The Switch: A Friends To Lovers Romance Read online

  “Can I get another minute? I’ll head to the counter when it’s my turn to order.”

  He swallowed and nodded okay before turning and walking woodenly to the kitchen. Uncle Eddie, the chef and owner of the café, accepted the ticket and got to work behind the stove.

  “Everything okay out there?” he asked in Mandarin.

  Luke studied the apron tied around his uncle’s slim waist. He wore an old blue shirt, faded khakis and thick leather sandals. Nothing about his appearance said he was the wealthy owner of a popular coffee shop.

  “Yes, everything is fine.”

  Eddie turned and stared him down with those beady, black eyes that saw everything. “That girl back again?”

  “What girl?” Luke stiffened.

  “The one with the crazy hair.”

  Luke let out a relieved breath. His uncle was talking about Ashanti, not Michelle. Since Ashanti cut her long, straight hair and started growing out her natural curls a few years back, Uncle Eddie had dubbed her ‘Crazy Hair’.

  Ashanti took it as a compliment.

  “No, she’s not.”

  Eddie nodded. “You have to be careful, nephew. Someone could misunderstand.”

  By someone, Eddie meant his family, not a prospective girlfriend. But the threat still stood.

  “Ashanti and I are just friends,” he said in English. Luke tapped the drink orders. “I’ll get started on this.”

  Eddie nodded and let him go.

  On his way outside, Luke thought of the few times Ashanti had interacted with his family. Though they’d gone to primary school, high school, junior college, and college together he had never formally introduced her to his relatives.

  She was always ‘that girl from school’. A friend they never had to be concerned about. One that would never step over the line into something more.

  Uncle Eddie’s inquiry was the first time Luke realized that his family had noticed and had an opinion.

  He shook his head and focused on blending the drinks for Michelle’s table. He was working on his last cup when someone bounded up to the counter and took a seat on the barstool lined in front of it.

  Without looking up, he said—“I’ll be with you in a minute.”

  “Need some help back there?”

  Luke recognized Ashanti’s voice. “Hey.”

  “Hey. I just got through with the plumber. He said you did great work.” She grinned broadly at him. Today her hair was slightly less ‘crazy’ since she’d bound it in a bun and only allowed select tendrils to frame her face. “Need some help?”

  “No thanks.” Luke poured the mixture into a cup and started on the next.

  Ashanti tapped her fingers on the counter and waited patiently until he was done. When he swerved toward her, she leaned in. “I saw Michelle just now.”

  “Did you?” He shrugged and avoided her gaze.

  Her smile grew bigger. “You already knew she was here, didn’t you?”

  “You come for coffee or just to harass me?”

  “I’m a woman. I can multitask.”

  “Then you might as well help me carry these.” Luke thrust a platter filled with mugs of frozen coffee over to Ashanti and warned, “Don’t drop them.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  He grabbed the second tray and led her to Michelle’s table. The women stopped talking when he arrived.

  Luke dispensed the drinks with Ashanti’s help and then glanced at Michelle. “You ready to order?”

  She opened her mouth to answer when Ms. Dreads barked, “Hey, I recognize you.”

  “Me?” Ashanti poked a finger in her chest.

  “Aren’t you that journalist who was investigating our school’s scholarship fraud last year?”

  Ashanti covered her mouth with one hand and fanned her face with the other. Her eyes glistened with excitement. “You… recognize me?”

  “I could never forget. You were so annoying, disrupting class and following us home just to get a statement.”

  “I didn’t follow anyone home,” Ashanti said. “I just always happened to be going in the same direction.”

  “She writes for the Belize National Paper,” Ms. Dreads told her friends.

  “Prestigious,” Michelle said. Her gaze darted between Luke and Ashanti. “Is this your wife?”

  “Wife?” Ashanti barked out a laugh.

  “No.” Luke was quick to clarify. “She’s a childhood friend.”

  “This fine gentleman,” Ashanti threw her arms over his shoulder, “is completely single. Completely.”

  Luke shook her arm off and nodded to the ladies. “Your food will be out soon.” He caught Ashanti’s eye and jerked his chin toward the counter.

  “What?” she mouthed.

  He hardened his stare and then turned around. Ashanti’s footsteps clopped behind him.

  When they were a safe distance away, Luke frowned. “I told you not to meddle, Ash.”

  “Did you see anyone meddling? I didn’t.”

  “You announced my relationship status in front of a bunch of strangers,” Luke hissed.

  “Michelle’s not a stranger. She’s—” A casual glance over her shoulder changed Ashanti’s expression. “She’s coming this way. Quick! Act natural!”

  Before he could blink, Ashanti dove into the farthest bar stool and dipped her head behind a large menu. She looked anything but ‘natural’.

  “Hey.” Michelle trotted closer to the counter and set her hands on the surface. She had dainty fingers with nails painted a soft coral shade. “I’m sorry about my friends back there.”

  “It’s fine.” Luke briefly wondered if he should apologize for Ashanti and decided not to. It would only make things more awkward. He shuffled his feet. “You need something?”

  “I really love your frozen coffee,” she said.

  “Thanks.”

  “I teach high school girls. Did I mention that before?” She laughed nervously. “Anyway, we have homeroom every two weeks and they suggested we buy frozen coffee to mark the occasion. Would I be able to get your phone number so I can call and make the order this Friday?”

  Luke grabbed the rack filled with the café’s business cards and slid it toward Michelle. “Our number’s there. You can call anytime.”

  “Thanks.” Her smile was brittle.

  “We’ll send someone to deliver for free, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

  Michelle nodded but said nothing.

  Luke gave himself a mental pat on the back for being so calm and professional. His worst nightmare was coming off as a weirdo or creep when he spoke to Michelle.

  “Well, thanks.” Michelle wandered back to her seat.

  Luke was staring at her back when something came flying at his face. He got pricked in the cheek by a laminated menu that floated gently to the ground after nearly gouging out his eye. Luke’s face whipped up to meet Ashanti’s gaze.

  “What was that for?”

  “You’re an idiot,” she hissed, stalking closer to his side of the counter.

  “What?”

  “She was asking for your number, you dolt.”

  “We were making arrangements for her classroom. That was business.”

  “Don’t you think she has your café’s number? Apart from the business cards that were right in front of her face, there’s a Facebook page and a website. She didn’t need to ask.”

  “Some people still ask,” Luke argued.

  Ashanti shook her head. “You’re hopeless, Zhang. That was Michelle’s attempt at getting closer to you and you blew her off. Good luck digging yourself out of this hole.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “Whatever.”

  Luke hoped to prove his theory when he delivered Michelle’s food to her table a few minutes later.

  She deliberately avoided his gaze and focused on her phone the entire time. As if he wasn’t there.

  He wandered back to the counter, somber and a little confused. “I don’t get it.”


  “That, my friend, is why I’m here. Give me a free cup of coffee and I’ll bail you out.”

  Luke set his forearms on the counter and leaned his face close to hers. “How about you order and pay for your coffee like everyone else?”

  “But I’m not everyone else, am I?” She fluttered her eyelashes.

  He palmed her forehead and watched her wince. “I’ll give you coffee, but save your advice. Things always get worse when you meddle.”

  She gasped. “That’s hurtful.”

  Luke grabbed Ashanti’s favorite mug—an atrocious creation he’d crafted his freshman year of high school when they both attended a potting seminar for extra credit. She claimed it was ‘perfectly avant-garde’ and never drank from anything else.

  He filled it up and slid it over to her. “Here.”

  “Thanks, Luke.” She bounced happily and took a deep sniff of her coffee. “I’ll be over there. Working. Good luck with Michelle.”

  Luke waved her away and dealt with the customers that trickled in until Michelle and her party were ready to pay. He was pleasantly surprised when she wandered over to the counter.

  After giving her the total, Luke watched her count out the money. Ashanti’s words about Michelle’s interest in his phone number pounded through his head.

  He moved on instinct, grabbed a business card and scribbled his personal number on the back of it. “This is… just in case the café’s line isn’t working.”

  Really? That’s the best you could come up with?

  Michelle looked surprised. “Oh, thank you.”

  “But if you don’t want to use that, I understand. Our business line works most of the time so—”

  “I’ll call you, Luke.” She stared straight into his eyes. “Goodbye.”

  When she was gone, Luke allowed himself to wilt against the wall. While he struggled for breath, he caught Ashanti’s eye from across the room.

  She grinned widely and gave him two thumbs up.

  Chapter Four

  Ashanti jumped into the sofa and grabbed her novel from its perch on the end of the armchair. The cover boasted Fabio, shirt open and breeze blowing through his luxurious golden hair. He was posing on a ship next to a beautiful woman dripping in equal amounts of seductiveness.

  Ashanti was in the middle of the book—right before the rakish pirate seduced the innocent maid—when nature had called and she’d torn herself away.

  Now she was back and there was nothing getting in the way of the story…

  Her phone vibrated like it knew what she was reading and disapproved. Ashanti sighed and picked up the device. When she saw the name parading across the screen, her earlier frustration fled.

  She slammed her finger on the ANSWER button and shrieked, “Dad!”

  “Hey, honey. Just checking in. How are things?”

  “Everything is fine.”

  “Did you call the plumber to deal with that pipe?”

  She settled into the crook of the couch. “That happened two weeks ago. How did you find out about it?”

  “I asked Luke to keep tabs on you.”

  She shook her head. “The traitor.”

  “He told me you would say that.”

  “Dad, don’t worry. I’ve got everything under control over here.”

  “I’m your father. I have a right to worry. If anything else breaks down, make sure you call a professional right away.”

  She sighed. “I will.”

  “I mean it, Ashanti.”

  “I said I will.”

  “Your grandfather built that house with his own two hands,” her dad mumbled. “It’s due for a few repairs.”

  “Don’t worry about me.” Ashanti closed her eyes. “I want to hear about all the beautiful queens you’ve been meeting on that boat.”

  Her father went silent.

  “Dad?”

  “I… might have met someone.”

  She shot up. “No way! What’s her name? Do you have a picture? I’m so excited. How far have you two gone?”

  “Ashanti?” Her father made a whooshing noise. “I can’t hear you. You’re breaking up.”

  “Dad, don’t hang up! I just wanna talk!”

  She heard a click and grinned at her screen. Aw, her dad had finally met someone after twenty-four years.

  It was about time.

  Since she could remember, it had always been Ashanti, her dad and her grandmother. Her mother died in childbirth and her father moved back into his mother’s house when she was still a child.

  When Grandma Flora died a few years ago, she’d still been in college and her father was alone in the house.

  Ashanti always urged him to start dating. He was smart, handsome, funny, and had all his teeth. There were plenty of women who would gladly put him out of his misery. Heck, the ladies at church treated him like a rock star and would throw their granny panties at him if such a thing were allowed.

  But her dad was naturally shy, and he didn’t seem interested. Until a few months ago when he suddenly informed her that he had signed up for a Singles Cruise and would be out of the country for the next three months.

  “You go, Dad,” Ashanti told the phone.

  She pulled her book close, but the story couldn’t pull her in as it had before. Here she was on a Friday night, reading and eating way too much ice cream, when her father was out on a ship having the time of his life.

  Something was wrong with this picture.

  She scrambled up and grabbed her phone, skimming through her contact list. Ashanti stopped when her thumb landed on Luke’s name. His café was open until ten every night.

  It was nine-thirty. She’d grab a coffee, help him lock up and then beg him to take her out. Luke could use a night of fun too.

  Happy with her plan, Ashanti slipped out of the chair and raked a hand through her curly hair. It was more frizz than any discernable curl pattern so she slapped it into a bun, grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

  There was plenty of parking space in front of the café. She took her time getting out of the car and trotted up the stairs to the front door.

  When she walked in, a man greeted her, but it wasn’t Luke.

  She ambled to the counter and frowned. “Where’s Luke?”

  The guy who stood in Luke’s place was young, maybe eighteen. He had pale skin, thin black hair that he wore pasted to his forehead in a style that was less than flattering and big, brown eyes. His lips were pink, fuller and plumper than she’d expected to find on an Asian guy.

  Was that racist of her? She’d have to figure that out later.

  Ashanti raised her chin. “Who are you?”

  He glared right back. “Who are you?”

  “I’m a VIP customer here.” She folded her arms over her chest. A thought struck and her tough-girl act crumpled. “Did something happen to Luke? Is he okay?”

  “Luke’s fine. He asked me to fill in for him because he had something to do.”

  Ashanti tapped her chin. That was weird. Luke loved this café more than anything in the world. What would make him take a night off?

  Michelle.

  Ashanti’s chest filled with excitement. She whirled on the kid. “What’s your name?”

  He looked unsure but hesitantly offered, “Weng.”

  “Weng, you have a great night.” She turned and headed for the door.

  “Wait! Aren’t you going to buy anything?”

  She waved in response and slipped through the door.

  Luke was on a date. Why didn’t he tell her?

  She slid into her car and dialed his number immediately. Ashanti squirmed as she listened to it ring. When he finally picked up, she whispered—“You look like you’re having a nice time.”

  “Ashanti?” In the background she heard the tinkle of silverware against china and the soft buzz of conversation. “Where are you? How did you know?”

  She laughed at the panic in his voice as she imagined him glancing around to find her. “All your quest
ions will be answered in time.”

  “What does that mean?” Luke hissed.

  “If you want to continue your evening without any, ehem, interruptions, I suggest you drive straight over to my house when you’re finished with Miss Michelle.”

  “Ashanti,” Luke growled.

  She hung up on him and headed home. Thirty minutes later, Luke showed up at her front door.

  Her jaw dropped when she saw him. “Why are you here so early?”

  “I couldn’t concentrate thinking you’d spring over at any moment. As instructed, I’m here. So tell me how you knew.”

  “When did you get so serious about Michelle?”

  He wiggled his finger. “I asked first.”

  “Weng.”

  “Weng?” Luke made a face. “My cousin Weng told you?”

  “He’s your cousin? I didn’t know.”

  “Wait, that doesn’t make sense. I only asked Weng to watch the store for me. I didn’t give him any details.”

  “Luke, I’m a soon-to-be award-winning journalist. I put two and two together.” She looked him up and down. “You look nice by the way.”

  His white dress shirt clung to his lean shoulders. His long legs, dressed in dark blue jeans, were planted on the floor. Luke’s fingers brushed through his thick black hair that had been coiffed away from his forehead.

  It caught her by surprise. Luke’s uniform was a T-shirt and jeans. From junior college through to university, she’d rarely seen him this dressed up. Maybe for graduation, but not for a date.

  “Don’t try to change the subject,” Luke said.

  “I’m not. You look really handsome.”

  He stalked over to the sofa and sat down.

  “Are you angry with me?” She followed him to the living room.

  “I should be.”

  “But you’re not?” she asked hopefully. “How was your date?”

  He blew out a frustrated breath. “It was great. Fantastic.”

  “Okay… then what’s the problem?”

  When he looked at her, his brown eyes were filled with anxiety. “I don’t think I should take it any further.”

  “What?”

  “Michelle is everything I could want in a girl. She’s sweet, well-spoken, humble and kind. We have similar interests and values—”