Page 4 of The Hot New Bachelor in Town

Another silent nod and he walks in the other direction. Don’t blame the guy one bit on that.

“Please sit in my section, please sit in my section, please sit...” Lottie whispers, her fingers crossed and eyes up toward the heavens.

The man walks past her tables and sits down in the last booth by the windows.

Smack dab in the middle of my section.

Lottie and Tish deflate.

“Shit!” Lottie spits. “What a waste.”

I take a step forward and she grabs my arm.

“Trade sections with me?” she asks.

“No, thank you,” I say.

“Oh, please, please, please! I’ll cover one of your shifts!” She reconsiders quickly. “Next week?”

“Unnecessary, but thank you.”

I try to walk away. She tugs me right back.

“Okay, okay, just...” She narrows her eyes, deeply serious. “Be cool.”

I ease my arm from her grasp. “I think I have that covered,” I say, pointing at their hungry customers. “You have tables.”

They sneer, but get back to work.

I pick up a menu and a set of silverware as I make my way over to his table. “Hey, there,” I greet, throwing on my most successful tip-baiting smile.

He looks up from his phone, his eyes definitely blue, but at this distance, I catch hints of green in them as well. “Hi,” he says.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I ask as I set down the menu and silverware.

“Just coffee, please,” he says, his voice deep with annoyance. “Black.”

“Sounds good,” I say, nodding as I walk away.

I head behind the counter, reaching for the freshest pot, when Tish snatches my wrist.

“Spill,” Tish says, her and Lottie’s heads popping out of the kitchen doorway.

“The coffee?” I ask, my fingers wrapped around the handle.

“No! The tea, you idiot!” Lottie says. “What’s he like?”

“So far, all I know is black coffee.”

They murmur softly. “Might be one of those Big City businessmen,” Tish mutters.

“Wasn’t he heading toward Big City, though?” Lottie asks.

“He got a ring?” Tish asks me.

“You know,” I say, “I didn’t notice.”

They leer at me. “How could you not notice?”

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