Page 69 of Passion and Payback

“Well, he’s made it his life’s mission to find everyone’s super special cup of coffee that makes sure they keep coming back for more than just the cats,” Hunter said with a fond smile. “It’s literally the second reason I hired him...and gave him a few raises.”

“I’m hoping the first reason was because he was actually good at making coffee.”

“It would be a little weird to have a barista dedicated to making coffee special to everyone while only making cups of turpentine and old dirt mixed with lake water.”

“That is...very specific, Hunter.”

“You try drinking some of the coffee those stores give to their employees,” he said with a wrinkle of his nose.

“Customer facing jobs aren’t really for me,” I said.

Hunter glanced over at Rich and rolled his eyes. “If you don’t drink that coffee, he’s going to implode.”

“I can hear you!” Rich grumbled from behind the machines.

“Oh, I know,” Hunter said with a chuckle.

Sighing, I took a drink and raised a brow as the bitter richness of the coffee intermingled with the heavy smoothness of cream and something...floral? “What...is there flower juice in this?”

“Oh, did you get that lavender mix in again?” Hunter asked over his shoulder.

“As in the flower that old lady used to try to grow in bushes on her balcony?” I asked Hunter in disbelief.

“Close enough,” Hunter said and then pointed over his shoulder. “No, Rich, we do not need to know that it isn’t exactly those flowers, where you got the stuff from, or the history of using lavender in coffee and other drinks over the years. Let the man give you his assessment before you get too excited.”

“Doesn’t sound like he much likes it,” Rich said.

“No, it’s?—”

“New to him,” Hunter said with a slight smirk. “New things take a minute to stop surprising him before he can say if he likes it.”

“Shut up,” I muttered, knowing that was the only response I had because the little shit was right. “Actually, it’s not bad. I’m still a little thrown off by drinking flower juice in my coffee, but?—”

“It’s not?—”

“Rich.”

“Fine.”

I took a moment to collect my thoughts to ensure I didn’t damage any feelings before shrugging. “Well, it’s good, I’ll give you that. But I won’t say it’s really my thing. I’ll still finish it and like it, though.”

“Ugh,” Rich said with a heavy sigh. “At least you didn’t take Hunter’s advice and try to lie to me.”

“And rob you of the chance of real victory? Never,” I said with a snort, taking another sip. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

“If he doesn’t end up putting us in the red because he’s going out of his way to find new, exotic blends and new ways to make coffee,” Hunter said with a shake of his head as he leaned on the other side of the counter from me. I was allowed to be anywherein the café, but since I wasn’t an employee, there was no sense in me being behind the counter in the way.

“Like the books haven’t been in the black forever,” a new voice popped up, and I glanced over to see Brooke eyeing Hunter with vague irritation. “Which you should be trying to balance now, I might add.”

“When did I promote you to being my boss again?” Hunter asked lightly, clearly unbothered by her annoyance. Not that I blamed him, Brooke could be bitchy a lot of the time, but she was also genuinely not a bitch...just a little too serious.

“Well,someoneneeds to keep you on your toes,” she said, then glanced at me and frowned. “Because this one isn’t doing it.”

“I manage in other ways,” I said, taking another drink of my coffee.

“Just so long as those other ways aren’t during business hours,” she said with a toss of her hair and a smirk.

It wasn’t exactly a secret thatsomethinghad changed between Hunter and me over the past couple of weeks. I wasn’t sure how that little secret had managed to leak its way out since I knew full well I hadn’t mentioned it, and Hunter wasn’t the type to gossip about his private life. As far as I knew, we weren’t acting differently either. Yet apparently, something had given us away because all the employees seemed to have figured out that Hunter and I were more than just childhood best friends now.

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