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“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. I don’t charge neighbors. And take the mug with you. It’s yours now. Every time you want a refill, bring it.”
I’m still wallowing in my self-pity when I walk into my shop.
“Dude, seriously?” Andrew chuckles when he sees me.
“What?” I take a sip of my coffee, my eyes narrowing on him.
“Blow me…I’m hot.”
What the hell? His chuckles turn into full-blown laughter. “Your mug,” he gasps, then dissolves into another fit of laughter, laughing like a hyena on crack when my eyes widen when I see the message on the mug.
Damn. She might be married and off-limits, but at least she thinks I’m hot.
*****
BAILEY
Tucking the month’s event schedule back into its sleeve, I look up to find Olivia and Shelley’s eyes on me.
“What?”
“Who’s that guy you were talking to?” Shelley says, leaning over the counter, an eager look on her face.
“He’s hot, and you gave him the mug,” Olivia adds, highly amused.
My heart drops. I did, didn’t I? The mug has been collecting dust on that shelf for years. My love for books and coffee isn’t my only kryptonite. If I see a mug with a message that appeals to me, I can’t stop myself from buying it. That’s why I have a whole shelf of them, with all kinds of messages, ranging from funny, dirty, cute to inspirational. I don’t use them for customers but keep them in the shop for when friends or family come in for coffee. I originally bought it for Quinn, but I can’t remember the last time he came in long enough to stay for a cup of coffee.
I won’t deny that Kallan Reed is hot. Being married doesn’t make me blind. I can still acknowledge and appreciate a good-looking man. He has that dark, broody thing going for him, with his just-woken, messy black hair and stubble-covered jaw. I can picture him as a sixteenth-century blacksmith. Just with better teeth. He looks like a man who doesn’t smile often, so I was hoping the mug would score one for me. Not that it did. I don’t think he even noticed it.
“It’s the owner of the shop across the road. He came to introduce himself.” I bite my lip, suddenly worried. “He looked like he was having a bad day, so I was trying to make him smile.”
“If it’s a smile you were looking for, you should have given him the ‘coffee makes me poop’ mug.” Shelley snickers.
“Yeah, that mug says something entirely different.”
“Shit. I messed up. What if he has a girlfriend?” I can’t believe I did that. If he’s a man who doesn’t smile much, why was I thinking giving him that one was a good idea? “Crap, he’s going to think I’m an idiot. It was stupid.”
“No, he’s going to think you’re lusting after him.”
“Don’t you have tables to look after?” I glare at Shelley, not liking how she’s making me feel more insecure.
“Nah, they’re all good for now. But seriously. Do us all a favor and find out if he’s single.”
*****
“YOU’RE UP EARLY,” I say, putting the spatula down and turning to Quinn. “Busy day?”
“Yeah, the marketing team on that new account I brought in has the most ridiculous ideas. It’s stressing me out.” He grumbles, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I’m going to have to spend most of the day convincing them we don’t live in the nineties anymore.”
Taking his phone from his hand, I put it on the counter, grab his arms, and pull them around my waist.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
A corner of his mouth lifts up in a slight grin. “A contact for a contract killer would help. Their head of marketing should have been put out to pasture about a decade ago.”
“Well, I don’t know anything about that, but why don’t you leave early tonight, and we go for a few drinks? Cut loose for a bit.”
