Page 65 of Billionaire and the Barista

Keeping my eyes on her, I opened the door and waited for her to step out. “You need to leave now.”

Mitch stared at me from the sidewalk. “You need me to remove someone?”

I looked at him and then turned my gaze back to Mrs. Teal. “I don’t know, do I?” I asked her.

With a great deal of blustering and ‘I Nevers,’ she stormed through the open door. Adrenaline was still high in my veins when Mitch stepped in and then I closed the door behind us.

I was greeted with applause from the few people at the tables, and those waiting at the counter.

“Thank you, I was concerned her dog was going to lunge for Shavers here,” the person the service dog was with said.

“Well, Shavers is a good boy. He didn’t budge.”

“That’s what hundreds of hours of training get you. Thanks again.”

“I haven’t seen you that worked up over anything in a long time,” Mitch said.

I shrugged and suddenly remembered my cupcakes. “Shit,” I bit out and then ran to the kitchen.

I pulled open the oven and began reaching for a pan.

Mitch physically pulled me back, preventing me from touching anything. “What the hell, Gabby?”

I blinked up at him, angry for stopping me. And then realization dawned across my addled brain. He had just saved me from wrapping my bare hand around three-hundred-degree metal.

All the adrenaline left my body in a rush. And with it, it took any wherewithal I had to maintain being a somewhat functional adult with it.

I collapsed against Mitch in tears. Something I hadn’t done in years. He pulled me back to the chair in my office area and sat me down. He handed me a tissue.

“What’s got you so upset? It wasn’t that woman and her little dog. There is something else going on here. I know you kid. Don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

I sniffed and blew my nose. I had never felt so completely stupid. I almost burned myself. I was so flustered from having to kick someone out and then banning them from ever coming back.

I lifted my eyes to Mitch, he sat on the edge of my desk waiting for me to talk when I was ready. I wasn’t ready. I shook my head.

“I’ve been distracted lately,” I managed.

“Sure, right. I’ve seen you distracted, and this isn’t it. I’ve also seen you broken-hearted. Nathan didn’t break up with you again, did he? Good riddance if he did. That man isn’t good enough for you. I always thought he was trying to hide something.”

“I don’t want to talk about Nathan.”

“Ah, Gabby. I hate being right,” Mitch stood, and then crouched down in front of me so he was below my eye level. “You deserve better than that guy. He’s just some rich asshole playing down here—”

“If you’re going to talk about Nathan, you can follow Mrs. Teal and her stupid dog out the front door,” I snapped. “I told you, I don’t want to talk about Nathan.”

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