I tried to barge past him, but he sidestepped and blocked me.
I glared and clenched my fists. “What?”
“You’re not walking out of here and leaving us short on our opening day,” Lee said, because he was an asshole. “If Tyler has to man the counter for the rest of the shift, you can work in the back with me.” He held my gaze. “Then you can either quit, or you can stay back and I can show you how to work the machine. Your choice.”
Fucking douchebag.
I hated that he didn’t just let me storm out. I hated that he was being all reasonable and bullshit. And I especially hated that he was giving me a second chance, because I knew I had to take it and then at some point he’d expect me to thank him for it.
“Yeah, whatever,” I said instead and glared at him.
He held my gaze for a moment longer and then nodded. “Then when Tyler gets back, I’ll see you in the kitchen.”
See me in hell, more like, because that was what it was going to be like working alongside Lee Torres.
I spentthe rest of the shift putting trays in ovens, taking trays out of ovens, and running out front to help Tyler bag up cookies and work the register when it got busy or when Lee told me to. I was pissed, and I couldn’t figure out if Lee was being an asshole or if he was giving me a break, and I didn’t know which one I hated the most. On one hand, I didn’t need his fucking charity. On the other hand, I did need this fucking job, you know? I hated not knowing where I stood, and I’d never been good at keeping my head down until I figured it out.
“Behind,” Lee said sharply, just as I hauled a tray of cookies out of the oven and stepped back.
I bumped against him, the tray tilted, and half the cookies slid onto the floor. “Shit!”
“Behind means I’m behind you,” he said, a divot digging into the space between his tugged-together brows. “Put the tray down before you drop the rest of them and go get the broom.”
After I swept up the ruined cookies, I escaped back out front to help Tyler for a bit.
“How’s it going back there?” he asked, sliding a cup over to a customer.
My face told the story.
“First day, man,” he said with a wry grin. “Give the boss a break, huh?”
“Seems like you know him pretty well,” I said.
“We worked together over in South Hill for the past year,” Tyler said. “He’s a good guy. You do your job, and he’ll have your back.”
Well, that was the problem, wasn’t it?
I glared at the coffee machine, wondering if I was really gonna hang around here this afternoon on my own time—unpaid—and let Lee teach me how to use it. I’d rather set it on fire, honestly. Him too. But then I thought of Cash, and how he’d limped home after coming off his dirt bike, and how he needed me there so he could sleep at night. And there was nothing I wouldn’t do for Cash—and not much I hadn’t already done—so I guessed I was going to grit my teeth and do this. I sure as hell wasn’t going to like it, that was all. I went to run a hand through my hair and instead hit the dumb flat baker’s cap that Lee had made me put on when I’d gone to work in the back. Food regulations or some shit. If Cash ever saw me wearing it, he’d give me shit about it for days.
The customer Tyler had served left, holding the door open for someone new. It was Bobby. He was wearing jeans, flip-flops, and a T-shirt bedazzled with rhinestones. He beamed as he looked around the place.
“Well, doesn’t this place look great? Smells great too!” He held his hand over the counter to Tyler. “Bobby Merritt, mayor of Goose Run and owner of Gobble de Goose. Pleased to meet you.”
Tyler blinked a few times before shaking his hand. Bobby had that effect on most people. “Tyler Marsh. Good to meet you, sir.”
“Just Bobby,” Bobby said. “Now, how’s about I have one of them white cookies there and a coffee. Chase makes it just right!”
Tyler threw me a disbelieving look as I hustled up to the machine and pressed some random buttons. The machine spat out something that looked like coffee, and I passed the cup over to Bobby. Tyler watched with a kind of horrified anticipation.
Bobby took a sip of the coffee and gave a huge satisfied sigh. “That’s the stuff!” He smacked his lips. “Now, any chance I can go in the back and see the place in action? Lucille’s tied up out onthe street since, you know, all those pesky food safety laws and things.”
There was a sudden shriek from somewhere outside, which tracked. Lucille wasn’t known for waiting patiently.
“Lucille is Bobby’s goose,” I said when Tyler craned his neck to see where the noise was coming from.
“She’s good luck!” Bobby took a bite of his cookie and hummed in appreciation. “Seems like everything’s up and running. Can’t wait to see it up close.”
He went to step around the counter but Lee appeared from the back and stood in his way. He held something out and gave Bobby an apologetic smile. “Health regulations. You need a hairnet.”
