Page 31 of Of Literature and Lattes
“Everyone knows her.”
Jeremy remembered how his blood cooled at that comment. How suddenly nothing seemed so simple. “I hope this changing of the guard won’t be a problem.”
But rather than give him easy reassurance, Lexi had studied him for a few moments, then replied, “Only if you let it be. This shop is home to a lot of people in this town.”
At least three times a week for those couple months before the renovations, and three times this week alone, she had come in, ordered expensive drinks and a couple of his dense and chewy blueberry muffins, tipped well, and thrown him an encouraging wave and a smile on her way back out the door.
“You happy with business?” Her abrupt question brought him back to the present and his eyes straight to hers. “I’m sure you’ve noticed it’s slow in here.”
Jeremy glared at her. He’d mentioned his concerns to her husband, Liam, the night before, seated at Mirabella’s bar until the early hours of the morning. Clearly husband and wife had been talking—that’s if she hadn’t somehow magically overheard his blowup with Ryan that very morning.
“You know I’m not.”
Lexi nodded toward Alyssa. “She can help.”
“What? How can I help?” Alyssa protested.
“The same way you’re helping me.” Lexi pushed back from the table. “I’m paying her three thousand dollars for the project she’ll tell you about, but the going rate is five. I’ve done my research, and I promise she’ll do a better job for you at a fraction of the price. You two talk.”
“And where are you going?”
“I have to go pick up new linens downtown. Our delivery got dumped at the wrong address, and I can’t wait for them to sort it out; we’ve got a huge event tonight.” She pointed to Alyssa. “We’ll catch up later. I expect you at Mirabella’s for dinner tonight.”
“You just said you have an event.”
“Please... I can multitask. Besides, Liam will need a few minutes alone with you to catch up. He has concerns.”
Alyssa laughed. Chase, her real brother and three years younger, had nothing on her “new brother,” as Liam, three years older, liked to call himself.
Lexi shifted her lavender-tipped finger to Jeremy. “I’m serious. Hire her. You need the help. No one understands numbers better than she does, and she knows this town. Got it?”
Jeremy leaned back and laughed. Typical Lexi. “Got it.”
Lexi raised a brow at them both to make sure she was being taken seriously, then, waving her arm above her head with bracelets jingling, she walked out the front door.
“You gotta love her,” Alyssa commented.
“Old friend?”
“Best friend.” Alyssa sighed. “What’s up with this place?”
“I can’t hire you.”
“You don’t need to.”
“No, I’d like to. What she said... I need all the help I can get, but I’m broke.” He looked around. “With things this quiet, I’ve got until about Labor Day; then it’ll be over.”
“I’ve got my own countdown to Labor Day.” At his questioning glance, Alyssa waved her hand. “Bottom line is, I’ve got the time and I owe her. If doing your work for free even brings her a smile, it’s worth it to me.”
“You must owe her big.”
“She’s been there for me big, and I haven’t been the best of friends lately.” Alyssa looked around and took in the empty store. Jeremy watched as she tapped on her phone. She noted the time and shot her eyes to his. “I’ve been here for almost an hour, and maybe one or two customers at most have come and gone.”
“Now you get it.” Jeremy sighed.
“But it’s early. You must have accounted for a slow start... You’ve been open, what, a week?” She pointed to a small window sign at the base of the door, which he’d forgotten to remove.Grand Reopening. June 4th.
“Yes. And yes, I accounted for a slow start, but not this slow. And it’s trending down day to day, not up. I need to sell about four hundred coffees a day to break even. Food has higher margins, but I’m barely selling anything there.”
