Page 169 of Tormented Billionaire Romance Series

I rolled my eyes.

The shop was soon filled with a constant whirring and buzzing of equipment as the two girls worked to create coffee sodas for myself and Brian. I shot frequent glances over at them, more interested in what the cute girl was doing than what Suzie was up to. The cute girl operated a machine, sticking some sort of nozzle into a cup and pushing a button. A silvery stream of bubbles pulsed through the dark liquid of the drink, making it fizz and swirl with rich hazelnut and cream colors.

The cute girl removed the nozzle and looked up.

Our eyes met over the counter.

She smiled and ducked her head, and turned away to resume fiddling with my drink.

Suzie started speaking again, voice wavering in out through the background cacophony. “Since you’ve clearly been living under a rock for, like, ever, I bet you don’t even know that Carter Bryant is throwing a huge party tomorrow for Halloween.”

“I had no idea,” the cute girl replied, sarcastically.

I smirked against my hand as Suzie misinterpreted the sarcasm for a genuine statement of ignorance. “I knew it. It’s going to be the biggest and best party in the whole city, probably the best one all year. And the amazing part is that Carter will be looking for a wife at the party.”

“I hope Mr. Bryant gets what he wants out of the whole thing.” The cute girl glanced up. “Brian?”

Brian and I got up and went over to the end of the counter.

The cute girl passed over a chilly cup, and a straw. “That’s the mocha.”

I handed it to Brian.

She held up another. “And this is the custom order. I made you what I like to get. Hazelnut and dark chocolate, with just a bit of cream swirled in.” She smiled shyly from under long, dark eyelashes. “I really hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I will,” I told her.

“Maybe go ahead and try it to make sure,” she suggested. “If not, I can make you something else.”

Even if I hated the drink, I would say I loved it just to see her smile.

I tapped the straw open, put the open end in my mouth and blew the wrapper at Brian, striking him directly on the shoulder. He twisted and caught the scrap of garbage and tutted at me. “Litterbug. As if these two don’t have enough to do.”

“Nice shot,” the girl said to me, giggling.

Suzie hovered in the background, back stiff, looking like a furious cat.

I stuck the straw in my drink and took a sip. The first taste was a tang of fizz, followed by rich coffee notes and hints of sweetness, which tingled and danced on my tongue. The flavor morphed as the fizz continued. “Wow,” I said, looking down at the simple dark drink in the cup. If I hadn’t been told otherwise, I would have assumed it to be cola; this was so much better than simply Coke, however.

“You like it?” the girl asked anxiously.

“I do!” I smiled at her. “You have great taste.”

She smiled back and lifted her hand, wiggling her fingers at me. “Have a great day.”

“You, too,” I told her.

As I walked away, I heard Suzie muttering. “That does it. I’m making that man my husband.”

“I’m going to the party,” the cute girl responded, in a polite, though skeptical tone, “but I’m just going to be supportive for Maggie.”

Outside, Brian burst out laughing. “God, thetension.I thought at any moment it’d get too thick to breathe.”

I sipped more of my delicious coffee soda. “I liked that girl.”

“Don’t tell me you mean that Suzie chick.”

“No!” I scoffed, climbing into the car with him. “The other one. I didn’t catch her name. She was so nice the whole time. I hope she doesn’t have to work with that Suzie too often, for her own sake.”

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