodie know sunshine me?Whydoes Elodie know sunshine me well enough for him to be looking at her likethat?
Andwhyam I only finding out about this after I’ve gone and declared my character grown? I could’ve used this for so much fuel… so much teasing…
This is wasted potential right here.
Unless…
Well, character grown people still tease the people they care about, don’t they? Surely I’m allowed to use this for a friendly, not at all hostile bit of teasing? Yes?
I lean against the counter to observe as I weigh my options, tucking my now empty pastry tray under my arm.
Soren orders a flat white and a blueberry scone at Elodie’s recommendation, tiny little hearts falling out of his eyes as he watches her move around behind the counter to fulfill his order. Poor guy. He’s completely oblivious to her discomfort.
She spills his first drink, curses, and starts on a replacement.
I smirk.
“I’m Soren,” sunshine me says, drawing my attention. He smiles at me, rays of light pooling in gray specks on his irises, breaking up the blue. “I go to school with Elodie,” he continues, smile faltering only slightly in the face of my… face. “Man, you look just like me,” he mutters.
“You look like me,” I correct, eyes darting to Elodie. “You went to school with this guy?” I ask.
“Go to school with,” Soren says. “We go to Iferous Tech together. I’m in her Wednesday class. And we’re friends. We’ve hung out a couple of times.” His eyes rove over me. “Man, seriously, you lookjustlike me.”
“Youlook just likeme,” I retort as my brows furrow, eyes narrowing on Elodie, who looks like she’d rather be just about anywhere else.
She winces, sliding Soren’s coffee and scone across the counter to him. “It was nice seeing you, Soren!” she proclaims, plastic smile stealing over her face. “Thanks for coming by!”
He blinks, then drags his eyes away from me to level his sunshine on Elodie, beaming as he bids her goodbye, saying he’ll see her on Wednesday. He gives me aLater, dopplegänger, thenhe’s gone, the bell above the door heralding his exit.
I clear my throat, raising an eyebrow at a blushing Elodie. “Soren, huh?” I ask.
“Yep!” she squeaks, grabbing a rag and approaching the mess she made with his first coffee. “Soren!”
“He seemed pretty friendly.”
“He’s a friendly guy,” she confirms.
