What exactly was it that made Keith Kogane love Summer? Even he didn't understand the interesting liking he'd taken to the season. Whenever he'd mentioned his love for the heat and sun during this time of year to anyone, they'd been surprised or found it funny. It was kind of funny in a way- Keith was the dark, mysterious, cold-hearted, emo kid: exactly the last person you'd think of when it came to summer. Summer is happy, and bright. And not… emo?

People didn't expect that Keith loved the laid-back vibes everyone had in Summer. He'd observed how people changed sans the unbelievable stress of school. He liked it. And he liked to think about the fact that he liked it, while walking alone in the morning with a cup of iced tea in hand, sunglasses atop his head on his way to work at The Parlour. Ah, work. That was another thing that surprised people: the fact that Keith actually enjoyed working at the little café on the corner. No one really thought of Keith as a "people person", and he wasn't, but quite frankly, he took the job because he needed money (for many things: tuition, food, rent, etc.). At first, he loathed everything about the place. Everyone was annoying. The customers could be loud and rude, and there was a number of employees which Keith didn't like. Also, the café was old - like, really old. But, after time, he grew used to the people and their obnoxious ways and the gentle murmur of the old coffee machines that sat by the register, where he worked most days.

This summer, Keith knew he'd be spending plenty of time working at The Parlour. (He was pretty broke and actually had nothing else to do over summer break.) He wasn't particularly excited, but wasn't reluctant either. Besides, it meant more free hazelnut-chocolate lattes, his favorite drink on their menu by far.

The thick afternoon heat was already heavy on Keith's shoulders, even though he was working inside and it had only been an hour since he'd arrived at the café. The prehistoric air-conditioning sucked ass, but it was fairly bearable. Keith was rarely late, but today was the exception. He'd forgotten to set his alarm clock the previous night, which may have allowed him some extra sleep, but came with consequences. He'd be working until closing time (10:00 pm) according to his boss. Great.

Two hours had passed and it was now 1:00 pm. After a brief lunch, he took his spot again at the register. He observed the various yet sparse customers that peppered The Parlour. They were all so unique, leading totally different lives, and yet the one thing that they shared was this dingy café.

Ding! As the door swung open, the bell attached to it lightly jingled. A tall-ish young man (probably a college student) stepped into the cafe and smiled as he walked up to the register. He was kind of cute. This guy had sun-kissed skin, chestnut hair, and a genuine grin - not to mention a pair of dark blue eyes that Keith had just awkwardly made unusually long contact with.

"Hello, I'd like a medium iced matcha latte please."

Keith looked quickly into the cabinet behind him to check for matcha powder. Finding none, he stammered, "so sorry, we've actually run out of matcha for today. Would you like to order something else?"

"Hmmmm", the boy concentrated on the menu that sat on the counter in front of him, like ordering his drink was the biggest deal in the universe.

"What would you recommend… ," he glanced down at Keith's name tag for a split second, "Keith?"

"Probably the hazelnut-chocolate. It's my all-time favorite."

"Well, hazelnut-chocolate latte it is then."

"Cool. And can I get a name for your drink?"

"Lance. That's L-a-n-c-e. Thanks, Keith. I love your shirt by the way."

"Thank… you?"

Then, something weird happened. The boy's- Lance's - eye twitched. Or did he wink?

He definitely winked. This cute boy named Lance had definitely just winked at Keith. And complimented his shirt. Curious, Keith looked down at his attire. His top wasn't even all that flattering- just a loose plaid button-down with a black t-shirt underneath. And a big-ass toothpaste stain right in the middle. Keith cringed as he attempted hurriedly to wipe it off. Turning on the coffee machine, he wondered: did he really wink at me? Like, was that a flirty wink or a friendly wink? Goddamnit.

Keith finished off the latte with a splash of cream and set the mug on the counter behind him.

"Hazelnut-chocolate latte for Lance!"

Lance walked up to the counter and Keith handed him the latte. Their fingers brushed slightly in the action, which Lance didn't seem phased by. Keith, on the other hand, was blushing madly. Fuck.

"Thanks! Have a nice day!" Lance said with a smile. He winked once more, then swaggered out the door.

Okay. Keith was almost positive that the winks had been flirtatious after all… Why else would he have winked twice? Unless this Lance guy was just super friendly or something - which seemed believable. Keith smiled to himself. Either way, those two little winks had made his tediously long day of working a tiny bit better.