Page 45 of The Barista and the Billionaire Boss

With Caleb on the case, I could weather any storm. He was my anchor in even the wildest squalls.

His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Always.”

Emily, approached the counter. “Everything okay, boss?” she asked, her whisper almost drowned out by the hiss of steaming milk. “You seem worried about something.”

I pasted on a smile. “Oh, just a little hiccup this morning. But we’ve got it handled.” I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt.

Emily patted my hand, her face kind. “You know you’ve got all of us behind you, right? Whatever the trouble is, Pebble’s Brew will make it through.”

I blinked back sudden tears, touched by her support. “Thanks, Emily. That means the world.”

As she went to sit down, other customers approached with their own offers of help and encouragement. My heart swelled - this place meant so much to people, not just me. I’d fight tooth and nail for Pebble’s Brew.

The jingle of Caleb’s ringtone made me jump. He answered, his eyes intent as he listened. I held my breath, pulse racing. Had his team traced the leak?

Finally, he hung up. “Umm… it wasn’t Big Java after all,” he said, shaking his head with a rueful smile. “The recipe got posted by accident - it was in the background of a selfie you took. One of your social media followers noticed and shared it more widely.”

My cheeks flamed crimson. How could I have been so careless? I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. Of all the rookie mistakes...

Caleb gently turned my chin up to meet his gaze. “Hey, it’ll be okay,” he said softly. “We’ll get through this.”

I wanted to crawl into a hole and die from embarrassment. This was all my fault - I’d single-handedly jeopardized everything my parents had worked so hard to build. Pebble’s Brew meant the world to me, and now its secret weapon was out there for any giant chain to steal.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, unable to meet Caleb’s eyes. “I should’ve been more careful. I just... I don’t know how we come back from this.”

Caleb squeezed my hand, his touch sending a spark up my arm. “Don’t beat yourself up. It was an honest mistake.”

His voice was gentle but firm. “The important thing now is figuring out our next move.”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself with his calm confidence. He was right - wallowing in self-pity wouldn’t fix this mess.

“Okay,” I said. “Damage control. What are our options?”

Caleb leaned against the counter, brow furrowed in thought. “We could issue a takedown notice, try to scrub it from the internet,” he mused. “But realistically, once it’s out there...”

He trailed off with a shrug. I nodded - that genie wasn’t going back in the bottle.

“What if...” I bit my lip. “What if we spun this? Made the recipe public ourselves, on our terms?”

Caleb tilted his head, intrigued. “Interesting. So instead of fighting the leak, we own it?”

“Exactly.” My mind raced with ideas. “A limited edition ‘Community Blend’ or something, with special packaging. Make it an event for our customers.”

A slow smile spread across Caleb’s face. “I love it. Turn the crisis into an opportunity.”

My heart lifted with the first glimmer of hope. I threw myself into designing the new Community Blend packaging, determined to make it perfect. Caleb made some calls to our supplier to ensure we’d have enough inventory on hand for the limited release.

As I sketched at a table in the back office, I found myself slipping into an almost meditative state. The scratch of pencil on paper soothed my frazzled nerves. I wanted the design to reflect the heart of Pebble’s Brew - warm, welcoming, and connected.

Soft watercolor shapes evoked ocean waves and sunsets. I added playful touches - a flock of coffee-bean “birds” in flight, leaves, and flowers sprouting from steaming mugs. Tongue-in-cheek ingredients listed “a dash of charm” and “a sprinkle of joy.”

When I finally set down my pencil, I let out a long breath. This would work. This would bring everyone together.

The afternoon sun slanted through the windows as Caleb and I prepped for the launch. I blended batch after batch while Caleb set up a display stand outside the entrance.

Right on time, our after-work regulars began filtering in. I held my breath as the first customer approached the stand, craning to read the sign.

“Community Blend?” he said. “What’s the story here?”

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