by Ashlee Price
“Just go down there and see what’s going on. There’s a line there every day. It’s there for a reason, and I want to know why. But more than that, you need to use that charm of yours and seal the deal.”
I hated the way he said it, but before I could say anything else, my father was off the phone and I was left looking at it like he had lost his mind. I was sure that he had every intention of doing exactly what he planned. Now I was going to help him destroy a woman who’d just lost her father.
I should have felt worse, and I should have refused, but that was what I was. I just had to go get it done and see if she was a good mark.
Chapter 3 – Scott
When I got to the bistro, I had to admit that I was surprised. The ‘line’ that my father had talked about was actually almost a block long, and since there was only another hour that the place was open, I wondered how fast the line was moving. It wasn’t moving fast enough for my liking. I had things to do, after all, so I tried to cut my way into the place.
I was met with some resistance from the people I was cutting in front of, but it wasn’t until I got into the building that I realized that these people were serious about their coffee. What could be so good that I was getting confrontational looks and comments? I was not used to that, to say the least, and when I finally got to the front, I was met with even more attitude.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to go to the back of the line and wait like everyone else.”
I stared at the blonde for a moment and then kind of waved her off. The name tag said that her name was Melissa. What was wrong with her? Didn’t she know who I was?
“I don’t see any harm. No one seems to mind, and I’m really busy. There is an opportunity for the owner if I could just see what all of this excitement is about.” I waved my hand towards all of the people behind me. They were obviously watching me to see what was going to happen next.
“Sir, go to the back of the line.”
“I would like to speak to the owner.” I tried to sound like I was irked, and in fact I was. Why couldn’t they see that I had places to go? If I was there for a coffee, I should get it and not have to wait all of this time.
“I’ll bring her out here, but I’m telling you now that if you’re going to argue with her, you’re out of luck.”
The woman in front of me was so sure that a seed of uncertainty filled me. I don’t know why I was all of a sudden nervous to meet a girl who I’d been told was young and distraught, but I was. It was something that I wouldn’t even admit to myself, but the fact wasn’t changed.
I stood my ground, not knowing what else to do, waiting for the owner who was going to become my father’s next victim. When the cashier emerged with a grim smile on her face, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel about everything. I knew that I wasn’t ready for the tall, willowy woman who came out, though. That was something that I knew for sure.
She was young, but there was an agelessness to the green eyes that looked back at me. They were the color of dark emeralds and held years of hardship in them. I knew that my own eyes showed more depth than most could muster. It wasn’t just her eyes that caught my attention, but the way her lips looked when she pressed them together. It took a minute for me to realize that she was talking to me. I was thinking more about the way the woman’s apron accentuated her curves than the words that were coming out of her mouth.
“Is there a problem, sir?”
I didn’t like her calling me ‘sir.’ I wanted her to call me by my given name, and so help me I wanted to know hers. There was something achingly mysterious about her, but when I finally paid attention to the look on her face, it was clear that she wasn’t as happy to see me as I was to see her. She was giving me a look like I was the lowest scum on the planet.
“Yes, I was just trying to get one of the coffees that I’ve heard so much about, but your cashier wouldn’t sell to me.”
“Did you cut the line?”
Of course I had, and everyone in there had seen me, but I didn’t want to tell her that. I didn’t have to, though: someone behind me was kind enough to do it for me. The owner smiled at me. “Well, there you have it, sir. You have to wait in line like everyone else. I don’t care how much your shoes cost; in here everyone is the same and has to wait the same. If you really want some coffee, you’ll wait like everyone else does.”
Speechless, I watched her turn around and stalk off to the back. I hadn’t gotten to talk to her or get a feeling for how easy it was going to be to take advantage of her. It seemed like the meek, delicate woman who was heartbroken over her father dying was nowhere to be found. She was not meek and mild by any stretch of the imagination. That woman was fiery, and although I felt embarrassed to no end, I wasn’t really upset with her. I was more shocked than anything else. I couldn’t remember the last time where I’d been talked to in such a way.
The person behind me came up and ordered. All of the grumbling and murmuring that had been roaring in my ears was gone. She had made her peace, and once everyone knew that things were going to be handled fairly, it hadn’t been an issue anymore. I had to admire her for such a decision. It had to be hard for someone like her to do. She didn’t seem like the ball-busting type, but I had to admit that my jewels were feeling a little tender all of a sudden.
Looking back one more time, trying to see her through the small window in the swinging door, I didn’t see the blazing red hair that framed her face and went down her back. I particularly wanted to see those sparkling green eyes again – although I would rather have seen what they looked like filled with lust instead of anger.
I called my assistant, and since she had given me so much trouble about that coffee and dealing with my father, I told her to go stand in line to get me a cup. I wanted to see what kind of drink was responsible for all of this nonsense, but I still wasn’t sure it was worth my time to stand in line. I would let Caroline do it, since she was the one who was so worried about making my father mad. The next time I went to the bistro, I knew that I’d have to have a better angle than the one I had now. I didn’t know how I was going to deal with her, but I knew that I would have to think of something.
Chapter 4 – Jesse
“Can you believe the nerve of him?”
I just kind of shrugged. Considering that I’d had to tell off a couple of rich business guys like him every day recently, I certainly could believe it. I knew men like the one who’d been in earlier in the day, too well. He was dressed in a suit that would pay the rent on the restaurant for six months and he walked around like he was infallible. Men like him drove me crazy, and the one who’d been in today was worse than most. The only difference was that he had been handsome and my body had been drawn to him.
That very fact had been the main reason I hadn’t even tried to hear his side of it. I didn’t want him standing there looking at me with his dark blue eyes that I was sure I could have fallen into. A man like him was dangerous.
“You know how they are. They think that they run the world. I don’t know. I just know that we need to get some more help in here or we’re just going to get more of them. Maybe if we could find a few people to work here, we could have them do deliveries or something. Then guys like him could stay in their ivory towers and wouldn’t have to come down here with the rest of us lemmings.”
Melissa laughed and pulled another chair up while she swept the front. I was getting everything in the cases bagged up to be given to the homeless shelter down the road. There were a lot of baked goods left; although it had been a busy day, we’d sold mostly coffee. I hated to throw anything away, and this had become one of the many things that I did out of habit. My father had started the practice years ago, and it was one of the partnerships that I wanted to make sure kept going. I was very worried about keeping his memory alive, and I knew that this was a good way to do it.
“He was cute, though.”
I looked at her as if she might be a t
raitor who was working for the other side. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about how cute he was. He was hot. The man had been smoking hot, and it had bothered me a little more than I wanted to admit to myself. I was sure that it was because I hadn’t been on a date in a while. I knew that was the only reason I would look at a man like him with anything more than contempt. He was the very thing that I hated about men like him. Men with money acted like the whole world owed them something, and though he was cute as all get-out, that didn’t change that one big character flaw of perceived perfection.
“Yeah, guys like him are always a little too good looking. I could never be with a man like that. I bet he would have to do it in front of a mirror so he could watch himself.”
Melissa just giggled a little and shook her head. “You’re never going to get married if you’re going to be so picky. That man is perfect.”
I kind of sighed at her. She sounded like my aunt, who was always telling me the very same thing. I tried to tell her that if I was to find someone, he would be who I wanted. I didn’t see the point of being with someone I didn’t really want to be with. It didn’t make sense to me. I wasn’t that unhappy being alone.
“That may be so, but I would rather be alone than with a guy like that.”
Melissa didn’t seem so sure, but I could tell that she wasn’t going to say anything else. We had had the same conversation too many times to count, and she knew where I stood, just like I knew where she stood on the situation. Melissa was always looking, and I just – wasn’t. I truly believed that if it were meant to be, it would be happen naturally.
“Well, speak for yourself. If a guy like that asked me out, I would jump on it in a heartbeat. A guy like that could change a girl’s outlook on life.”
I just shook my head and laughed at her. She was man crazy and I knew she was always going to be that way. Her optimism was something that I’d always been jealous of, though, and it was times like this, smiles like that, that made me wonder if I myself didn’t need a new outlook too.
“Well, I think you have a good outlook on life. You don’t need a man for that, Melissa.”
***
My friend’s words lingered in my mind longer than I would have thought. Just like when my aunt talked, I had to wonder if there was anything to what she was saying. Was I really wasting my time being so picky? But even as I thought that, I had to wonder if it would be worth it if I wasn’t so picky. There had been a time that I’d taken what I’d gotten and just dealt with it. I didn’t want to be that way again. The dysfunctional relationships I’d had, the crap I’d dealt with – I didn’t see how that would ever be better than the quiet life I had now.
When I got back upstairs to my apartment, I wasn’t ready to go through the closets that I’d planned to do the week before. I was still working on it, and although I knew it had to be done, I was feeling a little strange. Adding thoughts of my father to that wouldn’t have helped anything. Why did I let them get to me? Why had I let that man get to me today? I just didn’t understand it. Before long I was settling down to a book and some wine, trying to convince myself that everything was how I wanted it to be.
By morning I was feeling worse. The dreams that I’d had were still making me breathe a little faster. I’d dreamed about the man from the day before, the rude one that Melissa had pointed out was cute. I couldn’t help but think about him when I took my shower. I knew that I wouldn’t see him again, so I let my imagination get the best of me. Just for a moment, though.
I went downstairs when I heard the knock at the door. I thought it was Melissa, so I didn’t even bother to get dressed. I was still in my towel with my hair up. I stopped when I saw the same man from my dreams staring back at me through the glass door. I wanted to run, I really did, but he had already seen me and I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
“What are you doing here? We don’t open for another half an hour.”
He just smiled and shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure that I was first in line for a cup today. If I’d known that you come out like this, I would have started coming here every morning long ago.”
I looked down at the towel that I was wearing. I could feel my face getting red, so I turned away before he could see the way he affected me. It took everything in me to not run away up the stairs. What was wrong with me lately?
To be continued in Part 2…
Served Part 2: Grate
By: Ashlee Price
Prologue
Scott is quickly becoming a fixture at The Ground Bean. Jesse let him come back to the kitchen once while she was making his order, and ever since then Scott has been making himself at home there. Jesse doesn’t know what to do with him. Scott is too handsome and too appealing for her to ignore, even though she knows she has to. He’s bad news. That much is clear.
But Jesse is drawn to him, and the more she tries to fight her feelings, the harder it becomes to resist him. She has to wonder why he’s even pursing her. He’s way out of her league, so it doesn’t make sense. Jesse has nothing to offer him. But Scott doesn’t seem to see it that way. All it takes is one look from his dark blue eyes and Jesse finally understands. Scott wants her, and Jesse has to resist him.
Chapter 1 – Jesse
What in the world was he doing here? I didn’t want to believe that he was still down there, but I heard the door open downstairs and I knew that Melissa was now inside. I just hoped that she didn’t let that man in. With the way she was acting about him the day before, I doubted that she would leave him out in the cold. It didn’t matter that it was already 55 degrees.
“Jesse?”
I could hear Melissa while I was searching for something to wear. I don’t know why I was so worried about it, I never was before, but I knew deep down that it was because of the man who was waiting for his coffee. He was persistent, I would give him that, but I didn’t like the way my hands were shaking as I was trying to button up the blouse that I’d chosen.
When I saw Melissa, I smiled at her, but there was something in her eyes that told me that she had let him in. He was no doubt waiting for me downstairs.
“You’ll never guess who’s down there right now, waiting for you.”
“It’s that guy from yesterday.”
She pouted, upset that she didn’t get to surprise me. “How did you know?”
“I went downstairs because I thought it was you knocking. I was in a towel, so good times.”
I could tell she liked the idea of it all, but I can’t say I was too happy to see the glee on her face. Why was that so funny to her? I was embarrassed enough that I didn’t even want to go downstairs. I wanted to tell her to just take care of him so I wouldn’t have to see the look in his blue eyes. I just couldn’t do it.
“Okay, well, since you’re the one who let him in, you go take care of him while I get ready for the day.” I didn’t look at her, sure she would see right through me and I would be even more embarrassed. I knew that there was going to be some backlash, but I would rather get ribbed by my friend than deal with that man again. There was something about him that put me on edge, so serving him was the very last thing that I wanted to do.
But Melissa shook her head and told me that she wasn’t going to. “He’s here for you, Jesse, so why don’t you just go down there and see what he wants. A man who’d let you yell at him like that and still come back, that kind of guy is a keeper.”
I rolled my eyes and tried my best not to make too many sounds in the back of my throat. I knew that she wasn’t going to help me, so I finished getting dressed before I went downstairs to the bistro. The man who’d given me trouble before was looking at the menu. I asked him what he wanted.
“Well, I know that I want some coffee, but I’m feeling pretty hungry too. What would you suggest?”
I suggested an omelet. It was quick and would have him out of there sooner rather than later. It also gave me the chance to run away into the kitchen where I wouldn’t have to see him while I was
making it.
“Sounds good. Whatever you think I’ll like, I’m sure I will.”
I wanted to ask him why he was being so easygoing today. Yesterday he was ready to cut twenty people in a line and now he was acting like he had nothing to worry about, like he could just go with anything. I didn’t trust such a change in a person, but there was really nothing that I could do. I moved to the back of the bistro to the kitchen. Breathing a sigh of relief to be away from him, I tried to figure out what it was about the man that made me feel so jittery inside. I was sure that it was the way he looked at me.
When I heard the door behind me open, I jumped to see him standing there.
“You’re not allowed back here, sir.”
“My name is Scott.”
“Well, Scott, you aren’t allowed back here. I’ll have it out to you in a minute.”
He kind of shrugged and moved closer to me. His easygoingness apparently wasn’t going to go that far. “I wanted to talk to you, and I can’t when you’re back here. What’s your name? Usually when someone gives you their name, it’s customary to return the gesture.”
“Jesse, and most of the time the customers stay up front, so I don’t think that this is customary, sir.”
“It’s Scott, remember.”
“Scott, why don’t you just give me a few minutes and I’ll have it out to you.”
I knew that he wasn’t going to budge, but I felt like he should know that I didn’t want him there.
“I’m going to stay, if that’s okay with you. I want to see what you’re doing back here. I’ve never been very good at cooking.”
“So what are you good at?”
The words were out of my mouth before I could really think about it. I shouldn’t have said it; it left me up for ridicule, and the look on his face told me that he’d taken it the wrong way.
“Well, there are many things I’m good at. You should give me a chance to show you sometime. I’m sure that I could get a smile on your face.”
