She smiled. “Lovely, isn’t it? The lord mayor spared no expense. The building has been fully furnished with new flooring and updated kitchen equipment but remains a blank canvas for you to paint as you wish. I’ll be assisting you with the interior decorating.”
A guy with short black hair and glasses stepped forward. He appeared to be a handful of years older than me, if I had to guess, and stood several inches taller with a lean build. “I’ll be assisting you with the food preparation, recipes, and anything involving the kitchen. The name is William James Morton the Third, but do call me William.”
“Awesome. I’m Evan, Lord of the Muffins, First of His Name. But you can just call me Evan.”
William laughed. “Lord of the Muffins? I quite enjoy your wit.” He showed off his pearly whites and motioned to the entrance. “Shall I show you around?”
“Sure.”
Hershel turned to me from his seat atop the carriage. “I’ll continue on to the inn and place your belongings in your room, Master Evan.”
“Thanks,” I said, still weirded out by the “master” address but getting more used to it. “That’d be great.”
August and Finnian accompanied the coachman, while Callum, Duke, and Ban stayed with me. Lake was close by as well. I sensed him. In such a big city, I worried about him being seen, but he’d reassured me several times everything would be okay. I needed to trust him.
Gertrude and William then led me inside the building.
The polished hardwood floors and a multitude of windows gave the place an open and classy feel. Tables filled the main dining hall, some seating two and others big enough for six. Beautiful but not exactly homey. Not yet anyway. Once decorated, it’d hopefully feel cozier.
That’s what made the Brewed Muffin so special. The feel of home and comfort. A lived-in space with nooks and crannies, plushy chairs to curl up in, coffee and pastries made from the heart, and a warm fire to take the chill from the air.
A home away from home.
“I hope all is to your liking so far?” Gertrude asked as we moved around the dining room.
“Yep. It’s great.”
“Excellent.” She neared a set of glass doors and motioned outside. “Customers will also have the choice to sit on the back patio if they prefer.”
It was exactly what I wanted to do with my own café. More and more, the reality was sinking in that this was actually happening. Briar was right. This was an opportunity I would’ve kicked myself had I passed on.
“What about the reading parlor?” I asked.
“Of course.” She smiled. “Follow me upstairs.”
The upstairs had less of an open floor plan, which I liked. Little reading nooks, corners, and dividing walls added to the magical atmosphere of escaping into books. I surveyed the space, admiring the walls of bookshelves and comfy armchairs. The shelves were empty at the moment.
“I’ll meet with the bookshop owner about supplying the books,” I said, gliding my hand along a shelf. “Maybe we can run a joint promotion that’ll bring more business to both of us. Buy one of their books and get a discounted cup of coffee or pastry.”
“Excellent idea,” William responded. “We can arrange a meeting for tomorrow after breakfast.”
“Cool.” Reaching the window, I checked out the view of the courtyard. “This is the perfect location. It’s stunning.”
“Indeed. Now on to the kitchen,” William said, one arm behind his back and the other resting near his chin. “And prepare to be amazed. As Gertrude mentioned, no expense was spared.”
I was definitely amazed. The kitchen had double the number of ovens as my café, as well as more stovetops and a walk-in pantry that was more like its own small room rather than a cupboard. The burr mills were top of the line, and machines sat on the sleek counter opposite them, fancier than any I’d seen before.
“Everything’s so shiny,” I said.
“Well, youarein the city of gems,” William responded. “Beauty and extravagance is what we’re known for.”
“So you’ll be one of the bakers when the café opens? Did I understand that right?”
“One of the bakers?” William made a face that I associated with rich snobs. “My role is far more important than that, dearest Evan. Not only will I be head baker, but I’ll also be the one running this café once you return home.”
William carried himself like a nobleman, in both how he spoke and how he dressed. I was sure he’d received the best culinary training money could buy and more than likely far surpassed me in skill because of it. If so, the idea that I’d be teaching him anything was kind of silly. I wasn’t classically trained at all.
As Rowan had said in regard to his magic, everything I knew I taught myself through trial and error—alotof error.
