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But what the hell? I was getting beignets and café au lait at nine o'clock in the evening. One more bad decision wasn't going to hurt, right?
Our turn came quickly. Chad ordered eight beignets, then said, "Last chance. You really want café au lait?"
I nodded vehemently. "Yes. I want the full experience.”
"Fair enough.” Turning to the cashier, he added, “One café au lait as well."
I took out my wallet, but he grabbed my wrist before I could take out my card. "No."
Huh?I raised my eyes at him. My skin was burning where he touched me.God, please don't let him realize that.My heart was beating fast, as if I’d sprinted all the way from the restaurant.
"It’s my treat."
"Chad, I was going to get them anyway. You don’t have to buy them for me."
"But now I'm here, so it's my treat."
I opened my mouth but decided not to argue. "Okay. Thank you."
He let go of my wrist but still looked at me intensely as I put my wallet back. What did he think, that I would stealthily try to pay?
After we got our order, we moved out of the line. He put an arm protectively around my shoulders as we made our way through the crowd, and I sucked in a deep breath. There was no skin-on-skin contact, but my shoulders sizzled all the same.
Oh Lord.I was already in over my head, and it was only my first day.
"Where do you want to go?" Chad asked.
"How about Jackson Square? So far, it's one of my favorite spots in the city."
"Sure."
We walked toward the square at a brisk pace. Luckily, we found a free bench. I took out a beignet before we even sat down and immediately bit into it.
"Ohhhh! They more than deserve their reputation. These are the best I've had until now.”
“They're very good," Chad replied, and I realized he was eating one too.
"I thought you came here to buy them for Bella."
He winked at me. "I bought more because she always insists that I eat one with her. She'd be very jealous if she knew I was here.”
“Got it. Well, that's one thing I’ve crossed off my list."
"What else is on your list?"
"I want to taste beignets from multiple places in the city. And I’d love to try king cake, of course, but that’s only available around Mardi Gras." I looked at him hopefully. "So, here's to hoping I’ll still be here by then."
He narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. My stomach lurched.He’s your boss, and you're on probation, Scarlett. Don't push it.
"How come you decided to move to New Orleans?" he asked.
"I’ve always had a bit of an obsession with the city. My parents brought me here when I was a kid for my birthday, and I’ve loved it ever since. I've always meant to come back, but...” My voice faded. "I guess it just never worked out. But I love it so far. The culture, the whole vibe in the French Quarter. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to actually workinthe Quarter."
I glanced at him and realized he was watching me intently. He wasn't saying anything. God, it was unnerving.
I was about to start my second beignet when my phone beeped. I took it out, figuring it had to be Ariana. I hadn't updated her at all today about how everything was going. But then I froze. It was a voice message from my ex. I tried to exit the conversation, but instead I managed to press Play.
"What the fuck did you tell our boss before you left? Everyone suddenly treats me like shit around here." I tried to pause it, but it was dark out and the button was tiny, and I kept missing it. "I hope you get what you fucking deserve, you useless—"
