by Lexi Wilson
“Fuck you,” he said.
“You know, if you were more responsible with your time, this wouldn’t be another write-up. I mean, I’ve been working for years, and I’ve never had a single one,” I remarked.
“You want a trophy?” he asked.
“I want you to leave. You’re making an ass out of yourself, and you’re going to wind up on YouTube if you aren’t careful,” I said. “Look at the kids in here. They all have smart phones, and they all want to be the one to go viral. Keep this up, and you’re going to be a meme in no time,” I smiled.
He looked first at me, then at the rest of the room. He knew I was right. There were enough people online who were famous for throwing fits in restaurants or parks as it was. He would just be the next one to get a nickname and wind up being the butt end of more jokes than anyone could count.
“I’m never coming back here. Good job, you’ve lost a customer,” he turned to the barista, but I wasn’t going to let him keep on her.
“Then I applaud her,” I said. “Now leave.”
He snorted and stalked out of the coffee shop with the students still watching. I took the chance to get my order in before the line formed once more.
“Thank you for that,” the barista said as she handed me my coffee. “I’m new here, and when it gets backed up like this, I get flustered.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” I told her. “Just keep a smile on your face. You look like you came straight from heaven, and you make a cup of coffee to match.”
She blushed as she handed me my receipt, but I quickly grabbed a pen.
“I can see that you’re busy at the moment, but I would love for the chance to talk to you more. Seriously, I’ve traveled a lot in my life, and you are by far the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. There’s that smile! I knew it would be beautiful,” I flirted.
“Um, okay, sure,” she said. She was quiet, innocent. Just the sort of woman I knew I could fall for easily. I wasn’t looking for a relationship, not with everything else I had going on, but I was happy to get to know this woman. Hell, I would be happy to get her into bed, too. She was young, sure, but she couldn’t be too much younger than myself.
And that innocence was enough to drive me insane.
“Okay, let me see that,” she took the receipt and scribbled her number on the back. “I work a lot, but don’t let that stop you from texting me.”
I grinned at her, causing her to flush red. “Don’t you worry. I’ll shoot you a text right away so you have my number, but you can answer when you get the chance.”
“Okay,” she said again. I could have stayed and talked to her all day, but with the line already formed behind me once more, I knew I had to get out of there and let her do her job. I didn’t want to get her in trouble, and I knew I’d already spent enough time at the counter.
With one parting, flashing grin, I left the beautiful woman at the counter, already planning to text her something that would be sure to bring a smile to her face.
That smile would be etched in my mind for the rest of the day.
Chapter 3
Zia
“I’m just saying, if you don’t think you can do the job” –
“No! I can, I really can,” I said frantically, interrupting my manager. “Today was just an off day, that’s all.”
“That’s your third off day in four days,” she replied. “This place isn’t made of money, and if you aren’t able to be up to par, then I’m going to have to let you go and find someone who is.”
“Understood,” I said. “But I know I can do this. You just need to give me the chance, please?”
“You broke a cup and a plate both today,” she said with a shake of her head. “And I received a complaint yesterday that you dumped a cup of coffee on a customer!”
“I didn’t dump it on him,” I tried. “I caught the edge of the counter when I was trying to pass it, and it slipped out of my hand.”
“Either way, he told me that he had to take his suit to the drycleaners, and guess who has to foot the bill for that? Do you want me to start taking these things out of your wages? Because it seems to me that is the best way to get someone to treat this place with respect,” she snapped.
“No, please. I promise I’m going to do better,” I said. “This was just my first week, that’s all. I’m trying to get in the swing of things, and it’s taking me a little longer than usual. I’m just tired from the move and trying to get settled into my apartment. When I get all that sorted, I’m going to be able to keep up with the rest of the staff.”
Miss Jean stared at me long and hard. I hated that she required we call her “Miss” Jean and not just by her first name, but it hadn’t taken me long to realize this woman lived for this shop. I didn’t understand why someone her age would love a little coffee shop she didn’t even own so much, but that was the case, and there wasn’t any arguing with her about it.
The best I could do was to keep up with the rest of the girls up front and do my best to keep the customers happy. But it hadn’t taken me long to figure out most people weren’t happy before they got their coffee in the morning, and many of them felt I was the source of their unhappiness.
“Alright. I’ll give you one more chance since you already have the basics down. But let me tell you this: I don’t have to keep you on. There are plenty of other college students who are looking for work right now, and I would be happy to hire any one of them if it meant I wasn’t going to lose more business or product to carelessness, understood?” she stared at me with the same gaze.
“Yes,” I nodded. I felt like a child being lectured by a parent, and I wasn’t sure what to say, but I wasn’t going to argue with her. I had to keep this job, or I was going to have to go to my parents for money, and that’s the last thing I wanted to do.
I meant it when I told my roommate I wanted to be responsible for myself, and I really didn’t want to go to my parents for anything, but if I didn’t have an income, I wouldn’t be able to make it in Chicago. I might not be happy with how Miss Jean treated the staff, but I had to bite my tongue and keep my head down.
It was the only way I would be able to keep the job, and that was worth it to me. At least for now. I might be able to find a new job, but it would be a lot better for me to establish myself in one place before school started.
“This is your last warning,” Miss Jean continued. “If I have to have another talk with you about this or any other complaints, I’m going to let you go.”
“Understood,” I said. “Thank you for another chance. I know you aren’t going to regret it!”
“I hope not,” she rose from behind the desk. It wasn’t hers. This office wasn’t hers, either. It belonged to the owner of the shop, but she used it as much as she could. There was a part of me that was sure she liked the power she felt when she was in the seat, and it made me both feel sorry for her and want to laugh at her. The whole thing was ridiculous.
“That’s all, you may go,” she huffed. “And close the door behind you on your way out.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “See you tomorrow.”
She grunted and gave a nod, but her back was to me, and she clearly didn’t have any intention of turning around. I merely rolled my eyes and left. There were plenty of times I felt I couldn’t win with her, and this was yet another moment.
It had only been four days at the coffee shop, and I hadn’t even worked with her all that much. But when I did work with her, it sure made up for the times that she was gone. Not to mention, there were other members on the staff who liked to kiss her ass.
They weren’t going to get a raise out of it, but I could plainly see that those who did were given the courtesy of a blind eye when they screwed up. Unlike me or anyone who was like me. It was frustrating to say the least, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
“Unless I quit,” I muttered to myself as I took off my apron and hung it on the hook in the back.
“Are you in tr
ouble?” Sam, another of the baristas, was leaning against the doorway. “It’s not like she calls someone into her office to tell them they’re doing a good job.”
“It’s not her office,” I said.
“I know, but it might as well be. You know she all but runs this place. The owner just wants to get the money at the end of the day. He doesn’t care about how that’s done,” she sighed.
“I’m not in trouble,” I said. “I mean, not really. She’s pissed about how the last few days have gone for me, and she was telling me to either pick it up or she was going to find someone who could.”
“Rough,” Sam gave me a sympathetic look. “Do you think you’re going to manage?”
“I have to,” I said. “I’m not going to make it here in Chicago if I can’t get my head on straight. I mean, come on, it’s coffee. It’s not like it’s rocket science. And it’s a paycheck, which is what I really need.”
“I don’t know, I’ve seen a lot of people come through here with a science to their cup of coffee that would make you think that it was life or death,” Sam laughed. “When do you work again?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. I’m only working a half day,” I said. “I know I’m going to have to get used to it if I’m going to be working here around classes, but I wish I got more hours now so I could put some money aside for a rainy day, you know?”
“I hear you,” Sam nodded once more. “But I mean, with all the students coming in and everyone wanting hours, your best bet to get more work is to trade off with someone or to just offer to take over a shift for someone.”
“I wish I knew more of the people who worked here better,” I lamented. “I don’t feel right just walking up to someone and telling them I would be happy to take their shift if they don’t want to work it.”
“Just leave a note by the time clock,” Sam said. “Post it above and leave your cell number or email or something. That way if anyone is looking to get their shift covered, they’ll know they can ask you and likely get out of working that day.”
“Not a bad idea,” I looked at her in surprise. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”
Sam laughed. “No problem. There’s a few things I learned here that I was shocked I didn’t come up with on my own. Anyway, I’ve got to get going; my other shift at my second job starts in half an hour.”
“See you later,” I said as she left. I liked Sam. She was the first person I could really call a friend at the coffee shop, and it was nice to have another woman to talk to. Sure, there was always Kira, but she was often wrapped up in her own world, which made it hard at times to break into her thoughts and get any of her undivided attention.
It wasn’t a great day, and I had to admit, I was glad it was over. And even happier I didn’t have to go back until the following afternoon. Yes, I was going to have to go back sooner rather than later, but knowing that I didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn or deal with the people who came through first thing in the morning was a bonus.
As I headed out the door and toward the sidewalk, I was surprised by my phone ringing. I thought I recognized the number on the screen, but no names were coming to mind, so, with a shrug, I answered it.
“Hello?”
“Zia?” a male voice asked.
“Yes?” I pressed.
“This is Josiah. We met the other day at the coffehouse. I sent you a text, but you never got back to me, I was just checking in to see how you were doing,” he said.
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” I felt stupid as I suddenly knew why the number seemed so familiar. Of course it did. How could I have forgotten to get back to him? Standing up for me like he had was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me, but I had been so busy, it slipped my mind.
“I was going to text you, I promise,” I continued. “Just with work and getting ready for school and everything, I guess it slipped my mind, sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he laughed. I liked his laugh. There was something welcoming about it. It made me feel happy on the inside as well, and I wanted to join in. “Are you still at work?”
“Just left,” I said. “It was quite a day, so I’m glad to be out of there.”
“Great!” he sounded excited. “So would you happen to be interested in grabbing a drink with me? I would love to get to know you a little more.”
I was surprised at how my heart skipped a beat at the invitation. Sure, he was hot, but I figured I would be more nervous if he were to ask me to do something. Instead, I just felt excited about the idea, and I didn’t feel the need to give it another thought.
“I would love to,” I said. “Where? I don’t know anything here yet.”
He laughed again. “I’ll text you an address and get a cab. I’ll make sure you get home okay.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll see you soon.”
I hung up the phone and within seconds the address came through. So, I flagged down a cab and slid into the back, giving the driver the information before settling in to prepare myself for the meeting. I didn’t want to think of it as a date. Not yet, but there was still a thrill that ran through me at the thought of going out with such a hot guy.
The ride was relatively short, only taking about fifteen minutes before we pulled up in front of a small building.
“Are you sure this is it?” I asked.
“That’s the address you gave me,” he said. “Were you expecting something else?”
“I’m not sure what I was expecting,” I admitted, then I looked back at the building with wide eyes. “But it sure as heck wasn’t a club.”
Chapter 4
Josiah
“Of course she’s a fucking student,” I muttered as I hung up the phone.
It was a gamble, going to a coffee shop that was so close to campus, that was for sure, but I hoped for the best when I asked her for her number, and I wasn’t thrilled with the fact she was in college.
Sure, I was happy for people who chose to further their education, and though I wasn’t sure what she was even going for, I had a feeling she was going to be great at it, but it would put an end to the chance I’d ever be able to have anything with her.
There were strict policies on campus. No professors were to date any of the students. No exceptions. It wouldn’t even matter if the two of us had something going by the time school started. If I were to break that policy, one or the other of us could get kicked out of the school.
Or worse, both.
Shaking my head, I walked back into the club, trying to push the negativity out of my mind. I wanted to just think about how beautiful she was. That smile when I flirted with her. The way she flushed that crimson red. Her body and how perfect it was.
Everything.
“Sorry about that,” I said as I slid back into my barstool.
“Who were you calling?” Nathan asked. He was my best friend and another professor on campus – and the whole reason I got the job in the first place. Sure, I had credentials and my own work ethic that got me there, but if it wasn’t for him, there would be no way I could have gotten in this semester.
Thanks to him pulling the right strings and talking to the right people, I was all but a shoe-in, and I was okay with that. It made me feel good knowing he had my back, and I was determined not to fuck this up for his sake as much as for my own.
“Just a friend,” I said. “I met her at a coffee shop the other day, and I thought she might want to stop by and grab a drink after she got off work. She accepted.”
Nathan laughed. “You’re not even fully settled yet, and you’ve already got yourself a girlfriend.”
“Come on, it’s not like that,” I said, brushing off his comment but unable to hide the smile on my face. “I can talk to a woman and not have it be like that.”
“But you don’t,” Nathan said. “I’ve yet to see you talk to anything with tits and not have it turn into something more.”
“Well, this is different,” I tried, though I knew it wasn�
�t going to get me anywhere.
“Sure it is. Tell me when you’ve ever met a girl with the intention of being just friends with her!” he slapped me on the shoulder, and I took it with as good-naturedly as I could.
“I’m not saying I’m opposed to something coming in the future. I’m just saying that’s not the reason why I chose to give this girl my number or asked her to come down here for a drink,” I said.
“So you’re the one who gave her your number? Not the other way around? You losing your touch?” Nathan teased.
I laughed. “You’re never going to be able to keep up with me, so don’t even go there. You know I’m the king of women.”
“In your dreams!” he said. “You wouldn’t have a chance in hell with any of them if you just let them come to you. You’re the one who has to always go after them and hope one of them will take pity on you and sit on your dick.”
“That was a long time ago!” I said. “You’re thinking of the nerdy me in school.”
“You’re still in school,” he said. “You might be on the other side of the desk, but you’re still that schoolboy.”
“You’re just trying to get under my skin,” I shook my head. “And it’s not going to work. I know you well enough to know when you’ve had enough in you to try to get a rise out of me, and I’m not going to fall for it. Say what you want, but I’m not going to let you push me into betting you over a game of darts – nice try.”
“What about a game of pool, then?” he asked with a laugh. “I could use some extra money going into the weekend.”
“I would win in a heartbeat!” I said. “You’re all talk.”
“I’m going to pretend like I didn’t hear that,” he said. “You know I’m better at all sports, and if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even know how to play pool in the first place!”
“Then we can count it as a student surpassing the master,” I folded my arms over my chest and looked at him. “Because you know I would win, then you would have to come up with some bullshit reason why I cheated or something like that. Not falling for it. And I don’t care if you raise a scene for the other people here, either.”