Page 37 of Coffee Break with the Billionaire

“No, what?” Fenella asks, those eyes watching over the rim of her cup. “This is really good, by the way.”

“No, I am not hiring Fenella to take over from Nathalia. No offence,” I add to Fenella.

“There is offence,” Fenella cries, her expression morphing from polite smile to excitement. “There is so much offence, because whywouldn’tyou want to hireme?”

Her excitement jars me as much as when I grabbed the handle of the frother when it was running. “You’d want to work here?”

“Yes!” She’s actually considering it? “Of course. Why wouldn’t I want to work here? You’re a nice guy and you’d never fire me, no matter what I messed up.”

Leodie laughs along with her.

“Are you forgetting that you have no experience working in a… anywhere? Have you ever had a job?”

Thankfully Fenella isn’t offended by my question.

“I’m trying to get a job,” she explains. “I’ve been asking my father to let me take over some of the marketing for the new line.”

“Marketing.” I nod. That’s not a bad thing, but Fenella Carrington workinghere?“Do you have any experience?”

“I market myself. And I’m a very difficult product. But all that’s beside the point,” she says airily. “I can make a mean coffee. Seriously, no one can make better.” Leodie taps the cup on the counter. “Okay, this is pretty good, too. And you make amazing lattes,” she concedes. “But I make really good coffee. And my mocha-vanilla-matcha latte is the best.”

“That sounds mildly disgusting,” Leodie admits. “I’m not a tea person, green or otherwise. But Silas, we need her,” she pleads. “At least until you find someone to replace Nathalia. You can’t keep working double shifts, especially while Neptune is visible. And the meteor shower coming up as well.”

“I saw Neptune,” Fenella confides. “It was amazing.”

“And he should show it to you again. Silas, you can’t work so much. You need to show the stars to our guests from away.” I know that gleam in Leodie’s eyes but I feel like I’m being dragged along behind one of the boats in the harbour, unable to get out from behind the wake. “Weneedsomeone else here.”

“You do look tired,” Fenella offers. But there’s a sparkle in her eye like it’s a secret between us that she’s the reason for the dark circles under my eyes this morning. “I can help out,” she adds. “It’ll be fun.”

I stare at Fenella, waiting for her to finish the sentence. Thebut…

But nothing is coming.

This must be a joke. There’s no way Fenella Carrington, daughter of a billionaire, wants to work in my shop. There’s no way she wants to workanywhere.

But she still stands there, waiting expectantly as Leodie shoots me excited glances.

“What do you know about working in a coffee shop?” I finally manage to ask.

“Not much,” Fenella says cheerfully. “Actually, nothing at all. But I already know how to use your machine, plus I really like coffee. And tea. Anything with caffeine. And I like it when you talk stars.”

I don’t look at Leodie. She’s going to have so many questions… “Why would youwantto work here?”I demand.

“I’m bored.” Fenella’s reply is simple. “I’m here for at least another week and it would give me something to do. And it will give you time to find someone else. Why would you say no? You don’t even have to pay me?”

“Of course, I’ll pay you.”

“You really don’t have to. Just give me all the drinks I want.”

“You get that when you work here,” Leodie whispers.

“Perfect. It’s a win-win. But I need tomorrow morning off to go shopping with Edie.”

I laugh because there’s nothing else to say. I now realize Fenella Carrington’s superpower is her ability to get people to do what she wants.

Only… she wasn’t the one who suggested she work for me. In a roundabout way, that was me.

I don’t know if I should kick myself, or give myself a pat on the back. “We’ll give it a try,” I concede.

---