Page 46 of Cups of You

Like now.

There was an event going on at the bookstore down the street which meant the café was being used as overflow as patrons came to grab coffee, tea, or a table to sit and relax. The weather was perfect today and Benjamin wished he had the space for an outdoor area.

The sidewalk out front wasn’t wide enough to be able to place tables and chairs and not obstruct the walkway, and unfortunately there were businesses to either side of him. He was considering replacing the front windows with the kind you could open, but for now he was stuck with only being able to see the gorgeous weather instead of experiencing it.

Maybe I do need to think about hiring someone part-time.

He had been considering finally springing for a part-time employee especially with Sam not being able to help and Olivia needing to focus on school. Now that she had a girlfriend, he was sure she wouldn’t be coming in as often after school or on the weekends like she had before. He didn’t mind it. Benjamin wanted his daughter to have a full and active social life, but that would mean making some changes with the way he handled the business and operating during busier hours.

The bell rang again, and he sighed softly as he poured two shots of espresso into the next cup.

“Welcome to Sweet Beans,” he called out.

“Wow. Looks like you are slammed.”

Benjamin looked up quickly hissing when a splash of espresso hit his hand.

Amber was smiling slightly as she looked around the shop and for a moment, he could hardly catch his breath. Her hair was pulled back today leaving her neck bared and his fingers twitched with the desire to brush across that smooth unobstructed skin. He ignored his wayward thoughts instead attempting to make normal conversation.

Well, normal for him which meant opening his mouth like a fish and still not knowing what to say. He was saved from his own bumbling when another voice interrupted him.

“Hey Ben, is my croissant ready yet?”

“Just a second, Herb, and I’ll warm it up for you,” he called out. He gave Amber a lopsided smile. “Slammed is a good way to put it.”

He put a top on the drink he just finished and set it on the counter after calling the customer’s name.

He was not about to have his ceramic mugs knocked over with the number of people mingling around right now. Thankfully, the person took their drink with a nod and moved to exit the café. He brushed an arm over his face and turned his attention back to Amber as he moved to the baked goods display.

“Sorry about that.” He hurriedly pulled out a croissant and popped it into the toaster oven behind him. “I completely forgot that Willie mentioned she was having an event today, so I wasn’t quite prepared for this many people.”

Amber shook her head. “No need to apologize. You’re at work and clearly having a rough go of it. Need any help?”

Benjamin paused surprised by her offer. No one other than Randy or Sam had ever offered to jump being the counter with him. Truthfully, he could use some help, but he had hesitated at calling Olivia in since he knew she was still with friends for the day.

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask,” she countered. “I offered.”

“Well.” He was unsure of how to handle this, but when the front bell rang again and two more customers walked in, he decided to jump on it. “Do you know how to make drinks?”

Amber rolled her eyes before walking around the counter. “No, but I know how to mark down orders and run a till.” She grabbed the extra apron he kept behind the bar and slipped it over her head before giving him a pointed look. “What’s your system?”

This close, he could smell her familiar brand of citrus perfume and it was all he could do to focus on her words. He hadn’t wanted to turn her help down, but now he was wondering how he was going to handle being in such close quarters with her and still maintaining focus. He already had trouble not staring at her when she came to the café.

This was probably a terrible idea, but one he was more than happy to deal with the consequences for if it meant spending more time with her.

“System?”

Amber picked up a cup and the marker. She held them up and arched an eyebrow at him. “Yes,” she said slowly. “What is your system for marking down the drinks? Do you use acronyms or shorthand?”

Benjamin snapped out of it when the café door jingled again. He could see three new customers walking in from the corner of his eye and that helped get him back on track.

“No, don’t worry about shorthand. Just make sure to get people’s name down correctly and if there’s an identical name situation, get the last name initial if you can.”

Amber smirked and nodded. “Don’t want to have a coffee throwdown in the middle of the café? Some people might tip extra just to see that.”

He snorted. “You have no idea. Most times people are great, but occasionally you get the grumps who are convinced someone stole their drink and won’t hear anything otherwise.”

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