I lowered my laptop screen and eyed the drink. The mug was white and had a drawing of a cat surrounded by holiday lights withMerry Catmasin cursive writing. I couldn’t quite see the drink with the mountain of whipped cream.
“Peppermint Paws,” I said slowly, the corner of my lips twitching up, fighting a smile. “Did you poison it?”
She twisted her lips to the side to hide her smile. “I didn’t, but I’ll keep that in mind for next time. I can even take a sip of it to prove it to you.”
My lips quirked, and I gestured toward the cup. “Please. It’ll give me peace of mind.”
She rolled her eyes with a laugh, picking up the mug carefully so the liquid wouldn’t spill over the sides. Lily brought the mug to her lips for a careful sip. She set the mug back on the plate and pushed it toward me. “See, delicious. Plus, poisoning you with coffee would be too obvious, since I’d be the first suspect.”
I huffed. “You’re right. I’d be disappointed, too. I’d expect something more creative from you. Oh, you have”—I gestured toward her mouth and reached over to grab a napkin—“whipped cream on your lip.”
Her tongue darted out to catch it, and I stifled a laugh as she failed.
“Hold still,” I murmured as I stood from my seat. With one hand holding the napkin, I wiped the bit of whipped cream off her lip. My other hand likely should’ve stayed at my side, but…I cupped the side of her face, my fingers ever so slightly in her hair.
We were close,too close.
I wanted to search her face, get lost in her bright-blue eyes, stare at her strawberry lips, or the delicate slope of her nose. But I couldn’t. Because if I looked…I didn’t think I’d be able to lookaway.
“Thanks,” she said breathlessly.
I cleared my throat and stepped back, knocking into the table and nearly spilling the drink over. I reached out to still the wobbling surface. “Yeah, no problem.”
“I’ll go ahead and toss this for you.” She grabbed the napkin from my hand, her fingertips gently grazing mine. “I’ll, uh, likelystay behind a little longer to clean up, so feel free to leave once you’re done. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
I sat back at the table, wanting to finish up the email I’d been writing, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her as she moved around the café. It was only when she’d made her way to the kitchen that I looked back at my screen.
I wasn’t much of a sweets guy, especially when it came to drinks, but how could I say no? Plus, it was one drink. I picked up the mug, inhaling the smell of chocolate and peppermint. I took a sip from the spot where her lips had been and hummed in approval.
Delicious, warm, and sweet. The perfect temperature, too.
As I sipped on the drink and the sweetness hit my tongue, the only thing I could think of was the bright-eyed blonde in the other room who likely tasted sweeter than anything in this café.
16
LILY
Tuesday
“Need help?”Gabe asked.
The only way I knew it was him was by his voice, because my vision was obstructed by the two plastic bins of Christmas decorations I was carrying. Yes, even after I decorated my apartment, I still had two bins of unused decor… Don’t judge me.
Gabe and I were checking off the second thing on my winter wish list by decorating the cat room while my new employee Tiffany closed up. Today had only been Tiffany’s second day, but she was catching on quickly given her experience. I appreciated hearing her suggestions and things she’d done with her own café as ideas on how to streamline work at Purrfect Blend.
“No, I got it. I can carry these on my own,” I responded, about to take another step forward toward the cat room.
“I know you can carry them on your own, but I’m offering to help anyway. To let you know that you don’thaveto do it on your own.” Not giving me a chance to respond, Gabe lifted the top bin, which immediately lightened my load. “Lead the way.” He tipped his chin toward the door to the cat room.
I did my best not to read too much into his words and actions, or what they stirred within me. I wasn’t great at asking for help, but I was trying to be better about it, especially since Tiffany and Gabe were both helping in their own ways.
I didn’t argue with him and instead pushed open the door to the cat room with my shoulder and set the plastic bin in the middle of the room. Gabe did the same. A few of the cats walked over to greet us and investigate what was in the boxes. I walked over to the supply closet and pulled out three cardboard gingerbread houses for the cats that needed to be assembled. The houses would be a spot for the cats to sleep but also act as scratching pads.
Once I was back by Gabe, who ensured each of the cats got a proper greeting from him, I set my hands on my hips and surveyed the task ahead, one I was really excited about. I regularly decorated the main café space depending on the season, but this was the first year I had time to do the same to the cat room.
“Okay, so, I was thinking we keep the decorations simple and out of reach of the cats.” I knew if we tried to set up a plastic tree, even if it was small, the cats would be chewing on the branches, trying to knock off the ornaments, or trying to climb it. Possibly even all of the above. “There’s three gingerbread cat houses to assemble, some decorations to place, and lights to hang up. I think for the decorations we can set them up on the shelves so they’re out of reach. What do you think about that?”
