Page 6 of Billionaire and the Barista

“Instead of sweets, cupcakes and cookies, what do you think if I started offering more savory options?”

“Like sausage and egg breakfast muffins?” Mitch had been after me to offer a heartier breakfast fair for the past few years. He always claimed to want something that would get him through a morning of work better than a cup of coffee and a sugar bomb.

“Like pizza croissants,” I said. Something easy that didn’t require extra prep work is what I had been thinking. Pre-cut pepperoni, tomato sauce, and shredded cheese came in bulk.

“Give it a try, see how they do,” he said with a shrug.

He wasn’t the best when it came to offering market advice. But I appreciated him for other reasons.

“Is that boyfriend of yours going to bring me his bike for a checkup before tonight?” He looked out for Nathan's bike, and for that I was truly grateful. He kept my love safe.

“I can only assume he will. He said he would be here tonight.” He had better be here tonight. I didn’t know if I’d be able to hold on to my news for much longer.

“Hey Gab—, oh hey, Mitch,” Josh crashed into the kitchen.

“S’up dude?” Mitch offered a curled fist to bump with Josh’s.

“We just ran out of snickerdoodles, and we have one muffin left,” Josh gave me a rundown of our stock. “Cindy isn’t in yet and I’ve got to leave in twenty.”

I sighed and wiped my hands down the front of my apron.

“Don’t worry about the muffins, they needed to sell out. I have cookies in the oven, so”— I glanced at the big wall clock— “fresh cookies in less than ten minutes. Has she even called in? She's, what, ten minutes late?” I hissed and bit my lip as I thought. I really needed to be in the kitchen all day.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I can fill in for a bit.”

“Mitch…” I started.

“This is purely selfish. I want to try out these pizza things you are gonna make.” He stood and ushered Josh out of the kitchen. “I’ll man the counter, you get on the horn and find out where Cindy is, and if we need to find someone to cover her shift.”

He really was the best big brother a girl never had.

The oven timer binged, and I was pulled away from whatever thoughts my mind had drifted off to. My attention was needed by a few dozen cookies. Cookies, pineapple slices, blending frosting, so much sugar in the air, and finally puff pastries stuffed with pepperoni and cheese.

I was head down and in baking mode for hours before I realized that I should maybe take a break and get off my feet for the baby’ sake. I had been so busy I barely registered that Josh left when his shift ended, and that Cindy had arrived late, and that Mitch had left for his shop.

I sat in the corner that was my “office” and propped my feet up. Pulling out my phone I looked up some websites that were all about expecting and being pregnant.

“I always knew you were a slacker,” Cindy teased.

“What?” I looked up to see her laughing at me.

“Hi Gabriella, how are you today?”

“I’m fine, why?”

“You only grunted at me when I came in, you were so focused on baking. I thought I’d come check on you, and this time you’re all crashed out with your feet up. I couldn’t resist.”

I glanced up at the big clock. From her words, I thought it had only been a few minutes since she got here, but according to the clock, it had been hours.

“How is it four-thirty already?” I asked.

“Have you bothered to eat anything today? Or have you been here huffing sugar and flowers all day?”

I chuckled; huffing was not too far off from what it was like breathing in a cloud of ingredients. Something that couldn’t be avoided.

She perched on the same stool Mitch had occupied hours earlier. “Look, it’s dead out there. Can we close early? I’ll go grab us some hamburgers and you can finish prepping for the night rush.”

Closing time was typically closer to seven, and on race nights, I would unofficially open again around eleven for a few hours of après race snacking.

“I’ll watch the front if you are willing to still go grab some burgers.” My stomach grumbled; I was hungrier than I realized.

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