Page 18 of Coffee Shop Girl
She shrugged. “Go ahead. Do you want something to drink?”
“Black, two creams, no sugar.” Halfway to the room, I stopped and looked back. “How are you today, by the way?”
The question hung in the air between us, along with my acute curiosity as to why she looked so surprised that I’d asked. The awkward stillness lasted for a breath before she swallowed and said, “Ah, fine. Thanks.”
“Good.”
“You?”
“Good. Slept on the deck last night. There’s nothing quite like a mountain night in the summer.”
She softened into a half-smile. “As long as it’s warm, I would agree.”
My gaze roved the counters behind her, then I made a sound in the back of my throat. The machines were old and not much to brag about. Maintenance must be tricky and cost a lot. She could highly benefit from an investment into better machines, but she’d be hard to convince of that.
With one last nod, I disappeared into her office and shut the door. She hadn’t been kidding. There wasn’t even room to slide the chair back, so my knees butted up against the... desk—more like a wooden board cut to fit the width of the space, then supported and nailed into place by other boards.
She’d cleared it off, though, leaving just enough room for my laptop and a few papers.
I had a feeling she’d be worth it.
7
Bethany
Istared at my office door, flabbergasted.
With a blink, I turned back to the coffee machine and drew in a deep breath. Was he really that nice of a guy? Nothing about his inquiry felt like a pick-up line. But such a sprawling man didn’t strike me as the type to just be ... kind.
Probably better that Maverick was holed up in the office so I didn’t stare at him. Drooling, almost, but I didn’t think he’d noticed that when he first sauntered in. As if heknewhe looked like a Viking and didn’t mind using it to his advantage.
Maybe he wanted something from me.
No. It wasn’t like that, either. He’d seemed genuine when he’d asked about my day. Now I could just stare at the closed door and feel even crazier. Plus, everything was going to smell like pine in there, and my brain would never think again.
Thank you, attractive male dominance.
At least I’d worn lipstick.
I wondered what he saw when he looked at the shop. He certainly had studied it just now when he looked around. That wasn’t the first time I’d noticed it. As if he knew what it all meant, when I wasn’t even sure I did.
Did others see the same warmth and charm? Maybe it was a bit cluttered, but the place had a homey feel. Smelled like Dad. And sometimes like fish on a really hot day, but no one had ever complained. Besides, it was comfortable. Familiar. Like a constant hug from him.
That’s all that mattered.
The sound of the bell drew me back to the shop, and I turned as someone came through the drive-through, relieved to throw my thoughts intoanythingbutMaverick.
The morning rush congregated as usual, but this time I was prepared. My flustered days were firmly behind me now that I had enough milk and the machines were running. But I still couldn’t stop yawning.
Even if the girls hadn’t shown up, I probably wouldn’t have gotten much sleep. The siren call of the real estate program still beckoned me, but the massive pile of debt always smacked it down. The stack of mail stared at me from the counter. I was far behind.
In more ways than one.
Sweet heaven, but I needed an employee who would stick around.
Shoving that thought aside, I stepped into the storage room to grab more lids. When I returned, Maverick stood at the counter, taking all the air as he peered out the drive-through window. He looked at me as if untangling his thoughts.
Making my tone nonchalant was no simple feat. “Hey. Meetings go well?”
