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She absently ran her hands down her steering wheel. Back when they first started the restaurant, they’d spent the early morning hours together in the kitchen, trying to get everything done themselves. Even though it had been so stressful and they had worked late into the night, it had been fun. They were in it together.
Maybe if they found that kind of spark again, he’d feel that their one restaurant would be enough and that they didn’t have to expand for him to be happy.
After she swung into the nearby coffee shop to get lattes for them both, she drove to the restaurant and parked in her spot on the side of the building. The usual noise of the kitchen washed over her when she pushed open the kitchen door. Their kitchen staff were knee-deep in preparing for the day, chopping ingredients and starting the dishes that had a long cook time.
“Morning!” Caitlin said with a smile, making her way toward the office off the hallway.
She turned the corner and stopped. From where she was standing, she could see inside the open door of the office. James was talking with one of their suppliers, April. She was a beautiful woman, someone Caitlin had spoken with before and seen James speak with before.
But something about the way they were talking struck her as odd. Had they ever stood so close together as they talked? It felt like they were very close, smiling and laughing as if they were sharing a joke. The way James was laughing and smiling brought out the lines that fanned out around his eyes, the one that she had always liked. She hadn’t seen them in ages.
And she didn’t know April as well, but she could tell that she was looking at James as if he were something special. Like she liked him more than she should have.
Caitlin went back around the corner, her back to the wall. A knot formed in her throat. They hadn’t seen her because their conversation went on as it had before.
She was well aware of the problems in her marriage, but she never thought James would cheat on her. Now she wasn’t sure. The door was open, yes, but the way they were looking at each other…
She closed her eyes for a moment and regained her composure. Had things gotten so bad that James would have an affair? Had she been missing something all along?
* * *
Alissa savored the blast of cold air that washed over her as she stepped into The Outlet’s offices. The midday heat had made her sweat in her short walk during her lunch break, even in her light, loose linen dress. Blueberry Bay captured both ends of the temperature spectrum, to her chagrin. She made a mental note to take a walk on the boardwalk later, just to get the cool breeze coming off the ocean.
To her surprise, Josie wasn’t there to greet her as she usually was. Alissa shrugged and went back to her office. Right after she settled in, Dane knocked on the door frame to her office.
“Hey,” Dane said, tucking a hand into the pocket of his pants. “I’m about to head out. Josie and I are having a business meeting over lunch at The Crab.”
“Oh.” Alissa hardly kept the surprise out of her voice, but Dane didn’t seem to notice. Of course, Dane and Josie had had business meetings before, but they hadn’t had one without her since she started working for The Outlet. But this time, it bothered her. Why wasn’t she being included? What could they possibly be talking about that she couldn’t overhear?
Still, Alissa forced a smile onto her face. “Okay. Have a good lunch,” she said. “I’ll keep an eye on the front desk while you guys are out.”
“Thanks, Alissa.” Dane came into the office and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “See you in a bit.”
Dane left and Alissa tried to turn her attention back to her work. But every time she put her fingers to the keyboard, her mind drifted to where Josie and Dane were. Alone, together.
Why was it bothering her so much? Dane had never shown interest in Josie, ever, and he had known her longer than he had known Alissa. Surely the meeting was nothing. Something to do directly with Josie’s role. It was probably nothing.
Alissa turned her attention to her work and got some words down in between answering emails before more worries came floating through her head. Why hadn’t Dane asked her to the luau yet? They were dating and they discussed the luau almost every day at this point, so it was a given that they’d go together.
But still. She wanted to be asked. What was he waiting for? Did he even want to go with her?
She sighed, tugging at one of her curls and trying to focus on her writing.
* * *
Hannah yawned, rounding the corner to Tidal Wave Coffee. It was the middle of the afternoon, but she desperately needed a pick-me-up before the dinner shift at The Crab. The dinner rush was something else during the summer. Customer after customer with barely a second to breathe in between. A coffee was her last line of defense.
She pushed the door open, making the bell above it jingle. In her slight brain fog, she was entirely unprepared to see Michael standing behind the counter, running the shop. Her face heated up immediately. How did he make a simple dark blue t-shirt and apron look so cool? He had his hair tied back today, a lock of it falling onto his forehead.
She realized she was standing there in the doorway, gaping, and walked in.
“Hey, Michael,” Hannah said. “I didn’t expect to see you behind the counter today.”
“Hey!” Michael smiled. “Yeah, one of my employees who was supposed to be on shift called out sick so I’m filling in. What can I get you today?”
“A large coffee with oat milk and extra sugar, please.”
“Gotcha.” Michael rang her up, then grabbed a big cup from the stack next to him. “Dark roast or light roast?”
