“Mom, Dad,” she said, and wrapped her arms around one, then the other. “I'm so, so sorry for everything,” she said. How small and frail they both felt. They reached around to hug her back, each with an arm wrapped around her shoulders.
“We're just glad you're okay,” her mom cried as tears poured down her sunken cheeks. Alana wept as all the years of sadness came pouring out. All the hurt and the guilt and the grief and shame left her soul and was released from her conscience. Dylan came to stand by her, placing a hand on the small of her back to let her know that he was with her, and that he would always be there by her side.
“I love you,” she whispered, to her parents, kissing each of them on the cheek. Turning to look up at Dylan, tears still shimmering in her eyes, she mouthed, “Thank you. I love you.” She was finally home. Full circle. And it was good.
THE END
Naughty Barista
CHAPTER 1
You know that expression, ‘You could have heard a pin drop’? Sure you do. Well, that’s how it was when Charlene walked into Don’s place for the first time. Don had just been mulling over what a good fit he and his barista, Matthew, were for a coffee shop. He, Don, the owner, as black and full-bodied as the best espresso. Matthew, white and slim like a skinny latte. And then, who should walk in but Charlene – the perfect blend between them, coffee-colored like a flat white. Though that was where the resemblance ended, because if there was one single word you would not apply to Charlene it was ‘flat.’ Hers was, thought Don, the most perfect female body he had ever clamped eyes on. He walked away from his pride and joy, the Nuova Simonelli Aurelia II, to serve her.
He wasn’t, though, the only one to have been overwhelmed by the vision that had just entered, because Matthew had also stepped up to the counter. “Yes, ma’am, how can I help you?”
Don wasn’t yielding first place to Matthew. Not this time. Next time one of the homeless people came in to see whether anyone had left a coffee behind the bar (which they would have – their generosity was one of the things Don liked about his clientele), Matthew could have first crack. But this jewel – ‘she’s mine,’ thought Don. What he said, though, was, “I’ll take care of this young lady, Matthew. Would you mind stacking the creamers in the storage room?” Might as well let her know right from the start who was in charge here.
“Did it this morning, boss, before you got in.” With his brightest smile Matthew addressed the newcomer. “Miss?”
Charlene could not have failed to see how they juggled for position, and how neatly Matthew had inserted himself in front of the man who was obviously the owner. If she had not still been grieving over her break with Baptiste, she might have laughed. Even through her pain, she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. And the smile became even more pronounced when Don, who was quite a bit larger than his barista, took hold of Matthew by the shoulders and lifted him out of the way. “Then clean the store room floor. Or go out for a cigarette. Or something!”
“I don’t smoke. As you well know.” Matthew turned to Don and tapped his foot, grimacing.
“Then start. But not in here.” Don composed his most perfect smile, aimed it at Charlene and said, “Welcome to our humble meeting place. I hope we will see you here many more times. My name is Don. That is Matthew.” He raised his eyebrows in a questioning way.
Now Charlene did laugh out loud. There was no way she could avoid that question, so politely and so firmly put. “I’m Charlene. I’d like a cappuccino, please. And I missed breakfast this morning. What can you offer me?”
“Careful how you answer that,” muttered Matthew as he walked off to sweep a store room floor that was already spotless.
Don said, “What are you doing with that broom? Make a cappuccino for Charlene, while I talk through our excellent array of baked goods. Charlene, we have muffins. We have croissants.” He gestured in a comical, exaggerated motion.
“In three flavors,” Matthew called from the Aurelia II.
“In three flavors,” confirmed Don. “We have...”
“Butter croissants,” called Matthew. “Chocolate almond croissants. And ham and Gruyere croissants.”
“Thank you, Matthew,” said Don, in a tone that could only be described as ‘warning’.
“And some delicious loaf breads and cakes,” said Matthew. He brought the cappuccino to the counter and placed it on a tray. “Would you like me to talk you through them? One by one?”
“Thank you, Matthew,” said Don. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, you can make a start on cleaning that storeroom. Ideally with the door closed.” His smile was infectious.
With Don’s help, Charlene selected a ham and cheese croissant and a blueberry muffin. Don placed them on the tray with the cappuccino. “Choose a table. I’ll bring this over.” Setting her order on the table, he said, “I missed breakfast, too. Do you mind if I join you?” Without waiting for an answer, he returned to the counter, picked up a bottle of water, cut a slice of lemon drizzle cake and took a chair opposite Charlene’s.
Looking at Don’s large body, Charlene found it difficult to imagine that this was a man who ever missed breakfast – or any other meal – but she found his company entertaining, and entertaining company was something she had missed during the last few grueling weeks. Don, as she was about to learn, was eager for information. Whether or not she gave it would be Charlene’s choice – but she was certainly going to be asked.
At that point, three customers entered in a group. Matthew heard the bell and stuck his head out of the store room. “Is it all right with you if I serve these nice people, Don? I wouldn’t want to interrupt your second breakfast.”
Don waved an arm. “Carry on, Matthew”. He turned to look at Charlene, the corners of his eyes crinkling into a warm smile. “Why have we never seen you here before?”
She lowered her eye-lids. “I just moved into the neighborhood.”
“And people say there’s no Santa Clause! What was the cause of our good fortune? Job change?”
She took a quick breath. “Relationship change.” There. It was out. “I split with the partner I’ve been with for the last two years.”
“Aha! Well, the man is obviously a fool.” He realized what he’d said, and added quickly, “Or the woman, of course.” Don raised a questioning eyebrow.
Charlene wanted to laugh. In fact, she felt giddy. She’d said it. She’d told a perfect stranger about the end of her relationship and the world had not ended. She was sitting here calmly, looking and feeling quite normal! “No,” she said. “It was a man. I have nothing against women who like women...”
“Oh,” said Don. “Me, neither. I’ve often thought I must be a lesbian trapped in a man’s body.” He grinned, and his face flushed a little darker.
Now Charlene did laugh. She felt she had no choice but to elaborate, now that she’d gone this far. “...But my inclinations have always been toward men. Unfortunately, I managed to choose the wrong one. In fact, I’ve started to wonder whether there is a right one out there somewhere.”
“If you’re holding auditions...?”
“Don’t call me. I’ll call you. Maybe.” She put her hand over her mouth, but she was unable to hide the melodic peal of her laughter. Really, what fate was it that had caused her to walk through that door this morning? She wasn’t looking for love, didn’t think she would be looking for love for quite a long time, but she had found something that was equally to be treasured. A man – in fact, two men – who could make her smile. They seemed so together, so fully comfortable in their bodies. Rather attractive bodies, if she was going to be honest with herself. But this wasn’t getting her anywhere. She had enough money to pay the rent on her new apartment for four weeks. If she was to stay on after that, she’d need a job. And that was quite apart from being able to eat. She’d finished her coffee and her food. It was time to go. “Could I have my check, please?”
Don shouted, “Matthew! Can Charlene have her check, please?” To Charlene, he said, “Where are
you working? Somewhere nearby, I hope.”
“Good question,” said Charlene as Matthew arrived with the tab on a little printout. “I’m being interviewed in half an hour. A waitressing job. I came in here for something to eat because I didn’t think it was a good idea to turn up for interview in a restaurant with my stomach rumbling.”
“A waitress!” exclaimed Matthew, his blue eyes sparkling.
“A waitress?” asked Don. “You want to be a waitress?” He raised his eye-brows and grinned broadly.
“I am a waitress,” said Charlene. “A very good one. But I had to give my job up since I split with Baptiste, because he kept going in and making trouble for me.”
“The swine,” said Don, his brow furrowed.
“A total cad,” said Matthew.
“Take no notice of him,” said Don. “He reads books by Dorothy Sayers. That’s where he gets that sort of upper-class English language. But, look.” And he pointed at a card near the pay station.
“What am I looking at?” Charlene looked around.
“We are advertising for staff. Could be a man, could be a woman. Ideally, should be you. And you can start today.” He clasped his hands under his chin in mock prayer.
Charlene waved a cautionary finger. “Guys, I think you’re great to be around, but I’m not sure...”
Matthew said, “You’d be perfect.”
“Well, it’s lovely of you to say so, but...” She bit her bottom lip.
Don said, “And you’d bring in lots of new customers. How could anyone resist that wonderful smile? It’s like turning a corner and realizing you just reached the end of the rainbow, and there’s your pot of gold.”
“As I said, it’s a lovely offer, but... Well, I arranged this interview, and I really think I owe it to the people to go there when I said I would.”
Don held up his hands. “If you must, you must. But... Matthew, bring me that job card.” When he had it, he put it in Charlene’s hand. “Charlene, you have to do what is best for you. But I am not going to hire anyone for the next month. Keep this card with you. The moment you realize – and you will realize – that this is the perfect place for you, just walk through that door and say, ‘I’ve come for the job.’”
“Honestly, Don, I can’t put you on the spot like that.” A worried look crossed her face.
“You’re not. I’m putting myself on the spot. I want you to join us.” He looked in Matthew’s direction. “Matthew wants you to join us. And, deep down, I think you want to join us. And if you don’t, you will. So, until you make that decision, we will just have to work that bit harder here without any assistance.”
Matthew said, “We?” raising his eye-brows at his boss.
Don corrected himself. “Until you make that decision, Matthew will have to work a little harder without assistance. Trust me. He will think it’s worthwhile for the joy of having you here with us in the end.” He took the tab from her hand. “And you can forget about that. Staff perks.”
Charlene wanted to argue, because accepting freebies was not something she’d been brought up to do, but the fact was that, right now, she had to make every cent count. She dropped her eyes. “Thank you. Thank you both.” She put the job card in her purse and stood. “I must go.”
Don said, “We’ll be waiting for you.”
“Both of us,” said Matthew.
Chapter 2
It had been the best possible start to the day for Charlene. There had been so much pain in the last few weeks as she had reluctantly accepted the futility of trying to keep her relationship with Baptiste alive. Now she had met these two guys – Don, and Matthew; one black, and one white, like coffee and cream – and they had made her smile, and made her laugh, and taken some of the pain away, at least for a while. It was wonderful to know that there were men in the world who could be kind, and humorous, and whose very presence hinted at the possibility of a life of happiness.
And yet.
If she cast her mind back two years, was there any difference between the picture that Baptiste had presented then and Don and Matthew presented today? Baptiste had appeared in her life when she was at a low ebb. Her mother had recently died, joining her long-dead father, and Charlene was struggling to carry on. Men circled her like sharks; as if they smelled blood. An only child, she’d been alone in the world except for one aunt. Her mother had a sister, Charlene’s Aunt May, but she lived far away and hadn’t been able to come for the funeral. “I’ll visit as soon as I can, Charlene, honey. The moment I finish this course of treatment and the doctors say I can travel, I’ll be there.” Charlene hadn’t liked to ask what the treatment was for.
Charlene knew that she was attractive to men. Believe it or not, it could be a nuisance. There were men in her neighborhood who seemed to think that a young woman with no father or brother to protect her was there for the taking. Cat-calls, loud whistling, “Hey, girl, what’s your name?” were common. Once, when she’d been walking home from work, a man followed her, and muttered, when he was close enough to be heard, “I want to stick it in you, baby.”
And then came Baptiste. It was dusk, and the streets were empty when four thugs surrounded her. Two stood leering at her, blocking the sidewalk. Another grabbed her arm, making it impossible for her to run. while the fourth stood on the opposite side of her, his legs planted wide, a menacing expression on his face. She remembered standing there, trembling. This is it! she thought.
They nudged and pushed against her, saying things like, “Oh, baby, you gonna love this,” and, “I’m gonna fill you up like you never had it before.” Trembling, her breath coming in little rasps, her mind became a whirling blank. She remembered begging, “Please. No. Please!”
Suddenly, a loud, masterful voice called out, “Leave her alone!” And a huge, black man towered over the punks. He seemed to have come out of nowhere. Did he have a gun? She was numb with terror, but relieved at the same time. “Whatever you are planning, forget it. Walk away, or take the consequences.”
She heard scuffling, yelling, some blows, and all she could do was stand there with her arms clenched around her middle, eyes squeezed shut. One by one, the men, doubled over, hands on their heads, stumbled away. One by one, the threat lessened. And then, they were alone. She sagged against her savior, numb with relief. Huge arms held her for a moment as she struggled to speak. “Thank you!”
“Come,” he said. “Let me walk you to where you’ll be safer. What’s your name?” It was a deep voice; a fine sounding voice. She looked up to see a tall, dark man with flashing black eyes, and a strong, handsome face.
“Charlene,” she managed to say.
“And what were you doing here?” he asked.
“I was on my way home from work.” She pointed over her shoulder. “That’s where I live.”
He narrowed his eyes, and looked into hers. “There? That’s not a safe place for a young woman on her own.”
She shrugged. “When my mother died a few weeks ago, I had to find somewhere cheap. I couldn’t afford the rent on the apartment we had. This is all there was.”
He shifted from one foot to the other, hesitating. “Well, you can’t go back there.” His eyes glittered with resolve.
“But my stuff...” How can this stranger tell me I can’t go home? But he was right. Every time she stepped out of her apartment shivers traveled up and down her spine. The area reeked of danger.
“We’ll go there now, and collect it. My sister has a spare room. Her daughter’s off to college, and she has only her son, Damon at home. His face took on a soft smile. “He’s a great kid. You’ll love him. She’s the most welcoming person you could meet. I’m sure you could stay with her until we find you somewhere better.” He placed his hand lightly on the small of her back, and guided her towards her door.
Looking back, she knew that people would say she’d been crazy to accept the offer from a complete stranger, but he had such a powerful way about him. As though he was used to people doing what he told them
to. What else could she have done? And it had all worked out. Baptiste’s sister, Bella, gave every sign of being pleased to see her, and the room she had to spare may have been small but it was clean and comfortable, and Charlene felt safe at night.
When Baptiste began to court to her he wooed her as a gentleman might woo a lady. And, big and tough-looking as he appeared, he was a gentleman. He took her out to parties, to restaurants, and to the beach. He never put pressure on her. Never expected anything she didn’t wish to give. He never expected anything that she DID wish to give, in fact. In the end, Charlene had to ask for what she had come to want very much.
She craved him, body heart and soul. His touch made her flesh tingle. Just watching him warmed her, heat bubbling and pooling in her center. He was a strong, well-built young man, good-looking, with curly hair he found difficult to control and skin the color of chocolate. No jewelry, and no tattoos – or, at least, none that she had yet been in a position to see. He treated her with complete respect; opening doors for her, listening raptly as she spoke, always putting her first, chaste kisses only ... This man was almost too perfect, even for a “good girl” like Charlene! Is he gay? she wondered.
One fine spring evening when they had been out for dinner Baptiste put his arm around her waist as they left the restaurant. “Let’s get you home.”
Naughty Ladies! Spicy Romance Collection Page 28
