Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
He barely speaks, he shows little emotion beyond irritation, he has no personal decorations in his home. If he were a color, he’d be gray, except when he’s touching my body; then he’s a fiery red.
“So, tell me how Community Bean got started. I read that you sold the coffee first before you opened the shops?”
“That’s right.” He doesn’t say more, and I think he’s just pausing while he eats, but nothing else follows.
“Were the shops always your goal?” I ask.
“Good coffee was our goal, and sustainability. The shops were the next logical step, so we could control not just the roasting, but the brewing.”
The word control jumps out at me, and I wonder if it plays a part in his employee retention issues. A good boss needs to hire good workers and give them some autonomy, not hold firm control over all of their actions.
After a couple more bites, I ask, “Has it been you and Jansen together from the beginning?”
He nods.
It’s work to draw things out of him, and I wonder why. “Most people who are passionate about their business like to talk about it,” I say.
Derek takes a sip of his drink before setting the glass back on the table. “I’m talking.”
I raise a brow, but don’t argue. “How did you and Jansen meet?”
“In college.” When I continue to look at him, making it clear I want more, he says, “We kept running into each other at a coffee shop off campus, one that had good quality coffee.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Is it?”
I dip a shrimp into the curried yogurt sauce. “Yeah. The two of you going out of your way for good coffee, while most students are drinking whatever’s available on campus. It’s a good origin story.”
He gives another almost imperceptible shrug, as if to say he’s not sure it’s interesting at all.
“So the two of you started talking at this coffee shop?”
“No, we didn’t talk at all—” Not surprising, I think. “—until we crossed paths on the quad and recognized each other. After that, the next time we ran into each other at the shop, we walked back to campus together.”
Again, I keep looking at him, prompting him to elaborate, and finally, he does. “We talked about what makes good coffee, and about the challenges it faces, changing climates, ethical growing, that kind of stuff.”
“You geeked out about coffee.”
His standard frown deepens. “That’s not how I look at it, but sure.”
“I can’t picture the two of you in college, especially Jansen.”
Derek quirks his brow, now waiting for me to say more.
“Was he … as sullen back then as he is now?”
“Sullen?”
“Cold? Unfriendly?”
Derek’s frown returns, making me wonder if the men have any idea how they come across to others.
“Jansen’s parents have always had high expectations, and they’ve been hard on him. He’s not much different now than he was when I met him.”
“Were either of you planning to go into the coffee business before you met?”
Derek looks thoughtful for a moment as he chews a bite of food. “No, I was majoring in business, but I hadn’t decided on a direction yet. Jansen was studying chemistry, and after we started making plans, he doubled in agriculture, much to his parents’ dismay.”
“Why were they upset?”
“They wanted him to become a doctor. Medicinal chemistry was already a compromise. They didn’t approve the change in his career plans.”
I snag another shrimp because they truly are the best I’ve ever had. “Surely, they must be proud now. You two are giving the national chain a run for its money locally.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Bennett don’t consider coffee a worthy pursuit for their son.”
I frown like Derek, because that’s sad to hear. “How about your parents?”
“What about them?”
“Are they hard on you?”
“They’re great people. Very supportive.” He says this as if stating a basic fact, like saying the sky is blue. There’s none of the emotion in his voice that most people would have when talking about family who love them.
Partially hiding behind my wine glass, I ask, “Then what’s your excuse for being so grumpy all the time?”
Derek’s eyes narrow, but I think there’s a glint of amusement in them, if I look hard enough.
“Would you like dessert?” he asks, ignoring my question.
We end up ordering a slice of chocolate fudge cake, and as we eat, I ask about Community Bean’s expansion plans. Wisely, they’re focusing on getting on top of their current growth, since they’ve experienced so much of it in the past year. They’re short staffed in many positions.
“You have your work cut out for you, Miss Flores.”
Being pinned in his gaze as he says this, with all of the ways that makes my body feel, tells me that resisting my attraction to him and Jansen will be much more difficult than getting their staffing on track.
CHAPTER 12
ANA
My second time arriving at Community Bean’s corporate office feels very different from the first.