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Nothing was askew, not even the mugs that indecisive tourists picked up and put back down crooked at least a dozen times a day. Paulie and Ella really stepped up, and she owed them, especially Ella who didn’t have time to be running Cami’s store when she had Enzo’s place to finish before she moved her life across the country.
Her ankle still ached, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been. The constant sitting around that was driving her insane seemed to have helped a ton. Even the essential oils Enzo had bought her helped, too. Warmth spread through her just thinking about him.
She managed to sneak out this morning without him waking, though she expected he’d be walking through that door any minute. He would just have to wait. She had a shop to open for the day.
She went about her normal tasks, enjoying it far more than she should have. Who knew she’d miss filling the napkin holders?
Everything went as smoothly as possible, and even her ankle only throbbed slightly. The door opened, and she excitedly glanced up, but when it wasn’t Enzo, her excitement dwindled. Still she was happy to see Paulie.
“Hey boss, you’re back.” His crooked smile spread wide.
“I am.” She put the rest of the napkins in the holder and stepped out from behind the counter. “And I just wanted to say thank you so much for stepping up and taking care of this place for me. I will pay you overtime, and you’re getting a raise.”
“That’s not necessary,” Paulie said. “I just wanted to help.”
“You’re a good kid, but you’re still getting that raise.”
“In that case, I’m not going to argue.”
“Smart guy. Now tell me what I’ve missed.”
“My friend works here now. Enzo hired her.”
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“She’ll be here at ten. She was a barista at a local chain coffee shop while she was away at college, so she has experience. She’s taking a semester off, and if you are interested, she’d like to work more than just the next month.”
A week ago, Cami would’ve said absolutely not, but getting help in the off season sounded nice. Being able to take a break without having to worry about the place falling apart would help alleviate some of her stress.
“I think that would be great. I’ll talk to her when she comes in.”
“Awesome.” Paulie headed into the back, and Cami turned the closed sign to open. From there it was an endless flow of people coming in and out the doors. Everyone was happy to see that she was back but also happy that she had taken time off to heal.
She’d wondered if her customers would be disappointed if she wasn’t there to ensure they had the perfect cup of coffee to start their day, but they seemed to care more about her and her health.
A couple hours into the day, Enzo strolled in, looking as gorgeous as ever. He moved with confidence and a masculine grace that had her wanting to add more places to his bucket list.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” she said and loved the bewildered expression on his handsome face.
“Gorgeous? Okay, I’m not going to argue.”
“Good, because it would be a losing battle.”
He leaned over the counter and caught her in a sweeping kiss that was short but left a long-lasting tingle on her lips. “You snuck out this morning.”
“I did,” she said with pride. It wasn’t an easy task since her ankle still wasn’t a hundred percent, but she managed without making a ton of noise to wake the sleeping beast. Besides, last night she’d worn him out and knew he’d sleep in. Lucky for her, the alarm clock built into her head after years of conditioning finally returned from vacation.
“You should’ve woken me,” he said.
“Why, so you could argue with me? Not how I want to start my morning.”
He laughed and rubbed at his chin. “I’ll give you that.”
“Thank you, now would you like your usual? Can’t have you holding up the line.”
“Doesn’t being your boyfriend come with special privileges?”
Boyfriend.The word had always scared her, caused her to go running for the dunes, but this time it filled her with a tender warmth she wanted to snuggle into.
