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The grand openinga few days ago had been ridiculously busy. It felt like everyone in town had come by. I was thrilled to finally be open after spending months renovating this place and coming up with the menu.
I’d majored in nutrition and minored in business, so my goal was to eventually make Magnolia Beans much more than just a coffee shop. I’d be offering green juice, protein shakes, and a few other healthy options, as well, and I planned to add more to the menu over the next few months.
Things had finally slowed down, and Peyton was in the back cleaning up the kitchen. She and I had grown up together, and she was taking online courses to get her master’s in education. She was in need of a part-time job at the moment, so the timing was perfect.
The door swung open, and my eyes widened at the sight of him. He was tall and lean and the best-looking guy I’d ever seen. Wavy hair, longer in the front, dark brown eyes, and bone structure that aGQmodel would envy.
I’d definitely seen Romeo Knight over the years, and I knew who he was, but we weren’t friends, and it had been a long time since I’d crossed paths with him.
But I sure as hell didn’t remember him looking like this when we were younger, although I probably wasn’t paying much attention at the time.
I was a bit of a late bloomer in that department.
“Hey, it’s Romeo, right?” I asked, smiling up at him until I noticed the frown on his face, followed by a glare that made it clear nothing had changed. He’d never been friendly to me, which had always kind of fit with his bad-boy demeanor.
But we were adults now.
“I need two of whatever the hell that pumpkin spice drink is you’re selling that my mom and grandmother won’t stop nagging me about.”
Wow. Not friendly, but okay.
“Yeah. Sure. Two pumpkin chai lattes with a side of cinnamon.” I rang up his order in the register before looking back up at him. “If you’d like to add one for yourself, too, it would be on the house.”
“Because you think I need your charity?” he said, his voice hard and lacking all humor.
He was actually offended by a free drink?
“No. Because you’re my neighbor, and I put a card on all the doors of the businesses on this street, offering one free cup of whatever you choose as a friendly gesture. It’s called being neighborly.”
“I don’t want a drink. I’ll pass.”
What a dick.
“No problem.” I raised a brow and kept my lips in a straight line.Your loss, asshole.I’d made an effort, and he’d completely gone out of his way to be a jerk. “Would you like me to apply your free drink to one of these?”
“I’ll pay for both drinks.”
I rolled my eyes and held my hand out. “That’ll be eleven dollars even.”
He pulled out the cash and tossed it onto the counter, as if he couldn’t even stand the idea of placing the money in my hand.
What the hell was this guy’s deal?
This was my first week as a business owner, so I would keep my cool. I tossed the money into the register and moved to make the drinks. I started filling both cups with hot water. I glanced up to see him watching me, and I expected him to turn away, but he didn’t. He just stared at me like he couldn’t stand the sight of me.
Then why the hell doesn’t he look away?
I let out a long breath before looking back down and finishing his drinks in awkward silence.
Saylor Woodson and I had become good friends in college. I knew that her older brother, Hayes, ran in the same circle as Romeo. My brother, Slade, had always told me that group of guys was trouble, and I’d steered clear. I think they’d been busted for stealing and ditching school and things like that when they were young. Not that Slade hadn’t caused plenty of trouble all on his own. But two of the guys he’d mentioned, Kingston Pierce and Nash Heart, had both worked on the renovation for the coffee shop, and they’d been very professional. They’d never been super chatty with me, but they were nice enough, and they did good work.
I had no idea why Romeo had such an issue with me. Or maybe he was stressed out that some famous boxer was all over the news, blasting his name to anyone who would listen.
Not that I followed sports.
I didn’t.
But everyone was talking about it.
