Page 6 of There’s Trouble Brewing

The more she showed them, the less they seemed to get it. Four days, and she felt like she had nothing to show for all the hard work.

Sue set down her frothing pitcher with an exaggerated sigh. “We were ready a long time ago,” she said, glancing at the other two with a nod.

Emily was tempted to hold them back, but she was worried another round of murmured complaints would end up in a revolt. Instead, she kept her mouth shut as she watched the trio file out, leaving Emily surrounded by a mess of scattered cups and dirty rags.

She did her best to clean up the hectic scene so she would be ready when they started again. “New towels,that’s what I need.” She headed to the supply closet to grab some fresh ones when she heard voices.

“She’s a real monster, isn’t she,” Bryan grumbled.

Emily ducked back before they could see her, not wanting them to know she could hear their conversation.

“You can say that again. She acts like she’s the Queen of Coffee,” Nancy mocked.

“She thinks she can just boss us around, but we all know that Mark is the one in charge, not her,” Sue stated in a huff. “I wish he was the one training us with those hunky muscles and dreamy eyes.”

Emily rocked back on her heels, shocked. Not only because they were talking negatively about her behind her back but also because she had no idea that Sue had a crush on Mark. A part of Emily immediately felt territorial as if he belonged to her, but another part told herself it was none of her business.

“Don’t start that again,” Nancy snapped. “It’s not proper to have a crush on your boss.”

Emily couldn’t agree more, but she wasn’t about to get involved in the situation.

“Either way, we all can agree that Miss Wilson is the problem, and she’s going to ruin this place,” Bryan growled out.

It took all her strength not to march right up to them and tell them that they were wrong. The truth was, they were the problem, and they didn’t even want to see it. They’d never be ready for the opening if they continued this way, and yet, they seemed to want to blame her for their shortcomings.

She needed to be anywhere other than listening to them complain. She reminded herself that there was a growing mound of supplies in the back room needingattention. The first thing she noticed when she entered the supply room was the stacks of coffee bags that looked like they might collapse under their weight. A leaning tower of unopened boxes added to the chaos, a reflection of her day. She kicked a stray box in frustration, her thoughts on Mark, the ambitious shop owner, and how he’d better appreciate this. When she’d agreed to train the staff for the new location, she hadn’t imagined a hoard of know-it-alls with zero interest in learning proper procedures.

Emily picked up a stray bag of coffee beans, tossing it lightly between her hands. Was it worth it? Should she stay here and tough the situation out? There were worse things than admitting defeat and going home early.

“Okay, it’s all right,” she encouraged herself, slamming the bag down on the shelf. “You’re not one for giving up. Don’t start that now.”

Before she knew what was happening, she could see the shelf shaking, and the bags of beans shifting. “Oh no,” she cried out.

Then, out of nowhere, Mark appeared beside her, his tall frame taking up all the space. They both reached to catch a falling bag, and their hands collided. Her pulse seemed to echo through the tiny room.

“Didn’t mean to surprise you,” Mark said, his deep voice making the small space feel even smaller.

Emily hesitated, placing the bag back in place with Mark’s help. “I’m usually ready for surprises.” She let go of the bag first, their fingers lingering on each other’s for an awkward moment before they both pulled back.

Mark gave her a look she couldn’t quite decipher. “Long day?”

“More like a long week,” Emily said, shaking her head. The second she got a moment to herself, Mark had a wayof appearing. She wondered if he had any clue how distracting he was.

“If you need to talk about it—” he started, but before he could finish, there was a shout from the front of the coffee shop.

“Can I get some help out here,” Nancy called out.

They both moved at once, nearly colliding again, but Mark stepped back, letting her go first.

“Sorry,” she murmured, moving past him, her body brushing against his in the process and causing electricity to shoot through her body. She wasn’t expecting that to happen, but she did her best to ignore it.

Emily braced herself as she came into the main room of the coffee shop. “What’s going on?”

The pointed looks from the baristas told her this time they weren’t overreacting.

An older woman with white curls and a determined scowl stood in front of the main counter, complaining to Sue.

“Can I help you?” Emily asked, plastering on a smile as the woman gave her a fierce, head-to-toe glance. She’d seen that look before. Angry customers always went straight to the top of the chain.

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