Page 66 of Coffee Shop Girl
Bethany’s bright eyes intruded on my mind. Soft lips. The heat in my belly flared again and again when I thought about that kiss.
I shouldn’t have done it.
Could not have stopped it.
Definitely wouldn’t take it back.
Today, she didn’t even try to hide her distraction. Every now and then she’d stop, stare into the distance, look up at me, and grin. My stomach felt like I’d been on a roller coaster all day.
I didn’t need to be at the shop this long. The module approval could be done tomorrow, and I’d mostly been staring at my inbox. But I couldn’t seem to stop watching her move about her life. The little things fascinated me the most. When she wore the baseball hat, then took it off. Then lost it and spent a few minutes searching, only to realize she’d stuffed it in her apron pocket.
Or the way she reflexively reached for her lipstick. Didn’t always use it, but held it when she felt a moment of uncertainty.
Her conversations with Lizbeth. Quick smiles for everyone. The way she lit up around people.
Finally, around noon, she tossed a wet towel into the sink and headed my way. She’d changed into a turquoise summer dress and white flip-flops. A binder landed in front of me with a heavythud. I jerked out of inappropriate thoughts. Bethany stood next to the table, a hand on her cocked, curved hip.
“Is this what I think it is?” I drawled.
“Potentially. It’s hard to know what’s in your mind, Mav. Lizbeth is scouring Pinterest for a ‘really cute design that matches the general decor.’ Because, ‘Bethany, don’t be a caveman. It all mustmatch.’”
Lizbeth, across the room, snorted.
I laughed and peeled it open to see the first page.
THE FROLICKING MOOSEOPERATIONS MANUAL
The next pagerevealed a neatly typed table of contents, with the Frolicking Moose logo on the top of the page and a blocky, western font that matched.
Organized words filled every page. Proofread, no typos, in order, and with helpful markings to indicate when one standard operating procedure referred to another one. She must have finished writing it last night and printed it out this morning.
“I have an online version and this one, just in case the internet is down or the barista can’t get to my computer. Lizbeth has volunteered to be in charge of monthly update audits, which makes both of us ridiculously happy because, frankly, the wordauditmakes me want to scream.”
Pride swelled within me as I ran my eyes over page after page. She’d not only managed it, but she’d donewell. Beyond what I’d ever imagined. In fact, she’d given me a great gift.
She’d shown me that it was possible.
Although I’d improved Mallory’s business landscape through her sales force, a small business was an entirely different animal. The validation of my business instincts was almost as powerful as the change in her. I needed to know that this could work, and she was proving me out.
Defensive, uncertain Bethany was a confident owner in her own right. She didn’t even realize the intensity of her own instincts yet.
“Amazing.” The paper whispered as I flipped through the binder. “You did it, Bethany.”
Her eyes shone. “I know! I can be taught.” She reached into her purse and slid an envelope across the table to me. Color pinked her cheeks in a lovely way. “Here. This is for you.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “A card?”
“It’s ... it’s really not much. Open it later,” she added hastily.
“Sure.”
I tossed the card farther onto the table, out of reach, and her shoulders relaxed.
“Now, I don’t know what’s next,” she said.
“Profitability, for one. You’ve identified a whole list of issues and started fixing them. Now we get more people into your store, test your process, and increase how much money you make.”
Her face paled slightly. “Oh, is that all?”
