by Amanda Tru
“Nothing to say, Addi? This is all thanks to you.” Kaylie smirked.
Addi popped up straight and shook her head. There was no way she would take on that stress. “No way. You are not pinning this on me. If your date is a failure, you’ll blame me. I never suggested that site. I only asked how you were going to deal with working alongside the employee who led your boyfriend astray.” Or, maybe it was the other way around; who could tell?
Kaylie flipped her hand in the air to stop Addi. “She quit the next day, and I haven’t seen either of them since. Wait,” She stopped and glanced around the room, her plucked and preened brows slanting inward. Addi could’ve warned Kaylie about the changes around the shop, but hadn’t. She was too worried Kaylie would put a stop to all they had done. “What is that?”
Addi wasn’t sure which that Kaylie could be talking about, they’d changed so much. “What’s what?”
“The music. I’ve never allowed music in my store, and I don’t even recognize this.”
Addi tried to think quickly, which wasn’t something she was good at where Kaylie was concerned. Everything she said always seemed to come out wrong.
Liberty laughed. “We’ve been playing it since I came, it’s the same music we play at The Rooster. I’ve had so many comments about how nice it is and how it improves the ambiance.” Kaylie nodded, her eyes wide and bright blue, with her mouth slightly open.
“Well, if the customers want it,” Kaylie let her words trail off. She didn’t know the first thing about running a business or what brought people into the store. If she’d had to start from the ground up, she probably wouldn’t survive. Her parents had created the brand, built the stores, hired the employees and trained them, then turned all three sites over to Kaylie.
“What’s your news?” Liberty collapsed onto the sofa and crossed her legs. Addi stayed near the door in case someone rang the bell, and chewed her fingernail. Something didn’t sit right. Kaylie never bothered to go out of her way to tell her employees anything, unless she was bragging.
“As I said, I submitted my application to Betwixt2Hearts, and I’ve already gotten a response. He’s excited to meet me, so excited that he wants to meet right away.”
Liberty flounced to the front of the seat. “Do you know his name? Is he hot? Can we see his picture?”
Kaylie slipped her huge phone out of her purse and made a show of opening it with her long nails. It had been so nice to have someone working with her who could actually work, thought Addi, instead of sitting there because she couldn’t wreck her nails or get dirty. Kaylie held out her giant phone, and the screen was so large it was like looking at a photo. “His name is Drew Tanner and here is his picture.” She batted her lashes and showed it off like a prize. “I was worried at first that it was creepy Drew, but he doesn’t seem to know me.”
Addi’s heart did a flip and acid filled her stomach. “Drew… Tanner?” She grabbed the phone to get a closer look. It couldn’t be. She squinted at the profile picture. It was old but definitely Drew. Addi glanced up to make certain Kaylie wasn’t joking with them, but she maintained her superior appearance. Liberty took the phone next and swept a glance toward Addi, then motioned almost imperceptibly to the door. Addi nodded, and Liberty handed Kaylie her phone back.
“That’s great, Kaylie. Hope you enjoy your date. What day are you going?” They would need to make sure Kaylie and Drew stayed apart until then. Obviously, Drew wanted the date, but Kaylie wouldn’t have agreed to it if she knew.
“Sometime in the next few days, we didn’t discuss particulars. I don’t want to seem too eager. Rich guys don’t like that.” Kaylie was already fixated on something else on her phone.
Liberty got behind Addi and shoved her out the door. Once they’d immersed themselves in the noise of the shop, Liberty stopped and went to the till pretending to work so she could talk to Addi without attracting notice. “Didn’t you tell me Kaylie had turned our Drew down twice?”
Addi bristled at Liberty’s our Drew, but let it slide. “Yes. Only a few weeks ago.”
At that moment, Drew walked in and waved. He was later than usual. If he’d come on time, he would’ve been in the shop when Kaylie had come in, and it might have ruined everything for Drew. She rushed to meet him before he sat down.
“Drew, you need to go. Right now. Maybe come back in an hour.” He’d already set down his laptop, and she grabbed it, shoving it into his hands. He was so handsome in his green sweater and fitted jeans. He’d trimmed his beard over Christmas, and it framed his lips perfectly. Life just wasn’t fair. Why did he have to be attracted to her boss?
“Why?” He stood there, unmoving. The man would finally get what he wanted if he would just listen. She could feel all the potential scenarios she’d worked out for meeting Drew outside of the coffee shop slip away.
“Kaylie is here,” She hissed between her teeth and glanced over her shoulder to make sure Kaylie hadn’t appeared behind her.
“Oh, well it isn’t like I’m not going to see her.”
Only after Addi rolled her eyes did she realize she’d learned that behavior from her boss. “Drew, if you want that date to happen, leave now. If she realizes it’s you, she’ll never agree.”
He set down his computer. “I’m not going to lie to her, but she doesn’t think it’s me. Plus, I wanted to talk to you. I’m sorry you got to hear about my date from Kaylie.”
Why was he worried about where she’d heard the news? “Yeah, well, I guess you’ll finally get what you want. Just remember who makes the best coffee in town.” Her heart cracked a bit. At least he’d come and see her to make coffee when he was blissfully married.
His face fell slightly. “You do.”
Her chest tightened. He was so good, so handsome, and so much more likely to go for someone like Kaylie. There would be no walks in the park or basketball games. Best friends forever wasn’t just a cute saying for her, it was her curse. “I hope you have a great time. If you’re not leaving, I’ll get your coffee.” She wondered if Kaylie would even bother to learn how he liked it.
Though Drew had tried to hold out for as long as possible in meeting Kaylie for their date, she pushed to meet him. He’d wanted to talk to her by email and text for a bit before they met in person, mostly so she could see he wasn’t such a bad catch before she realized she already knew him. The problem was, she didn’t want him to talk at all. She wanted to go dancing and see things, to go for drives in the countryside and go shopping. She would be disappointed when she found out he didn’t drive anything bigger than a scooter, mostly because everything he needed was within a few blocks. Where he couldn’t walk, was only a cab ride away.
His phone buzzed for the third time in a row. Kaylie had been so short on words at the coffee shop, he hadn’t been prepared for the thesis-length text strings she liked to send, but hated if he responded with more than a few words. He’d learned after the first one that she would get angry with him if he tried to respond before she was done. She took it as personally as if he’d verbally interrupted her. Drew scratched his temple and wished he could go get a coffee to prevent the headache lurking behind his eyes, but the weekend crew was at The Bean, and they just didn’t make his coffee quite right. Too much mint making the whole brew too bitter to drink.
A vision of Addi in his kitchen making coffee for him flashed in front of his eyes. Without thinking, he pulled up his computer and opened a search, then typed in Addison Merrick, Grand River, Texas. Nothing came up, but under suggestions, it read: Were you searching for Addi Merrick? He clicked the link, and her social media profile came up right on top. He’d recognize that dark hair and shy smile anywhere.
He could see she was online at the moment and he sent her a friend request. If he had to guess, it would shock her that he’d found her, but she had given him her name in case he needed to send out a search party, and he did. Lack of coffee was an emergency. His messenger lit up with one unread message.
When he clicked it open, it
was from Addi and just one line, he didn’t even have to open it to read all of what she said.
Addi: Is this really you?
Such doubt. He laughed and opened up the box.
Drew: Yes. Is this really you?
He could see her typing something, and he waited. When it seemed like she’d been typing for about five whole minutes, he figured she’d just walked away. Maybe their friendship was only at the shop. Just as he’d suspected, she and Lauren could be twins. He reached for the top of his laptop to close it when the message finally popped through.
Addi: It is. I didn’t really expect you to actually look for me.
He stared at her comment for a minute. She was so shy and unassuming, yet completely blunt when asked a direct question.
Drew: You said I could send out a search party if I was ever in need. You also told me to remember who makes the best coffee in town. I can’t seem to brew anything but a monster headache. Are you free to come over and make some coffee? I’ll buy, maybe even spring for pizza.
Would she go for it? Having Addi all to himself, without the pressure of other customers and the shop and without Liberty to come over and chat too, had him staring at the screen bouncing his leg while he waited. Finally, after what felt like three lifetimes, Addi began typing.
Addi: You want me to come over to make coffee?
He laughed again because, in his mind, he could see the doubt on her face, the questions in her eyes.
Drew: And eat pizza. Don’t forget that. It’s a pretty important part.
He got a notification that she’d accepted his friend request. Oddly, that felt like more of a success than scoring a date with Kaylie.
Addi: I suppose I could. I have some homework to do, so I’ll need to leave shortly after pizza. How do I get there?
He gave her the address and decided that, unless she drove to get there, he’d bring her home on his scooter or rent her a cab, whichever she felt more comfortable with. At least he would know she made it back home all right.
Addi: I need to stop for a few things on my way. Give me about forty-five minutes.
That meant he had some time to wipe the dust off the top of the television, make sure pizza got ordered, and wipe down his kitchen. He wasn’t a slob, but he just didn’t use his apartment all that much except as a place to crash and watch his television. A quick look around and he realized he hadn’t done much with the place since he’d dated Lauren. The throw pillows she’d made him buy were still on his couch, just where she’d left them. The painted canvas with the word Together in a scrolling font was still in its prominent spot on his wall, not to mention the pictures.
He had a few on the wall showing the two of them, and a few more on tables around his living room. He hadn’t realized how often he saw Lauren every single day, without ever noticing that he did. He pulled the photo off the wall in the entry hall and stared at it. It was an engagement photo, and he realized it felt like he’d lived a whole life since then. He collected all the photos of Lauren and put them in his room. Maybe he’d put them back up, maybe not, but he couldn’t have Addi asking about her. Lauren was a subject best left to his past.
After all the pictures were put away, and he was reasonably certain there was nothing embarrassing for Addi to find, he gathered what he had for coffee supplies and set them out on the counter. Nothing he had looked anything like the machines they used at The Bean and that was probably how they managed to make regular coffee taste so good. But then, when anyone but Addi made it, it wasn’t quite right either.
He patted his hand against his thigh. How much longer would he have to wait, and why was he so anxious to see her?
Addi stared one more time at the address she’d copied down and still couldn’t believe it. Drew had messaged her. She’d pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, then he’d told her the reason he’d found her. It wasn’t just to hang out or even to be friends online outside of work. He’d needed coffee, of course. He was all about the coffee, and he had a date with Kaylie coming up. She shouldn’t have gotten her hopes too high, but she had as soon as she’d seen his name.
She stopped at The Bean and picked up some ground beans and the mint extract used to make Drew’s coffee taste just right. She had her French press in a box, and with a few other things from the store, she was ready to make Drew his preferred drink. She’d walked ten blocks, with a box, so she could make him a cup of coffee, and she wasn’t done yet. From The Bean, she had another six blocks to go. And she would do it again because Drew had asked. She’d do about anything for him.
She reached his apartment complex and buzzed his apartment. He came down and let her in, then grabbed the box from her arms. She’d expected him to be more relaxed on the weekend, but he wore what he usually did, a pair of jeans that fit him far too well and a button-down shirt that was about a third unbuttoned to reveal a fitted tee in a complementary color. The man was more coordinated than herself.
“What’s all this?” He eyed the inside of the box.
“It’s everything I need to make your coffee. I can’t have you thinking I’d failed. Plus, if I’m going to walk that far just to cure your headache, I want to be sure it will work.”
He smiled, and her feet suddenly didn’t hurt anymore. She smiled back as he led the way up five flights of stairs. He stood in front of his door and tried to open it, but couldn’t get a good grip as he tried to balance the box. It shifted, and she grabbed for it before it fell.
“Why don’t you let me open the door, so we don’t lose that?” She laughed but didn’t want her coffee press to get broken―not that she drank coffee, but her mother did when she came to visit.
He nodded his approval and Addi opened the door. She’d expected bachelor-white walls and no décor, considering he didn’t seem to have much interest in that sort of thing. He hadn’t even noticed the changes at The Bean, or hadn’t said anything.
“Don’t look too closely at anything. I haven’t really done anything with the place in over a year. I work too much to care.” Drew came from behind and set the box gently down on his kitchen counter and started pulling things out for her.
“It’s nice. You have more paint on the walls, pictures, and matching furniture than I do.”
“I’ve also had a few years of running my own business. You work at a coffee shop and are in college.”
How had he known she was in college? She couldn’t remember telling him, but if she did, it meant he paid attention. Her life wasn’t meant to be broadcast to just anyone. She didn’t want him thinking she was just a brainless college kid with no goals outside of making it through the semester. That stage had come and gone years before. “I’m not just in college. I’m working toward my Master’s, in Counseling. The classes that require I attend, I do after I get off work, but many I take online.”
She arranged everything she needed in the order she’d need it on the counter, then got busy making it. It took longer, because she didn’t have the specialty equipment available to her at work, and while she could’ve just made him a coffee when she’d been at work, it wouldn’t have been hot by the time she got it there.
Drew hovered behind her, watching her, and she could feel his presence, his every movement. Though she thought he’d make her nervous―like Kaylie―he didn’t. Having him there soothed her, which was unexpected.
“So, what caused your monster headache?” She turned to look at him as she grabbed the large mug he’d left out for her use.
“Dare I say?” He raised his eyebrows and smiled, drawing her attention to his lips, that were just the right fullness for his neatly trimmed beard, or kissing… she turned back to her task to hide the heat climbing up her cheeks.
“Well, I should know what to prepare for. If I have to come over here often, I need to know.” She laughed but hoped he would invite her to do something that didn’t involve coffee at some point.
“It was Kaylie. She’s more than I ever expected.”
That woman
was about as high-maintenance as they came, but Drew had to have known that from seeing her at The Bean. She wasn’t any different there than she was outside of work, the little that Addi had seen anyway.
“And this surprised you?”
He chuckled as she handed him the cup. He did his usual embrace of the mug and lifted it to his nose, took a deep sniff and closed his eyes as he breathed a sigh. If only she could make someone that happy with something other than a drink.
“Yes, I guess I thought maybe her work self was different than reality. We’re going to see a play, then I’m taking her out to eat after. It’s something I wanted to see anyway, but wouldn’t go alone.”
Addi had never been to a play, not that she wouldn’t love to. Tickets were expensive, and she’d rather eat. “Sounds like a great time. I’m sure Kaylie will enjoy herself. Though, snap a picture if you can. I’ve never actually seen her eat anything but ice cream.” Addi shivered at the memory.
Drew took a sip of the coffee. “It isn’t quite the same.” He paused to think, then took another sip. “It may be even better.” He took a deep breath and just enjoyed it for a second, then replied, “Are you insinuating my date is a vampire?”
The thought was preposterous and too funny to ignore. Addi laughed and leaned against the counter, amazed at how comfortable she felt there. Drew just wasn’t much of a stranger anymore, even though they hadn’t talked all that much.
“Not at all. I think she absorbs nutrients from her phone. I rarely see her touch anything else. Though she does leave the store for lunch.”
He glanced behind her. “Aren’t you going to make one for yourself?”
She never drank coffee. It was one of the benefits of working where she did; there was no need to burn through her paycheck on a product she didn’t consume. “No, I’m good. No headache.” She tapped her temple, and he laughed as he turned to leave the kitchen that was literally three times the size of her own.