Page 117 of Daily Grind
Did he? He glanced behind Justin. Eli was chatting with Lamont and they were both laughing.
His heart dipped. None of this felt right.
“I had the exact same issue with the chocolate syrup.” Justin spoke softly. “Always wanted to put more in. You had me remake ’em… but you were kind about it. Told me I would get it eventually. Did that with everything I screwed up—which I did a lot of in those first few weeks.”
Thinking about it now, he remembered. Brian chewed on his tongue. “You’re saying I was a dick out there.”
Justin nodded. “Yeah, you were. And if you keep being one, you’ll lose him. He’s a good guy.”
Lose him. Good guy.Brian caught himself on the counter. Too late for one person.
“Bri?” Justin was at his elbow, gripping his arm. “Are you feeling okay?”
No. Not with his heart cracking open again. “I…” God, he hadn’t even said it out loud. That would make it real. “I broke up with Rob.”
“Oh shit.” It came out as an exhale. Justin let go. “Youdidn’t.”
“He was—” Trying to help. In all the wrong ways, but still. “It didn’t work out.”
“The shop?”
Brian cringed and nodded.
“Well, shit.” Justin pushed his hair away from his eyes and looked quite a bit older and wiser. “That explains some things.” He shook his head. “Look, I know you’re stressed and I know you’re heartbroken. But youcan’ttake it out on your workers.”
“I know.”
“Yeah, you do and yet—” He nodded behind him.
Brian rubbed his forehead. “Point.”
“Have you called him?” Soft words.
Rob. “No. I’m not going to.”
“Bri… sometimes we say stuff we don’t mean. It’s stress or fear or whatever the hell.” He fiddled with his wedding ring. “Trust me.”
“I’mnotcalling him.” This time he succeeded in moving past Justin, but he quelled his anger once out in the shop.
When Lamont glanced over, he had the look of someone who’d been yelled at one too many times.
Brian winced. Justin was right—he used to be a better manager. He’d fucked up. Time to suck it up and fix his mistakes.
Justin followed him out of the back, silently took his coffee, and he and Eli nodded their good-byes. Once they were out of the shop, Brian took a breath and turned to Lamont. “I owe you an apology.”
Lamont tipped his head in surprise and wariness.
Ouch, but he deserved that appraisal. “I should never have snapped at you like that. Or any of the times I have.”
“Well, I can’t say I appreciated it. I’m still new here, Brian.”
“I know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Or I should. I’ve been—”
“Stressed?” Lamont grabbed a rag and started cleaning the frothing wand.
“Doesn’t mean I should be taking it out on anyone else.” He picked up his laptop and the paid bills. “Won’t happen again.”
“Good.” Lamont met his gaze, his dark eyes as penetrating as Eli’s. “Because I like it here. It would be a shame to have to move on.”
