I have a crush on my barista
I (26M; gay) have never dated before and honestly have never even been flirted with before. I’ve spent my life burying my face in books and my academic affairs.
I’ve been fluctuating with weight issues all my life, but I’ve recently turned things around (5’6”, 160lb to 130lb within the past 2.5 months)
I go to a pretty nice high end gym and maybe a couple of months (almost a year) ago, the cutest guy caught my eye. He’s probably a little younger than me if not within my age range. Chiseled and well built. I don’t know his name, but I’ve labeled him as Jake in my head. I honestly don’t even know if he’s gay, so I dismissed the idea of him altogether.
Around Fall/Winter of 2025, I’m making my way from the locker room to the pool [I’m a novice swimmer] and I see Jake look up from his phone near his locker and we lock eyes. I’m a chicken and just make my way past him to go for my swim…
Come to find out weeks later, Jake works in the gym’s cafe as a barista/kitchen staff, which gets him a membership to the gym for free and explains why I’ve seen him off and on. To put it simply, I need caffeine to function, and I always order an iced americano from the cafe with various different employees. I modify my order a bit to only be a single shot instead of three shots.
With all other employees, they ring me up at the full iced-americano price of $5. The first time I order when Jake is at the register, he just charges me for the single shot of espresso… $2 which perked my ears. IDK if I’m being dumb, but I just thought it was a fluke and proceeded on with my day. Then it happens for a SECOND time… I’m shook.
Fast forward to late spring of this year (circa end of March), I had just finished swimming my laps and was over the moon because I had achieved a new low weight milestone. Feeling good about myself, I head to the café before I hit the weights… Jake and I are the only ones in the cafe. He’s at the register and I’m approaching. I was in the mood for a quicker hit of caffeine and order just a single shot of espresso. I pay the standard $2 and have a seat.
While I’m waiting for my order, I scroll on my phone and catch up on texts and confirm plans with friends. But then I overhear this kind of soft-spoken mumbling. I look up at Jake’s looking at me. He registers I didn’t hear him and he kinda clears his throat and asks if I would like it [the espresso] in a bigger cup with ice and water… my usual, standard, and technically more expensive iced americano. I’m shooketh again and my brain short circuits to the point I just smile and politely decline “oh it’s ok! No thanks!” I really regret not taking him up on the offer ugh… he hands me the mini paper cup with my espresso and all of a sudden the cafe gets busy with an influx of people so I head out.
Fast forward to the following weekend, I’m in the cafe and get my standard $5 iced americano from a different barista (Mike). I was famished for the day/I wanted to see the cute cafe worker Jake who was in the back/kitchen working the food line, so I ended up ordering some chicken. Mike asked if I wanted any sauces, but I declined the offer and went to grab a seat. I realize I needed to wash my hands, so I leave my water bottle and order/number stand on the table to go.
I return and the food is delivered to my table. Inside are hella napkins and I find two full cups of BBQ sauce inside… coincidence? I proceed with eating it before I head out to do my workout. I look up to see Jake through the kitchen passthrough and it looks as though he’s looking down at the moment I looked up. Mind you, I was basically the only one in the cafe atp.
The following weekend, I see him again. I built up some courage and I tell him I like his ear rings. He kinda cuts me off with a thank you and walks off… I walk away and see him making his way to kinda sweep at a pretty empty floor…
This past weekend, I’m working out on a Friday night and just finish up my circuit. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Jake making his way to the gym floor to start a workout. I didn’t want to make things awkward, so I kept my distance and walked off to the pool to head for my laps. I didn’t notice out of the corner of my eye that his gaze was definitely on me as I walked past him. The following saturday morning, I get an iced americano as usual but realize I needed a straw for my other energy drink. I see Mike notices me and murmurs something to Jake (whose back was toward me atp). Jake turns and we make brief eye contact, but I grab my straw and head out.
Sunday, I come in to see Jake and Mike working again. I get my usual… except this time Mike charges me the $2 modified rate that Jake has been. I don’t say or make anything of it, but as I walk around the cafe and get my bearings, I definitely felt Jake’s eyes on me while he was at the smoothie bar.
idk if he’s even gay. Not to stereotype, but he seems like a masc ABB type of guy
I’ve never been hit on before and have always been a nerdy introvert so this is all new to me
Am I just being hopeful and seeing things?