Page 30 of Christmas Coffee

I play along, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “Anything for you, Miss.”

The next hour passes and it goes from insanely busy to crickets. When there’s a lull, I notice the cinnamon and chocolate on the counter. I stuff them back into the cabinet. Nova must have pulled it out. For a horrified moment, I worry that she added it to the mix. I pull down the container and sniff. It seems the same. I need to make more anyway.

I have several machines running at once, along with a few extras available so there’s always hot joe. After I start one, and it’s ready, the carafe from earlier gets pulled, cleaned, and is ready to start another batch. It’s great because there’s no waiting as long as there’s always a second batch brought in before the first is gone. When we get pounded though, it’s a little more difficult. One person can’t keep everything in rotation. The cookies are running low too. There’s only a couple of trays remaining. I can’t run out and grab more until Nova is back. If Shannon doesn’t show up, I’m stuck here until 7:00pm.

With Nova.

I’m lost in thought when a female voice rings out behind me. “I found him. It’s picture time.”

I spin around and see the brunette in the leather coat with a triumphant smile on her face. I glance out and see Shannon skulking toward us, trailing behind her. “So you did.”

“Well, come on outside. I want my picture.” Her voice is smooth, confident.

A few customers wander toward the hut. “Let me take care of them first and—”

The pair of women get closer and one says, “It’s okay. Take the picture. I want one too.”

Her friend perks up. “Can I get one too?”

I expect the woman who found Shannon to balk, but she doesn’t. Instead she holds out a hand. “That’s a great idea. Why don’t you ladies go first?”

There’s some chatter and when Shannon finally gets to the hut, he’s in full actor mode—being smooth and oozing sex appeal. After removing his fuzzy cap, he runs his fingers through his silky hair, letting it fall freely to his shoulders before donning the cap again. From the way he moves in languid suggestive poses, to his molten plastic smiles—it’s clear to me that it’s all fake. Sincerity eludes him. Shannon shoots me a look, making it rather clear that he thinks this job is a joke. All the same, he continues with his act and poses for pictures with them, knowing damn well that they’ll post those snapshots to their profiles before walking away, which leaves me with the brunette and Shannon.

Shannon holds out an arm for her. “Come on over baby, I don’t bite.”

She grins at him. “That’s too bad.” Then she steps in front of me. “Do you bite?”

The corners of my mouth twitch. “When the moment’s right.”

Shannon rolls his eyes and stomps up the steps into the hut.

I glance at the woman. “Hold on, I’ll get him for your picture. The guy doesn’t remember his name at times.” She places her slender hand on my arm, stopping me.

She tips her head to the side and whispers, “It’s all right. Let’s just call it an IOU. It gives me a reason to come back.” She flicks her dark brows and winks at me before leaning in and whispering in my ear, “You were the only reason I bothered to find him. Maybe I could trade that cookie for a cup of coffee?” She leans back, and adds, “With you?”

I can’t help it. I smile at her. “If that’s what you want.”

“Oh, I think I do,” she purrs. “I’m Yvonne.”

Nova materializes, glancing at us, before heading toward the hut. I feel like I’ve been caught, but I didn’t do anything wrong. It pisses me off. I curb my temper, and return my attention to the woman in front of me. The woman who knows her mind and isn’t fresh out of high school. The beautiful creature who isn’t off limits.

“Celyn.”

Her voice is deep, suggestively wrapping around my name. “Good to know you, Celyn.”

Nova says nothing and passes us, heading inside. I hear the hut door close and know she’s in there with Shannon.

I nod at Yvonne. “Come back toward the end of the week,” I offer in a voice deeper than the one I’ve been speaking with all day. I flash her a smile. “And we’ll do it.”

She gently touches my chest, splaying a single hand just above my heart. Then she leans in and says in a bedroom voice, “Sounds amazing. See you then.” She trails her nails over my sweater as she walks away. It makes my skin prickle and heart race. The weird part is that it also makes me feel guilty as hell.

I shove the thought away. While I know I have to focus on the hut, if I go three months without a fuck, I’ll go nuts. I’m not celibate. And I shouldn’t have to explain myself to the brunette.

A voice in the back of my mind whispers, She isn’t the problem.

Nova didn’t look twice at us and that’s what bothers me.