Page 9 of Purple Scales & Coffee Tales

A giggle escaped me, a sound so unfamiliar I froze in my tracks for a moment.

“I daresay it’s good news, and I hope you agree and don’t hate me.”

“You’re not making it any better!” Maeve was giggling, too, and nudged my arm.

“I bought the cafe.” The words tumbled out of me before I could overthink it anymore, and a warm hand took hold of my forearm, fingers digging into my jacket.

“Say that again,” she prompted, staring wide-eyed up into my face.

How could I ever think you were simple? You’re the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.

“I met with my real estate agent a few days ago and they finalised the contract this morning. It’s usually not such a quick process, buying a property, but the old owner couldn’t wait to get rid of the place.”

“So what you’re saying is…” Her voice sounded faint.

“That I bought the cafe, and if you want, you’ll still have a job after the month ends. I’d be delighted to have you on my team.”

“Taran.” Maeve struggled with her coffee cup for a moment. She eventually plopped it down on the ground, then both her hands gripped my arms. “Are you serious? You bought…I thought you were just thinking out loud. I didn’t expect you to…”

“I plan on giving the cafe a little update. I think it could do with a fresh coat of paint, and whatever you think is necessary.”

“Whatever I think is necessary?” she repeated weakly.

“I’d like to promote you to be my manager. If you want to do it, that is, of course. You can keep your position if you don’t. I was just wondering,” I rambled.

“Oh my God, Scales. I really want to hug you, but I don’t think it’s appropriate. You’re going to be my boss. Oh shit.” She burst into tears. Feeling secure enough that I wasn’t overstepping any of her boundaries, I hugged her without applying too much pressure.

I hope I don’t break her.

“I know you didn’t buy this so I could keep my job, but this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done,” Maeve sobbed into my chest and I only just managed to bite my tongue. Maybe one day I would tell her that I had very much done this so she could keep her job and to makeher happy, but not right now. That I could keep the cafe—and her—in my life was just an added bonus.

“Let’s sit down over there.” I picked up the coffee cup and led her to one of the benches standing in a wide circle around a fountain.

It was topped with a sitting Dragoness made from white, highly polished stone. Every scale had been carved by hand and they glinted when the sunlight hit them right.

Great job.That looked exceptionally like my mother, to a point where I wondered if she had sat for the sculptor.

“If you have any ideas, input, inspiration, I’d be happy to hear all of it. This is the first cafe in my portfolio and you are just the expert I need to make sure it is successful.”

“God, Scales, you need to stop this. I have a big enough ego as it is.”

I snorted. “Don’t forget, you’re talking to a Dragon.”

I watched her pull her lip between her teeth. “No worries, I’m not forgetting that anytime soon.”

Oh, sweetling. Stop being so endearing.

“So you accept the promotion?”

“Fuck yeah, of course I do. My manager won’t be happy, but she’s never been interested in the place, anyway.” She twirled her cup in her fingers. “And I have ideas. God, it’s probably embarrassing to tell you this, but I’ve been dreaming of taking over the cafe one day. You know every time real life got too shitty, I started working on my DreamBoard.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s an app where you can create mood boards, you know, for renovations, projects, outfits, stuff like that. Want to see it?”

I nodded, and she pulled out her phone, its display scratched and cracked in one corner.

Moving a little closer so I could see, I made a mental note to have Stuart pick up a new company phone for her.

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