by A J Manney
“We don’t,” Emma said with a smile. “I just thought of it in my head one day while I was making a drink and have wanted to try it ever since.”
“Hmmm, well let me know how it turns out,” Helen said noncommittally.
Emma decided to use that as her launching pad. “So, one of the things I was thinking was that we introduce a drink of the week or a drink of the month. We let our customers make up what they think would be a winning drink and write it on a 3x5 card with the name of the drink, their name, and how to make the drink. Then we pick one a month or a week and sell it. We put a chalkboard sign out and put the name of the drink and who created it. It gets people involved.”
Helen didn’t say anything, so Emma continued on.
“That’s my idea for getting customers we already have more invested. As for getting new customers, we need to get Sip and Drip on social media. We can take pictures of happy customers drinking our drinks. We can also put the drinks that our customers create on there. I think it would be cool to let people vote for their favorite,” Emma paused again. When Helen didn’t say anything, she decided to try one more thing.
“Then for my last idea,” Emma paused, taking a deep breath. “This one’s a little outside of the box. What do you think about adding cinnamon rolls to our menu?” She rushed on before Helen could stop her. “We already have a commercial oven. It would just be a matter of adding the ingredients for cinnamon rolls to our supplies. I already get here early. If I just get here a little earlier, I could make cinnamon rolls. I’ve been making them my entire life. I’ve been told they’re pretty good. I could make a batch and let you see what you think. If you like them, we could do a trial run and see if the idea takes off. If it doesn’t, then we don’t do them anymore. The idea of adding cinnamon rolls is for your non-coffee customers that wouldn’t normally give our shop a chance. The cinnamon rolls get them in the door, and maybe they will see a drink they like while they’re in here. It could turn non-customers into customers,” Emma finished. She blew out the air she had been holding while she explained everything and waited for Helen to say something.
It was quiet for a few minutes and Emma got to work; she didn’t want to pressure Helen for a response. A few moments later, Helen turned to look at Emma. “You’ve really thought a lot about all of this.”
Emma nodded. “During my breaks, I go to the library. I’ve been reading and brainstorming on how to grow our business,” she admitted. Helen nodded.
“I’ll need to think about it and figure some things out, but I really like the ideas,” Helen said.
“Really?” Emma asked.
“Really,” Helen said with a smile. “Let’s start with a trial. Write a list of what you need for cinnamon rolls, and I will bring stuff from home. We will try a practice batch tomorrow. As for the drinks, let’s try it. I’ll pick up a chalkboard sign today and chalk. You can start by making that drink you told me about. We’ll try that one first, and see if the idea takes off. As for social media,” she shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything about it.”
Emma’s shoulders fell. “I don’t really either. I’ve never had a phone, but my step-brother did and he was always showing me things on social media.” Mostly things he showed just to torment me, Emma thought but didn’t say out loud. “Well, maybe we can figure something out,” Emma said hopefully.
“Maybe Cynthia would know how,” Helen said, but she didn’t sound too certain. They both got back to work and opened the shop a few minutes later.
Emma felt relieved after sharing her ideas. They had gone over better than she thought they would. She was hoping Helen would at least consider one idea. One out of three wasn’t bad at all.
The morning passed quickly.
After her break, Helen came to her. “Emma, I’m thinking about running out and grabbing that chalkboard, so we can get started. It will only take a few minutes. Will you be all right?” Helen asked.
“Of course. I’ve got this,” Emma said. Helen left a few minutes later while Emma was making a drink for a customer. Emma passed off the drink and looked up at the next customer.
“Hey Emma,” Kevin said with a smile.
“Hi Kevin,” Emma responded easily. “What can I get for you today?”
“I’m in the mood to try something new. Any ideas?” he asked.
“Oooh. Yes. Should I tell you what it is or surprise you?” she asked.
He grinned. “Surprise me.”
Emma rang him up, then turned away with a smile. She was going to get to try making the drink she thought of for the first time. She spent extra time making it, being careful to keep track of what she was doing since she was making it up on the go. She heard the bell jingle while she was making the drink. “Welcome to Sip and Drip,” she called out without turning around. When she finished, she brought it over to Kevin and set it down on the counter. “All right. Give it a try,” she said with a grin.
Kevin grinned down at her, then picked up the cup and took a sip. He didn’t say anything and took another sip. “What do you think?” Emma asked.
“I don’t really like it,” he said, and Emma’s shoulders fell in disappointment. “I love it!” Emma looked up at him. “What is it?”
“Really?” she asked.
He laughed. “That’s not the way to sell drinks, beautiful. You need to convince me that I’m going to love it.”
Emma smiled. “Well, I didn’t really know if it would taste good or not. It was my first try. It’s a white chocolate raspberry vanilla latte,” she said.
He looked at her in surprise. “You just made it up without tasting it?” Emma nodded. “Well, we can’t have that,” he said. He slid the cup towards her. “Taste it. It's amazing,” he said.
Emma paused for a moment, unsure. He pushed the cup further towards her. Before she could take a drink she heard a throat clear. “Emma,” she heard in an angry voice. It shocked her, and her head whipped up. She saw Garrett off to the side, waiting.
“Sorry,” she said, looking back at Kevin. “Maybe next time. I need to take orders.”
She watched the disappointment flash across his face before he nodded and smiled. “Catch you later, beautiful,” he said. He moved out of the way, and Garrett stepped in front of the register. His eyes weren’t on her, though. They were on the police officer who had just left.
“Can I help you?” Emma asked quietly, trying to soothe his anger. She wasn’t sure what had set him off—maybe waiting in line?
Garrett turned back to look at her and she froze at the anger in his eyes. She took a tiny step backwards before he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then looked into her eyes again. “I’ll take whatever he had,” he said, cocking his head in the direction of the door Kevin had just exited.
Emma paused and looked up at him. “Um, I don’t think you’re going to like it,” she said softly. Actually, she thought he would hate it. He had only ever ordered a black dark roast, the darker the better. She couldn’t imagine him all of a sudden springing for the sugary drink she had just created.
“I’ll get a large black dark roast as well,” he added, ignoring her comment. Emma shrugged and rang up his drinks. Emma told him the total, and he held out his cash. Before she could take it, he pulled his hand away. She looked up at him, confused. “Did you go shopping yet?” he asked. Emma froze. She hadn’t, but she wasn’t sure if she should say that to him or not. “I can see from your hesitation that you haven’t. Go buy what you need with the money, Emma. If you don’t, I’ll take matters into my own hands,” he said in a low voice.
Emma felt a shudder run down her spine. She wasn’t sure she ever wanted to defy this powerful man, yet she didn’t think she could do what he was asking of her. She didn’t say anything and reached out for the money again. This time, he let her have it. She gave him his change then spun around to make the drinks. Her hands were a little shaky this time. She tried to remember exactly how she had made the first one. Finally, she finished and
carried both cups over to Garrett. “All right. A large black dark roast and a white chocolate raspberry vanilla latte,” Emma said.
She watched as Garrett picked up the raspberry drink first. Without breaking contact with her, he tipped it back and took a drink. Expressionless, he set it back down. “Yep. I don’t like it. You can have it,” he said. Then without another word, he turned and walked across the shop.
Emma stared at his retreating back. She looked down at the cup, unsure of what to do. She had told him he wouldn’t like it. Why in the world would he buy it then? She waited to make sure he wasn’t facing her before picking up the cup and taking a quick sip. She closed her eyes. It was heavenly. When she opened her eyes, she met Garrett’s intense eyes across the room. He tipped his head at her and left the store with Emma staring after him, bewildered.
Chapter 10
“Did I miss anything?” Helen asked as she came in the front door with supplies in hand.
Emma turned to her. “I sold one of my drinks,” she said with a smile. She didn’t tell her about the second drink.
“To who?” Helen asked.
“The police officer—Kevin,” Emma said. “He liked it.”
“Well, of course he said that; but he doesn’t count. We need to find somebody else to try it,” she said.
Emma looked at her, confused. “Why doesn’t Kevin count?”
Helen looked at her and smiled. “Because he likes you, dear. So of course he’s going to say he likes the drink,” she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
This time it was Emma’s turn to laugh. “He doesn’t like me,” she said still laughing.
“Hmmm,” was all Helen said. Emma laughed it off and got back to work. When it wasn’t busy, she began writing down what she would need for the cinnamon rolls. She handed the list to Helen when it was complete.
“I think that’s it,” she said.
Helen glanced at it. “Perfect. I’ll get the stuff after work.”
Emma felt bad. She wished she could get the ingredients for Helen, but she had no money. She didn’t want Helen to feel bad, so she kept her mouth shut. Soon it was time to clock out for the day. Emma walked quickly to the library. It was windy and chilly out this afternoon. Her stomach growled, and she hoped dinner was better than last night. The time at the library passed slower than usual, and she was thankful when it was finally time to head to Hope House. She walked towards the front door, half expecting to see Liam standing there. She was shocked instead to see Garrett standing in the lobby talking on the phone. The second she saw him, she turned and made her way back through the library. She grinned as she made her way through the bookshelves towards the mostly unused side entrance near the back of the library. She let herself out the door, being careful to close it fully behind her.
“Going somewhere?” she heard a deep voice say behind her.
She jumped and whirled around. “You scared me!” she accused him.
“Liam told me about your little escaping stunts,” Garrett said, crossing his arms across his wide chest. Emma swallowed as she looked at the intimidating man in front of her, unsure of what to do next. She was in the midst of her staring match when a gust of wind came, and she shivered from the cold. Garrett scowled even more, if that was possible. Before she realized what he was doing, he had shrugged out of his suit coat and held it out to her.
“I’m fine,” Emma said, waving it away.
“Put. The. Coat. On,” he ordered her in a voice that brooked no argument.
Emma waited a beat longer then took the coat from him, wrapping it around her. She was warmed instantly by it. She couldn’t believe how warm it was, actually. She took a deep breath and instantly regretted it. All she could smell was the masculine scent of the man standing in front of her. She felt almost light-headed from it. She realized a little too late that he had said something and was waiting for a response. She inwardly cringed.
“What?” she lamely asked.
“Where is the coat I gave you?” He obviously was not happy at having to repeat his question.
Emma wanted to lie, but she had a feeling that would just get her into more trouble. She dropped her head and didn’t look him in the eye. “I left it at the shop.”
“Why?” was his one-word response.
Emma’s mind scrambled as she tried to come up with an answer. Because otherwise, my roommate will steal it, she wanted to say but couldn't. Frustration that she was in this predicament overcame her and made her snappier than she normally was. “I just had to, okay?” she said.
He eyed her a moment. Emma looked away; she felt like he saw too much. “Do you not like it?” he asked. “I can get you a different one, or you can pick out one with the money I gave you,” he said turning angry as he said the last few words.
“No, no, it’s absolutely beautiful. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever owned.” Emma suddenly stopped talking. Stupid mouth, she chided herself. It was silent for a beat, and Emma looked anywhere but at him. When he didn’t say anything, Emma took a chance to look up at him. Immediately she knew that was a mistake. She hadn’t really looked at him without the suit jacket on. She took in the dark gray button-down shirt that coated his muscular chest and felt like she couldn’t breathe. He was so strong and powerful. She looked down, away from his intense eyes before he could read her thoughts. She pulled his jacket around her and wondered how in the world she was going to get out of this mess.
“Come on,” he finally said. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
He motioned her to start walking, and she, being the idiot that she was, started doing just that. She walked to the end of the sidewalk and stopped. She turned to Garrett. “Um, the thing is...you see I don’t actually...have a car,” she managed to squeak out. She dared a peek up at his face. He didn’t say anything. His face revealed nothing. “Sooo,” Emma let the word drag out because she had no idea what to do next.
“How do you get back and forth to work each day?” Garrett asked in a low voice.
“I walk,” Emma said brightly.
Garrett’s eyes darkened, his face set in a scowl. “What time do you have to be at work each morning?” he asked in a steady voice. Emma glanced up at him and looked away. He didn’t look very happy.
“Um, it’s a little different every day. Sometimes I get there a little later than other days. Tomorrow’s going to be a different time altogether,” Emma rambled.
“What time?” he asked slowly and distinctly.
“Five,” Emma said quickly.
“You leave your house at five?” he asked incredulously. “In the dark?” he was louder this time.
“Uh, sort of, well not exactly,” Emma bumbled around.
“I’m not in the mood for your games!” he thundered at her.
“Four thirty. I leave every day at four thirty. Well, technically, starting tomorrow I have to be at the shop at four thirty. So I’m guessing I’ll leave around four. I’m not sure if that will be every day or not. We’re trying...” Emma stopped talking when she saw the look on his face.
Garrett pulled out his phone and put it up to his ear, never once taking his eyes off her. “You’re taking Emma home, now.” He ended the call, turned away from her, and began walking. It took Emma a moment before she realized she was supposed to follow. She ran to catch up to him. They walked towards the parking lot and stopped. A moment later, a black Land Rover rolled to a stop. The driver’s door opened and Liam popped out.
“Cat girl,” he said with an easy smile.
Emma was too lost to return his smile. She glanced up at Garrett, but his face was like a stone. She couldn’t get anything from him. Without a word, he turned and strode away. Emma couldn’t help but think she had really messed up. How? She wasn’t really sure, but she knew he was really angry with her. She watched him for just a moment and was surprised when the guy that was always with him joined him. She had no idea where the guy had come from. It was like he just appeared.
&
nbsp; “Come on,” Liam said gently, like he was talking to a scared cat. “Let’s get you in the car and get you home.” He herded her towards the back door. Emma slid in without really thinking about it. She was trying to figure out how in the world she was going to get herself out of this mess. “Where to?” Liam asked when he climbed behind the wheel.
Emma was tempted to lie to him and just have him drop her off at a house that she passed on her walk each day, but with her luck, they would show up looking for her there and she would get arrested or something. “Just go straight for a while,” Emma finally told him.
The first few minutes were silent. Emma had no idea what to say. She finally got her wits about her. “Why am I in the backseat?” she asked, curious.
“Because I like living,” Liam said with a chuckle.
That made absolutely no sense to Emma, but she let it go. It was quiet again for a moment or two before Liam talked. “You comfortable back there?”
“Yes,” Emma said quietly.
“He’s not angry with you,” Liam said after that. Emma looked up and caught his eye in the rear-view mirror before he looked at the road again. Emma didn’t say anything, and Liam didn’t offer anything more.
Her heart rate picked up the closer they got to Hope House. “This is my block,” Emma said and was surprised when her voice came out clear.
“Okay,” Liam said. “Which house?” he asked.
Panic hit Emma. She tried to come up with any other idea but finally slumped back in her seat. There was no getting out of this. “Hope House,” she said quietly, not looking forward. She didn’t want to see the look on his face.
It was absolutely silent in the car. A few moments later, Liam put the car in park in front of Hope House. He didn’t say anything. Emma peeked a glance at him. He was staring straight ahead. Time to get out of here, Emma thought.
“Thank you so much for bringing me here,” she said, once again surprised her voice was working. “I don’t guess there’s any way to keep this just between us?” she asked hopefully.
