Chapter 6

• "Skinny latte to go."
• "Name?"
• "Beth."
• "Coming right up." Blair rang the till and then went to prepare the coffee. Her thoughts and body were both on autopilot. It was 7:30 a.m., and she was still thinking about her comfortable bed.
• She finished the order and went on to the next client, pushing the specified cup forward. "Can I help you?"
• "Cappuccino, no chocolate."
• "Name?"
• "Tara."
• "Coming right up." She produced the frothy drink fast, then topped it with chocolate. Maybe she'd contact Sharon and Cora later and see if they wanted to go out for a drink that evening. She had a lot of information.
• "What the fuck are you doing, stupid cow." Derek grabbed the chocolate shaker from her grasp. "She said she no chocolate."
• "Shit, sorry." Blair made a shaky motion with her head.
• "You're really fucking dumb, you know that?" He flung the drink into the sink, spraying coffee everywhere that would need to be cleaned later. "Do it again. And, in case you hadn't noticed, there's a queue. And stop printing names on the cups when it's just you operating the machine and serving."
• "It's a habit." She groaned and refilled her glass. There wouldn't be such a long queue if Derek assisted, but he never did. He preferred to complete papers in the back office, which meant watching porn on his phone.
• "Sorry about the wait." She gave over the drink.
• "No worries." The girl smiled sympathetically.
• That was nice in and of itself, but it made Blair want to smack her head against the wall. Why had she put up with Derek's nonsense? It was caustic and covered in a layer of rough sandpaper every day. She knew she shouldn't be such a pushover, but she lacked the energy to resist it.
• "Next," she said.
• "Espresso."
• "Name." She was still operating on autopilot.
• "Donny."
• Donny? She peered up into the same black eyes she'd originally seen two days before at Balthazar. "Oh, hi."
• "Hi, sis." He didn't crack a smile. Instead, his gaze was drawn to Derek, who looked to be preparing a drink laden with marshmallows.
• "What…what are you doing here?" She'd been correct. Donny wore a suit well; it wasn't pinstripe, but it was pale blue and suited him perfectly. She'd wager money on it being tailor-made on Savile Row. He was clean-shaven, and she caught a smell of his cologne, which was expensive and musky and did strange things to her nipples as if the perfume was intended to tighten them.
• Awkward.
• "I'm just passing by on my way to the office," he told me.
• "Isn't Grind 'n' Go rather out of your way?"
• "I wanted to see you."
• "You did?"
• "Sure, I wanted to see where you worked." He came to a halt and focused his attention on her. "Who you worked with, make sure they treat you right."
• "Huh. Derek wouldn't know how to properly care for a puppy, let alone an employee."
• "I've just borne witness to that." Donny's jaw clenched. "And it's not okay, not by a long shot."
• She turned to make Donny's drink, a heat building on her breast. It must have been humiliating for her new sibling to witness her being punished by a jerk like Derek. Talk about Donny getting a glimpse into her dreadful working life.
• "Here." She leaned closer and offered him his drink. "On the house."
• "I don't want to get you into more trouble."
• "You won't." She sighed and rolled her eyes.
• "Let's not risk it." He gave a little smile and pushed a fiver over the counter. He moved away, but instead of sitting at a table, he stood nonchalantly between two windows, shoulder bunched against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other. His gaze remained fixed on her while he gulped his drink.
• The next female in wait was also staring at him.
• "What can I get for you?" Blair inquired.
• There was no response.
• "Miss, what can I get you?"
• "Oh, er." She shook her head as if dismissing a fantasy. "Two mochas…please."
• "Name?"
• "Penny."
• Blair accepted her cash before spinning around to prepare the mochas. She checked on Donny again as the milk cooked. It's no surprise Penny's interest has lasted. He had a commanding presence. He took up more than just physical space. He looked to be scouting out the room with a mixture of annoyance and intrigue, with his brooding good looks.
• "Hey, pea brain, I'm not paying you to waste the goddamn milk," Derek blurted out.
• "Shit." Blair returned her attention to the coffeemaker. The idiot milk had frothed up. "Shit. Shit. Shit."
• She rushed through the mochas and presented them to the client. "Sorry about the wait."
• "No problem." Penny, clutching her two to-go containers, gave Donny one final look before walking out with her hips swinging. Donny didn't even glance at Penny.
• Blair felt a flutter of annoyance. Donny wasn't hers, but she didn't want other ladies ogling him or wiggling their asses in his direction.