The two women regarded each other.
“So what’s your preference?” Wren asked after a pause.
“Well, either way I think the outcome will be the same, so how about you just do your thing.”
A slow smile began to appear on Wren’s face. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment?”
“Probably about as long as you’ve worked here,” Kate supplied.
“You’d be right,” Wren agreed. “So how far can I go?”
“I’m thinking whatever you come up with has to be machine washable, or able to withstand the occasional splatter in the kitchen,” Kate supplied, “but other than that it’s all up to you.”
“Accessories?” Wren cocked her head.
“Within reason,” Kate allowed, “you know I can’t do frou-frou.” She gestured to herself as an example.
Wren took in Kate’s usual work attire: jeans, Chucks, and a T-shirt. “You mean can’t or won’t?” she asked. Kate had pulled her hair up into a ponytail, and today she had moonstones swinging from her ears. Wren had to admit that Kate had style, and she was blessed with a lovely figure, but surely there had to be a way of showing it off a little more.
Kate sighed and gave Wren a long stare. Wren held up her hands in surrender.
“Okay,” she conceded, “minimal accessories. But when you say free rein, do I have your word on that?” Wren looked at Emily who had been stacking some clean glasses on a nearby shelf. “Hey, Emily, you’re a witness to this, right?”
“Sure,” Emily said. “But what am I agreeing to?”
“I’m giving Wren artistic free license to give us a new look here in the store,” Kate answered.
Emily’s face dropped. “But what’s wrong with the place? I think it looks fantastic.” She waved a hand to encompass the store.
“Oh, no,” Kate broke in. “The look of the store is my domain. I’m talking about us.” She pointed from herself to Wren then to Emily, and gave Emily a shy smile. “You really think the place looks that good?”
“Absolutely.” Emily nodded. “It’s unique. I love how you’ve just jumbled everything in together. Have you noticed how some of our regulars don’t even bother bringing a book with them anymore? They either help themselves to a book off the shelf, or they just sit and look at all the stuff you’ve got hanging up.”
“Good.” Kate was pleased. “That’s just what I’ve been hoping they’d do.”
“It’s working,” confirmed Wren. “Mind you, some of our regulars come in to look at other points of interest.” She gave Kate an arch look. “Not that I’m naming names or anything, Kate.”
Kate shook her head in mock exasperation, and flicked a quick look at Michael’s table. He was looking over at the counter toward her, and she gave a brief smile before glancing at Wren to see her wearing a smug I-told-you-so expression. Without saying a word, Wren picked up her magazine and flicked it open, giving Kate a wide-eyed innocent look and began to leaf through the pages as she strolled toward the kitchen.
“You know,” Emily ventured, “for a smart woman, she can be a bit dense sometimes.”
“Wren?” Kate looked at Emily in puzzlement. “Really?”
“For sure. She can’t see what’s right in front of her.” Emily shrugged. “It’s a case of who watches the watcher.”
“But who—” Kate began, stopping when Emily raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in David’s direction. She watched as David kept talking to Michael, his eyes tracking Wren as she walked the length of the counter and disappeared into the back. “I see,” she said after a thoughtful pause. “Well, this is going to be interesting. I don’t think she even likes him.”
“I know, but sometimes what we think we want and what we actually need are two different things,” Emily speculated.
~~~
“So what is it you want to do?” Michael ventured.
“I wish I knew,” David admitted. “But I’ve got a bit of time up my sleeve to work things out. Speaking of which …” He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to head back to work.” He got up from the table and walked around to stand beside Michael’s chair. “Thanks for letting me vent.”
“Any time,” Michael replied, and he meant it. “You take care. Call if you want some company, okay?”
“Will do,” David answered. With a final smile, he left the store.
Michael watched as David walked out, and then finished his coffee. It seemed that just as his luck was changing so was David’s, although time would tell just how successful each of them would be this time around. He looked up as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and saw Kate smiling at him.
“Are you staying awhile longer?”
“Sure,” Michael replied and was rewarded with a smile.
“Oh, good, I’ll get some lunch then. It’d be nice to have some company.” She made to return to the counter, and then turned back. “Another coffee?”
“If you’re having one.”
“Coming up.”
Kate walked back to the counter, sticking her tongue out at Wren who was beaming at her. “Not a word,” she warned her as she grabbed herself a bagel out of the display cabinet.
“I didn’t say anything,” Wren protested.
“You didn’t have to; your thoughts were screaming at me,” Kate answered with a smile. “But in the meantime you can make a couple of coffees for us.” Picking up another plate, Kate added two cupcakes.
“Sure, boss.”
“Don’t call me boss,” Kate shot back automatically as she carried her two plates past a grinning Emily. “And that goes for you too, Emily.”
“Okay, boss.”
Kate stopped short at that and turned to face a giggling Emily. “Did I just hear that?” She looked back at Wren, who was making a show of being very busy with her coffee prep. “Have you gone viral now?”
“Looks like it, boss,” Wren said in a cheerfully unrepentant tone.
“No respect,” Kate muttered in an amused tone as she carried on toward the table where Michael sat waiting. She set the plates down and settled herself on a chair, glancing at Michael and noting with an inward groan that her face was feeling warm.
“Are you okay?” Michael said, reaching out to brush a finger against her cheek. “You look a little flushed.”
“I’m fine,” Kate said, ducking her head as her cheeks flared warmer still at his touch. “But do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched?”
“Feeling I’m … oh.” Michael glanced back to the counter in time to see Emily duck behind the coffee machine.
Wren swept toward them, bearing two cups and a serene expression, setting the cups down and giving Kate a beatific smile. “You’ve been working hard, boss. Give yourself a break. Take as long as you like. Emily and I can hold the fort.”
“Thanks, Wren, that’s … really subtle of you.”
“Just trying to help is all.”
“Thanks, Wren, and you can go away now,” Kate replied, rubbing her forehead with one hand and looking mortified. She watched as Wren went back to the counter and fell into a whispered conversation with Emily, and then gave Michael a pained look. “Sorry about that,” she offered.
“She means well,” Michael suggested as he stirred some sugar into his coffee.
“Try being on the receiving end sometime,” Kate muttered as she picked up her bagel. “So how’s your day?” she asked as she took a bite.
“Getting better all the time,” Michael commented. They fell into an easy conversation, and Michael again found himself wondering what it was about Kate that seemed to make talking so easy. He and David had the ease of a long friendship between them, and more often than not David sought him out as a sounding board. Listening and observing was something that came naturally to Michael, although with Kate he often found himself in situations where he wanted to talk. He wanted to tell her things about himself and to get her talking in return. He felt greedy for her words, knowing that they would sti
mulate more of his own.
“So you’re jogging now?” Kate looked impressed. “That’s something I’ve never tried.”
“It was hard at first.” Michael winced, remembering the pain of his first run with David. “But it’s getting a little easier. It’s just good to get out and get some fresh air.”
“So what made you decide to sniff the great outdoors?” Kate teased as she took another mouthful.
“You,” Michael admitted, then felt surprised at the unexpected honesty before he could filter his answer.
Kate’s chewing slowed as she regarded him with surprise, then swallowed. “Me?”
“Why not?”
“I’m …” She shrugged, looking bewildered. “Well, I guess it’s a bit unusual to be credited with something like that.” Kate had finished her lunch by now and sat twisting her teaspoon, the clinking noises it made against the saucer breaking the sudden silence.
“Have I freaked you out?” Michael ventured after a pause.
“No, it’s just I …” She paused and blushed. “Thank you.”
~~~
Wren and Emily were still watching them from behind the counter.
“I think he’s just paid her a massive compliment,” Wren observed in an undertone.
“Really?” Emily looked over at their table. “How can you tell?”
“Because Kate is looking very pink, uncomfortable, and pleased all at once,” Wren said in a thoughtful tone. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look like that before.”
“I would’ve thought she’d be used to guys saying nice things,” Emily replied as she opened the fridge for a quick inventory. “She’s easy on the eyes, so she must get guys hitting on her now and then.”
Wren snorted. “Please, it happens all the time but she’s absolutely clueless.” Wren put her hands on her hips and regarded the pair who still sat talking in quiet tones. “Well,” she amended, “usually anyway. Galahad seems to have gotten through her defenses, so I’m hopeful.”
“Oh.” Emily’s expression cleared. “She’s been badly burned then?”
“No,” Wren said after some consideration. “But her track record isn’t good. Her first serious boyfriend was Thomas, and look how that turned out. I don’t know about you, but if I slept with a guy for a few years and then he switched teams, I’d be a bit gun-shy too.”
“She would’ve gone out with other guys since then, though, surely?”
“Sure.” Wren wiped down the coffee machine and flicked the dishcloth over one shoulder as she kept tidying up the counter. “But she uses the store as a great barricade. Which is why I’ve given things a couple of very subtle nudges in the right direction.” She straightened a couple of trays with a deft touch and nodded when everything was aligned to her satisfaction.
Emily closed the refrigerator door and gave Wren an exasperated look. “Subtle? Wren, I wouldn’t call your comments to Kate earlier very subtle.”
Wren turned and gave her a look of wounded pride. “I didn’t say the nudges were to her.” She glanced over at Kate and Michael, who were still talking, and felt a surge of glee as she watched Michael reach out and take Kate’s hand. “I nudged him.”
Emily stepped forward and peeked around the coffee machine to see the latest development before giving Wren an impressed look. “You’re good, I’ll give you that.”
“Thanks,” Wren said, looking pleased. “Hell, I had to step in and do something. It was obvious they were attracted to each other, but they’re both so damn shy it would’ve taken ages.”
“You couldn’t let things take their course naturally?” Emily teased.
“If there’s one thing you should know about me by now,” Wren replied, “it’s that I don’t do suspense.”
~~~
“So I know you’ve been waiting for me to ask,” Michael began, smiling as Kate sat up a little straighter in her chair. “Kate, would you like to go on a date with me this Saturday?”
“Oh, this is all so sudden.” Kate smiled. “I don’t quite know what to say.”
“You did tell me earlier that you were going to say yes,” Michael pointed out.
“That’s right, so I did,” she replied. “Well, then, thank you very much for asking. I’d love to.”
“I have to say that knowing the answer in advance makes it a lot easier.”
“Glad I could help,” she said. “So what are we going to do?”
“I hadn’t actually thought that far ahead,” he admitted, making her laugh. “I thought maybe dinner somewhere?”
“That sounds great,” Kate said, and she meant it. It had been a long time since she had felt this comfortable with someone. She enjoyed talking to him, and with a surprise she realized that she was already looking forward to seeing him again, although he was already sitting right in front of her.
“Good.” Michael smiled. “I’ll book us in somewhere. In the meantime, don’t be surprised if we bump into each other again.”
“You know, you could always just keep coming here. It’s nice to see you any time,” she said, then stopped in surprise. Had she just said that? How was it that he managed to wheedle such an admission out of her?
“Done.” He smiled and bit into his cupcake. As always, it was perfect. The cherry flavor burst on his tongue, surrounded by bitter chocolate and sugar sweetness. “God, this is good.”
Kate glanced at her watch as she nibbled at her own cake. The afternoon was well on its way, and she had been keeping a casual eye on the number of customers coming through. Wren and Emily seemed to be staying on top of things okay, and a quick look at the cabinet showed that they had enough cupcakes to see them through the afternoon.
“I’m sorry.” Michael’s voice broke into her train of thought. “Am I keeping you from work?”
Kate blinked as she detached herself from her mental running tally. “Not at all. I was just checking to make sure we had enough stock for the afternoon. It looks like the girls are doing fine,” she reassured him. “But what about you? Do you have to be back at work somewhere?”
“Nope, I’m a free agent most of the time.”
“Really? What is it that you do?” As soon as she asked, she regretted it. Michael’s expression became more composed, and he paused to lick his fingertips before he answered.
“I’m a writer,” he admitted.
“Wow,” Kate enthused. “Published?”
“Sometimes,” Michael replied. Modest by nature, he still had a hard time accepting praise for his work. It seemed strange that something that had come to him by accident should bring accolades and a very comfortable income. It was even harder to accept compliments when he had generated so little in recent times.
“Ah.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “Going through hard times?”
“Something like that, but things are looking up.”
“Well, that’s good news then,” Kate answered, then bit into her cupcake. She was chewing contentedly when she noticed Michael was looking amused. “What?” she mumbled around a mouthful.
“You’ve got a little …” he began, and then reached forward. Kate paused and sat still as he gently cupped her chin and rubbed his thumb across her top lip. He held up his thumb long enough for her to see the smear of frosting, before he licked it off. She sat still, watching his tongue flicker over the pad of his thumb, and realized she wanted him to kiss her again. Saturday suddenly felt too far away.
Michael tasted the sweetness on his tongue before the sugar dissolved, and he stared at Kate’s pink lips. Her tongue darted out to moisten them, and it was all he could do not to haul her over the table and into his arms. Saturday was too far away.
“You know …” he began, then stopped and coughed as his words struggled against a throat that was suddenly tight. “We’ve got a few days until Saturday. How about I walk you home tonight?”
“Okay,” Kate ventured, licking her lips again. “I think I’d like that,” then added, “very much.”
They ga
ve each other a shy smile of recognition. This time they were both aware that something was starting.
Chapter 9
Sweetness and Spice
It was with some relief that Kate saw the last customer for the afternoon leave the store. The day had finished on a quiet note, and she was pleased to see that Wren and Emily were well ahead of schedule. The two of them worked together like a well-oiled machine, finishing tasks and trading gossip and friendly insults like the old friends they were. Kate went outside and was just reaching up to take the chalkboard down from its hooks when someone grabbed her in a bear-hug from behind. She yipped with surprise, and then relaxed when she heard and felt the deep rumble of laughter. She was set down and she turned to see Paul beaming at her.
“Bear, you’re lucky I didn’t try and elbow you in the nuts.” She gave his shoulder a laughing swat.
“Good to see you too, sis.” He laughed, grabbing her in a headlock and ruffling her hair, a move he knew she hated. Kate protested and managed to squirm away from him, reaching up to smooth her hair in what she knew would be a futile gesture. Paul never did things by halves. He took down the chalkboard and carried it inside for her, setting it down by the counter at Wren’s direction. “So how’s the day been?”
“We did okay,” Kate answered. “I started a count earlier and the takings were looking good.”
“Want me to finish?” he asked, and Kate gave him a surprised nod. “Thanks, that’ll give me time to do a quick inventory of the kitchen for tomorrow.”
“No problem,” Paul answered as he headed toward the till. He popped the drawer open and started to tally, scribbling down figures on the scrap of paper Kate had started earlier. “Doing good, Kat,” he commented with a grin when she reappeared later. “Those weekends must be so close now you can almost taste ’em.”
“They do sound pretty good,” she admitted. “I’m thinking if we close Sunday and Monday it’ll be a good start.”
“A to the men,” Wren chimed in, making Emily laugh.
“When do you think you’ll start?” Paul asked, putting the takings into a nondescript bag and zipping it closed.
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