Page 40 of Coffee Shop Girl
14
Maverick
Bethany looked like she’d walked to her own funeral that night.
Under the anemic bar lights, her face had paled. Not likely the torture of recounting operating procedures hour after hour—although that wasn’t fun, either.
Maybe it hadn’t been the right move to text her hours before we spoke, but Ellie and Lizbeth didn’t need to hear this. Besides, I liked the idea of getting her to myself. She was far more fun when I could actually rile her up.
Unfortunately, this part of the job would really suck. Emotional support had never been my strong suit, but I’d have to figure it out. If I could do it with Bethany, I could do it with other store owners.
Based on what I’d seen, things weren’t good with the Frolicking Moose. In fact, this shop was already half-drowned and taking on more water. They were just this side of total debt annihilation. If the girls’ chances were between Bethany or the foster system...
I let that thought go.
“Hey Mav,” she said over the too-loud country music.
I liked the easy way my name rolled off her tongue.
She eyed me warily as she slid onto a stool next to mine. She wore the same dress but had brightened up her lipstick and slipped a light jacket on.
Though I softened my expression with a quick smile, it didn’t seem to ease her tension much.
I lifted a hand for the bartender, signaling for one more.
“Hey.”
She grimaced. “That bad?”
“Maybe.”
Once the beer arrived, she took a giant swig, then set it down and met my gaze with a long inhale.
“Tell me.”
“You first.”
Her eyes widened. “Me?”
“Listen, if you really want me to help you, I need the whole story. Not the least of which is the fact that there could be a very angry man invading your life any day now, and I don’t like that.”
“You don’t have to like it.”
I fought not to roll my eyes.
“Don’t you think you need to be worried about some guy barreling into the coffee shop with a gun? I’m worried you and the girls aren’t safe. You have to include me inallof this.”
I tapped on a pile of papers enclosed in a folder to illustrate my point. Her expression clouded.
“All of it meaning the Frolicking Moose?”
“And Jim, yes.”
She didn’t seem surprised. Bethany was sharp. The idea that Jim could come after them would have occurred to her. Although she’d turned a blind eye to her financials too long, I could tell she’d thought this inevitable ending out. That gave me a little comfort, but I still didn’t like this situation.
Not at all.
“The whole story,” she murmured. As if mentally deciding something, she nodded once. “Fine, but not here.”
