Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
I laughed and threw my arm over my eyes. She was so goddamn cute and I was so fucking fucked. Relaxing into the bed, I decided to get a few more hours of shut eye before I went to get some blinds for Charlie’s bedroom windows.
Chapter 5
Charlie
Saturday mornings at the coffee cart were never as busy as weekdays so I found myself cleaning and reorganizing and daydreaming of the changes I’d make in order to pass the time. Of course, leaving a warm, rumpled, sleepy, Beauregard Augustus Bishop in my bed that morning could have had something to do with the way time seemed to drag. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. I couldn’t say it was a problem, because how could meeting someone you clicked with ever be a problem? But the timing was so bad it made me want to scream. I didn’t have the mental capacity or enough hours in the day to spend with him the way I wanted, and that sucked.
I wasn’t about to start something up just when I needed to focus on other shit.
Of course, none of that mattered when he pulled up to the shop an hour before my shift ended.
“Let me guess,” I said, leaning toward him. “Something super sweet that doesn’t actually taste like coffee?”
Bishop shot me a look. “Americano,” he said. “With room for cream?”
“Dang,” I joked. “I’m usually really good at guessing.”
“You’ve been servin’ me coffee for months,” he called as I went about making his coffee. “You know what I like.”
“I do know what you like,” I affirmed, the words instantly sounding like an innuendo even though that hadn’t been my intention.
It was quiet for a moment.
“So, I got a call this mornin’,” he said.
“Oh yeah?” I carried his coffee back to the window, exactly how he liked it.
“Yeah,” he said, watching me closely as he took the cup. “Brenna said she was gettin’ rid of the bed in her guestroom and asked if I wanted it.”
“Imagine that,” I said with a smile, resting my elbows on the counter between us.
“I have you to thank for what sounds like a free and nearly new bed?”
“She’s been talking about turning that room into a craft room for ages,” I said, smiling. “So I just let her know that if she wanted that bed hauled away—” I shrugged.
“Thanks, honey,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. He reached out and put a twenty in the tip jar, knowing without asking that I wouldn’t take payment. “This means no more sleepovers.”
I swallowed hard. “You’ll be just down the hall,” I replied, trying to hide the twinge of disappointment.
Okay, that’s a lie. It wasn’t a twinge, it was more like a gigantic wave of disappointment.
“You’re welcome to come crawl in any time you can’t sleep,” he said, his eyes on mine. “Yeah?”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, holding his gaze.
“What time you get off?”
“I should be out of here by noon if Mary shows up on time,” I replied. “Which she never does.”
“She know you’re gonna be her boss soon?” he asked in amusement.
“Nope,” I said with a laugh. “It’s kind of nice to get everyone’s measure without them knowing that you’ll be in charge soon.”
“Oh shit,” he said with a laugh.
“Oh, shit, is right,” I said. “I know exactly who’s staying and who’s going.”
A car pulled up behind Bishop and he glanced in the rearview mirror.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Sounds good,” I replied. I watched as he pulled away, then turned back to the car who’d come up behind him.
It was a struggle to keep the smile on my face.
“What can I get you?” I asked the man.
“A vanilla latte,” he replied. “And your number.”
“A vanilla latte I can deliver,” I said, keeping my voice pleasant. “But I told you before, I like women.”
“I bet I can change your mind,” he called as I moved into the back of the cart where he couldn’t see me.
“I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole, former Officer Asshole,” I mumbled quietly to myself as I made his coffee. I hated the guy. Not only had he hassled Kara for years, but he was also just a giant asshole, always making comments about how he’d turn me straight. I’d decided when he’d started the innuendos that I’d just tell him flat out that I was into women. If he had any clue that I preferred partners of both genders equally it would only encourage the garbage he spewed. I had no idea why he thought for a moment that I’d ever go out with him after the shit he’d done, but I was a bit nervous that eventually he was going to stop taking no for an answer. I glanced at the door, making sure I’d locked it when I came in that morning.