The Barista
Chapter 4 - Iced Coffee
"So? Tell me everything!" Sumire dragged Boruto down to a table before he had a chance to order. Wasabi pouted from behind the counter where she was serving a client, she wanted to know the news about yesterday's dinner too. Sarada was preparing the coffees and deemed herself too busy to share any details other than they've eaten together. Shame on her.
Boruto laughed as he sat down, "what would you like to know?"
Sumire gave him an annoyed look, "everything!" she was clearly spending too much time with the other two girls.
"There is-" Boruto's words were cut short as someone called out his name from the door. He turned to find Inojin standing there, slightly out of breath. The light haired boy walked towards the table and sat down.
The Uzumaki gave him a questioning look, "did you follow me here to laugh at me again? I'll let you now that I went-"
Inojin raised a silencing hand as he mumbled under his breath something about needing to fit some exercise into his daily routine.
"Your dad," Inojin started, gaining immediate attention from Boruto, "he was at the dorm looking for you."´
"He was indeed," a voice spoke from behind them. Sumire yelped in surprise, the other two boys turned to Mitsuki, all too used to his lurking ways. "Why did you run here?" the boy continued speaking, turning towards Inojin.
"The question is more how did you follow me walking and still arrived only about ten seconds after I did."
Mitsuki shrugged, "you are not very athletic and I saw you stopping about four times on the way here to catch you breath."
Inojin looked insulted, Mitsuki did not care, "Boruto, your father asked me to give you a message."
Boruto nodded, his friend continued with the best imitation of Naruto's voice he could muster, "tell that boy to answer his damn phone."
The blond rolled his eyes and took his phone from his pocket; a black screen faced him. So what if he was way too excited about last night to even think about putting his phone on charge over night? Why did it have to coincide with the first time in about two weeks that his dad actually called him? It was not that Naruto did not care about his son, it is more that the said son used to ignore his phone calls so often the poor man gave up and turned to texting instead, which was great; now Boruto could ignore his phone calls AND his texts.
Boruto's mood turned dark, "what does the old man want?"
Inojin raised an eyebrow, "I thought you'd be happy. You haven't seen him in ages."
"Six months and two days," he shrugged, "who's counting?"
An awkward silence settled in. Sumire took that cue to stand and go back to work quietly.
"So this is where you waste your time," Mitsuki looked around, "
"Mitsuki, I'm not wasting my time."
Inojin nodded in agreement, "he's looking for the balls he lost the first time he laid eyes on the barista."
Boruto glared at him, "mine might be lost but I'm sure yours are in my sisters pocket."
"Are you guys going to order anything?" Sarada interrupted, approaching the group.
"I apologize. My friends are just discussing the ownership of their intimates," Mitsuki explained helpfully.
The two blonds gave him a clear 'dude', indignant stare.
Sarada nodded once, "sounds like the kind of conversation Boruto would be having."
Mitsuki smiled, "are you Sarada?"
The black haired girl looked surprised but nodded.
"You are just as beautiful as Boruto said."
Silence settled in again. Inojin did his best to muffle his laugh; Boruto looked at the floor, begging to god the damn thing would just open and swallow him whole. Why could he not have normal friends? Normal friends that mind their own business and have some kind of social behavior awareness.
Sarada looked at Boruto, "are you selling me out to your friends?"
Boruto gapped at her for a few seconds. He honestly had no idea what to tell her, his brain had short-circuited a few seconds ago once his best friend decided to lay out the truth for him.
"Very much the contrary," Mitsuki continued smiling, Sarada looked at him strangely.
"Anyway…" the girl tried to change the subject, "are you guys buying or leaving?"
"Probably leaving. Boruto's dad is in town so I'm assuming he'll need something stronger than coffee," Inojin informed helpfully, patting his friend's back.
"Not happy to see your dad?" Sarada asked.
"Let's just say there are strippers out there with less daddy issues than Boruto," Inojin fake whispered with a wink.
Boruto ignored him and looked blankly at his phone again, "maybe I shouldn't charge this ever again."
The blond's brooding was quickly interrupted by a small 'hiss, hiss' – Mitsuki's well known ring tone.
"Oh, your dad texted me," Mitsuki announced, handing him his phone. Clearly the not-charging plan would not work after all, his dad knew him too well.
Boruto read through the message. Sarada studied his disinterested stare and slumped shoulders; this was definitely a new side to him.
"Guess we're having dinner tonight," he mumbled under his breath, "if he bothers to show up."
Boruto took a deep breath and stood, dragging his belongings with him. Mitsuki and Inojin exchanged knowing looks before walking to the door before him.
As Boruto was making his way out he smiled at Sarada but said nothing. He walked towards the exit until a light tug of his hand stopped in his tracks. The blond turned back as Sarada raised his hand, scribbling something down on it with her pen.
"Charge your phone," she said with a smile before walking off. Boruto stared at the number in his hand in neat writing.
Boruto smiled; he felt happy to know this side of Sarada. The side that was gentle and kind, the side she didn't like showing him often. A side he liked to think he saw more of than most people in her life. He walked away thinking Sarada's number was decidedly worth a dinner with his dad.
Shikadai walked in Boruto and Mitsuki's room without knocking as he always did. He looked around to see Boruto twirling and turning around in front of the mirror like a maniac fairy in a suit.
He eyed his friend curiously, "what are you wearing?"
"My clothes," Boruto answered but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.
Shikadai turned his attention to Mitsuki who was sitting on his bed, watching Boruto with a curious expression. It was like an alien studying human behavior.
Shikadai stepped forward and looked at the tag hanging from the jacket, "why are they worth more than my car?"
"Ah, you found it! Boruto pulled the tag, "thank you."
Shikadai stared continuously, the blond rolled his eyes, "this is what happens when your dad is a politician and your mom wants you to wear proper suits to go be his pet dog at important events."
The dark haired boy chuckled, "is that why it still has a tag?"
"It has a tag because I'm not going to parade for him," he answered bitterly.
Shikadai rolled his eyes; Boruto, ever the rebel boy that can't share his daddy's attention with the world.
"Isn't a suit a little too much for dinner with your dad?"
The blond shrugged, "Sarada said I can't just wear anything to the most expensive restaurant in town."
Shikadai looked around in surprise, in case he missed a slim brunette hiding somewhere, "she's been here?"
"No, but we've been texting a bit and she said I had to cause an impression."
The dark haired boy turned to Mitsuki, "fascinating how women control our lives even before they date us."
"I asked her for advice," Boruto explained, "the last few times haven't gone so well."
"You mean the last few times your dad actually showed up and your dinners went to shit was because you were not well dressed?" Shikadai asked, having trouble hiding his own frustration at his friend's father. Naruto was a great dad, his children were beautifully raised but after he became a politician he seem to have less and less time for them. He was still an admirable man, dedicated to his job and his people, he just seemed to always put the needs of the many before his own.
"He is a busy man and things do seem to fall apart every time he leaves his office," Mitsuki intruded with the best intent.
Boruto rolled his eyes, "I know you're trying to make me feel better, Mitsuki, but I know my dad," he straightened his tie and did not take his eyes off the mirror, "I'm doing my share, I'm dressing up the part. Time for him to do his."
Boruto replayed this conversation over and over in his mind as he read the card at the table his dad had booked at the restaurant,
'Dear Boruto, I'm sorry but an emergency has come up. Please eat what you like, the table is booked for the night and the staff knows to put it all on my card. I hope to see you soon. Dad.'
The young man put the card back on the table and walked away from the restaurant.
It was drizzling and Boruto was tired. He felt exhausted, really; but for some reason he found himself walking further away from his home and closer to Sarada's. He walked to the bell and hesitated; it was getting late and she was probably resting (or, God help him, studying), he shouldn't be bothering her at this time. So he didn't; the blond sat on some nearby steps, protected from the rain and waited for a while.
"Boruto?" He heard a gentle voice call out to him about twenty minutes later, "what are you doing here?"
"You know, just chillin'" he smiled sadly but did not look at her. She walked closer to him; it didn't take long for her to figure it out.
"Your dad didn't show up again, did he?"
Boruto nodded sharply, staring at the floor. He felt a hand over his shoulder, "look at me," the girl spoke, "what happened?"
Boruto hesitated for a few seconds then looked up at her. Sarada had a long jacket with a hoodie over her head to protect her from the drizzle. Even in the darkness she looked beautiful.
"Are you wearing makeup?" He tried to tease to change the subject.
She chuckled, "I was going out for a friend's birthday but then found this man in a suit hanging around my apartment like a formal delinquent."
He immediately looked apologetic, "I am sorry, I really don't know why I came here. I was going home and-"
She stopped him with a shoulder squeeze, "let's go," he felt an arm tug that he gently followed.
"Where are we going?"
"You are taking me out to eat. I'm hungry."
She wasn't really, but if he had skipped dinner he surely would be. She had seen him devour enough cakes before to know he's a good eater.
Sarada walked, Boruto followed; it was a very nice view indeed. They stopped by the weirdest burger place that Boruto had seen in a while.
"I think that if I go in there I'll wake up in a tub without my kidney."
Sarada shrugged, "only need one anyway."
"I feel that this is not a proper place to take a lady out."
The girl turned to face him, "if you're paying, I'll choose somewhere better."
He could trace her face much easier now, with the shops' neon lights enlightening every shadow. Sarada looked different with her glasses off and wearing red lipstick. So different and still exactly the same... the same smile, the same kind eyes, the same lips but redder, making them look fuller and even more irresistible than usual. It was so hard to stay away from those lips right now.
"Boruto," Sarada called, interrupting his trance, "answer my question."
He blinked, returning to reality, "sorry, what did you ask?"
"Where do you want to eat?"
Boruto smirked and a few minutes after that they were standing before the most expensive restaurant in the area.
Sarada gave him a preoccupied look, "when I said take me out to eat I didn't mean to a place where they demand reservations before hand."
The blond shrugged and grinned, "well, daddy left me standing so we are going out on his reservation and with his money."
She gave him a look, "very mature."
Boruto walked in front of her, taking her hand and guiding her inside the restaurant. The girl studied their hands together for a few seconds but then forced herself to look away and think of something else. Anything else.
The waiter welcomed them and asked to take their coats. Sarada removed her coat, revealing a beautiful black dress with long sleeves and a deep cleavage that she did her best to adjust. Boruto was stunned; it most certainly showed in his face as the guy taking their coats whispered "first date?"
Boruto gave him a vacant nod and follow Sarada to the table. She did her best to ignore his staring for a couple of minutes until she grew irritated.
"Can you stop staring so I can concentrate?"
Can you stop looking so beautiful so I can concentrate? Boruto considered asking but then decided he liked living so he just nodded… and then continued staring.
Sarada rubbed her temple, "look, I know this is a bit too much of a dress but it's my friend's birthday and I thought it would be nice to wear something she gave me and that I had flat out refused to wear until today," she paused with a sigh, "clearly for a good reason."
The blond nodded, "your friend has great taste."
She snorted, "that's debatable."
"You look beautiful," the girl raised the menu higher to hide her face.
"I've told you, it's the dress," she stated in a hurried sentence.
"It's not the dress. You would look beautiful without the dress," he stopped abruptly, realizing what that sounded like. It's not that it did not sound like the exact truth of his thoughts, it's just that maybe there was too much truth for what Sarada was prepared to handle.
The girl chuckled, "you do realize what that sounds like, don't you?"
He smirked, "you dirty minded person, I said nothing except what I see."
Sarada gave him a look that clearly informed him she was not an idiot and there was nothing innocent about what he said.
Boruto kept his ground, "I'm telling you, it was an innocent compliment."
She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the menu, "there is nothing innocent about you, Uzumaki Boruto."
To be continued…
A.N: Hello my wonderful readers! ^^
Thank you for keeping up with my story. I would like to ask your opinion about what is going to happen in future chapters. We have two options:
1. I can stick with the fluff, sweet PG-13 stuff with mild coarse language and mostly kissing/hugging;
2. Slightly more mature vibe, nothing terribly explicit but more adult themed.
Please let me know in your reviews/messaging. Have a great day! ^^