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My tiny Citroën gets lost in the sea of expensive company cars and ridiculously oversized four-by-four vehicles as the traffic engulfs me. I wonder what role Piero’s brother has in the company. Piero never said he’d manage the shop. I’d presumed it because he’d interviewed me. What if it isn’t Piero who’s running it? What if it is his brother? I’d been so happy this morning, the feeling of a new start carrying me effortlessly along the deserted roads. But now, as I sit behind a Land Rover Discovery, its rear bumper almost level with my window, I can’t help feeling this might not be the smooth journey I’d hoped for.
ChapterTwo
Despite the traffic, I’m not too late when I arrive at the new venue, and I’m relieved to be greeted by Piero’s smiling face. I try to decide which features are like his brother’s. Their similarity is undeniable, but the more I look, the more I notice the differences. Piero has a round face and soft eyes, whereas his brother is made up of hard edges and sharp angles.
I repeat my apologies as Piero ushers me into the coffee shop come training room. A table holds four people who stare at me as I stand in the doorway, my bag dangling from my arm.
“There’s no need to apologize. It was a genuine mistake. No harm done,” Piero assures me while steering me over to the one remaining seat. I note the difference in their voices—Piero’s Italian is like a smooth hot chocolate compared to his brother’s bitter, sharp espresso.
“Sorry, have you all been waiting for me?” I smile at the faces around the table, trying to figure out whether anyone is annoyed with me.
“It’s okay. My brother rang, explained what happened, and told me you were on your way.” Piero smiles as I hover behind my chair.
“He called you?” I’m surprised.
“Yes, he wanted to make sure we waited for you,” he explains. I stare at him, wondering what his brother said to him. It seems unlikely he would have called out of courtesy.
“Okay, now we’re all here. Let’s get started.” Piero’s animated voice carries around the room as he takes his place at the head of the table. He begins with some formalities, pointing out the restrooms and running through the program for the day. As I watch him, I can’t help but wonder how these two men can be related. Piero feels open, like a mountain. He is something to behold, his presence captivating, inviting everyone to breathe in and fill their lungs. His brother is an active volcano, hostile and dangerous, and people fear the next big eruption.
“We will quickly go around the table. Please give a little intro on yourselves, guys, so we can move on to making some coffee.” Piero’s eyes light up at the word ‘coffee’ like he’s had ten cups already. “For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Piero, and I’m one-half of the proprietors of Bean to Cup. My brother and I own many coffee shops, most of which are successful, so you’re in expert hands.” Piero beams at us.
“So, what kind of role will you have in the day-to-day running of the shop?”
All four heads turn to the middle-aged man who interrupted Piero. His skin has a gray hue and is littered with pockmarks. It feels a little too early to be interrupting the new boss, and I’m sure everyone else has picked up on this.
“My brother and I will manage the shop, popping in here and there. As I said, we have many shops to oversee.”
“So, how often should we expect to see you and your brother?” There’s a shift around the table as the gray-skinned man questions Piero further. Piero remains unruffled by this and replies with an even bigger smile.
“We will have a heavy presence to start with. With the opening of any new shop, higher management has a vested interest in ironing out any teething problems. But rest assured, it’ll probably be me at the helm. My brother is more… how shall I put this…” Piero pauses, scratching his chin as something flitters over his face. “He’s not a people person as I’m sure you found out this morning, Chloe.”
The four heads swivel in my direction, and four pairs of eyes watch me, waiting for my response.
“Oh, I…” What am I supposed to say?Sure, your brother is a complete jerk who made me feel about as worthless as a used tea bag.Luckily, Piero laughs, rescuing me from the limelight.
“I hope he managed a few nice words,” Piero jokes. I smile, wondering now if I’ve overreacted. From what Piero is saying, his brother is always in a bad mood. “You shouldn’t see much of him. He deals with things behind the scenes.”
“Does he have a name?” I didn’t realize how desperate I was to put a name to his face.
“He didn’t introduce himself?” Piero asks, his eyes narrowing as he shuffles the papers in his hands.
“No.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” He rolls his eyes. “His name is Gianni.” The name settled in my mind. I hope Piero is being truthful when he says we will not see much of Gianni. I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back my temper if I have to face him every day.
“Let’s move on to our new branch manager.” Piero holds his palm out, indicating the guy with gray skin.
“Hi, I’m Lewis Dale. I’ve managed a few coffee places over the years. I’m already barista trained, but I’m here today to brush up and meet my team.” Everyone nods, the table sizing him up. He sounds confident, but his body language says otherwise. His gaze shifts nervously, not wanting to commit to looking at anyone.
“Thank you, Lewis, and next we have…” Piero motions to the lady sitting next to Lewis.
“Faith Adams, I’ve never worked in a coffee place, but I sure drink enough of the stuff to know a good cup when I taste one.” Faith smiles, and everyone relaxes into her warm, dark features. Her Afro-Caribbean hair is plaited in tiny cornrows that accentuate her full lips, round cheeks, and honest eyes.
“Thank you, Faith, and next up…”
“Hey, Casey Rowlands. I’m in the middle of studying modern languages at university and I need some cash with hours that work for me,” the young woman announces unenthusiastically. Her brown hair hangs down the side of her face, hiding its true shape. Her pale skin and small eyes seem to be missing a pair of glasses as she glances over her audience fleetingly.
All eyes now rest on me.
