Page 2 of You Had Me at Merlot

“Thank God you’re on register,” Clarissa Rivera said at ten minutes to eight, scurrying up to the front spot. Her dark hair was pulled back on one side and she wore a brown dress with bursts of colorful flowers, likely from her family’s clothing store a few blocks down. She knew how to make a fashion statement in a way that consistently impressed Jamie, who was not nearly as adventurous.

“What would happen if I wasn’t?” She arched a brow.

“I’d have to hunt you down.” Her bestie and semi member of the regulars club looked like she had something exciting to impart. An impossibility in New York, but still.

“Riss, what?” Jamie squeezed her hand across the counter. “You’re dragging this out to torture me.”

“Midtorture, I’ll take a triple shot latte with two pumps of coconut.”

Jamie took care of the drink order on automatic mode, her eyes never moving from Clarissa. True, Clarissa leaned toward hyperbolic reactions, like the time she said there was a small alligator in her bedroom when there was, in fact, a cricket, but Jamie did her best to always hear Clarissa out. She slid the cup to Leo. “Done. Now spill. You have my heart thudding because it’s looped in with yours.” She had a line of customers, but she could do both. Years of practice served her well.

Clarissa stepped to the side while Jamie helped a teenage girl who wanted what amounted to a milkshake with a tiny hint of espresso. She was a purist herself but refused to judge. “You got it. Can I add some whip to that for you?” she asked, as she wrote on the plastic cup.

“Extra whip. Double.”

“I like it, I love it. You’re gonna have a great morning.”

“Awesome,” the girl said. “Please be right.”

Jamie’s eyes flitted to Clarissa, who took a breath and placed both palms on the counter in preparation. “Here goes.”

“I’m ready.”

“So, I was doing our charts like I always do, and your month ahead is a game changer. You have a lot coming your way and need to be ready.”

“My horoscope?” Jamie asked. She grinned and relaxed. “You’re panicking over my horoscope. Got it.”

“This is no regular reading, James. Listen carefully. Venus is going to have a field day with your spirit. You’re going to bethrown.”

“Well, that’s unnerving.” She rang up a couple of college students and handed over two bags of doughnuts. “What should I do about it?”

Clarissa leaned in, meeting her gaze with intense brown eyes. “Be on the lookout. Proceed with caution.” She straightened. “But also don’t hold back from stepping out of your comfort zone. You should feel free to handle whatever life throws at you in a new and different fashion. Abandon old practices.”

She pointed her Sharpie at Clarissa. “You realize this is contradictory. You’re telling me to be brave but to proceed with caution.”

Clarissa nodded. “Yes. It’s both. Big month for you. It maychange your entire life.” She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. “You heard it here first. One day we’ll look back on this important conversation.”

Humoring her best friend, Jamie nodded. “That would truly be something. I will surely take your advice whenever it’s possible.”

“It’s going to be big,” Clarissa said, backing away. “Take this seriously. Maybe write a note on your fridge. And your bathroom mirror. I can text you reminders.”

“I feel confident you will.”

Clarissa balked. “You’re not taking this seriously.”

“I am. I will. You have my word.” And she wasn’t lying. She wasn’t at Clarissa’s level of unwavering trust in the zodiac, but she did believe that the stars influenced a lot of what life brought their way. “Venus better go easy on me,” she murmured before greeting the next customer with a bright smile.

Twenty-five minutes later, the line had dwindled, and Jamie hit her midmorning lull, which meant she had time to either stitch together a few to-do items in the back or relax with her regulars until the beast roared back to life.

“Back in ten, Leo.”

“I got you, James,” he said, tossing the new batch of doughnuts a few times to help them dry. He’d perfected the technique. Tons of flair in his movements, popping the doughnut basket high and in a circular motion the way only the very polished Leo could. She’d even put a video of him on their Insta page in slo-mo. She was no fool when it came to marketing their strengths.

“Jamie was every bit as suave as Leo,” the voice-over said. She nearly laughed out loud. Was Venus already messing with her? She could never compete.

“You’re the brains. I’m the talent,” Leo once told her, with an arched brow that would rival the handsomest of villains. His signature. “The part-timers are the supporting players.” They had a handful of those, all likable and young.

But Leo wasn’t only the talent, he was also the show. His all-male fan club would show up midafternoon just to watch him work, stealing glances and conversing in whispered tones. As long as they bought a drink or a snack, Jamie was fine with feeding their Leo addiction.

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