Page 40 of Good as Gold
“No such thing. I have four hungry brothers, and Audrey’s family is similarly large. So everybody pays full price. Besides—I handed you a wad of cash last night. Five hundred bucks, I think.”
I pat my pocket for the envelope. “Fivehundred?” I pull it out and open the flap, fanning the twenties with my thumb. “This is too much. Don’t give me your share.” I set a twenty down on the counter.
“I didn’t.” She rings up my order. “That’s your half, and we tipped out the dish washer, too. Alec’s business is a cash cow, especially when Giltmaker has a brand-new product. That kind of business should last all summer.”
“Five hundred,” I repeat slowly. “On a Monday night.”
“Could be seven hundred on the weekend, or six without that tight shirt you’re wearing.” She shakes out a bakery bag and puts a muffin inside for Leila. “The Jesus hair could go either way.”
I roll my eyes.
She snickers. “Look, I know Otto wants you to stay for the summer. He has trouble getting good seasonal help. If cash is tight, you could make him a deal. Tell him you’ll do some shifts, but only customer-facing work.”
I do the math, picturing two or three thousand dollars a week of summer cash. I could lend all that money to my Aspen business and shore up our finances in the fall.
God, it’s tempting.
Zara passes me a cup of coffee and a warm muffin on a plate. “This is carrot ginger.”
“Sounds heavenly.” I pick it up and take a bite. And then I groan, because it’s delicious.
Just then the door flies open, and Zara and I both turn to see who it is.
Leila stands there with a wild look in her eye. She’s dressed in a long skirt and a fuzzy purple sweater, her hair damp and curling around her face. “Morning,” she says in a breathy, rushed voice. “Um, Matteo, I owe you an apology. But I’m running too late to do it justice. So…”
“Here.” I take the bag that Zara has prepared for her, and I set it in her hands. “Coffee and a muffin. Take a breath, honey. We’ll talk later.”
She looks down into the bag, and then back up at me. Two spots of bright pink appear on her face—one on each cheek. “Wow. Thank you. And…I’m sorry. I was…wow.” She swallows hard.
I step in and kiss her on the temple. “Go to work. Don’t worry about a thing, okay?”
“Okay,” she says breathily. “See you later?”
“Of course.”
Leila leaves, and when I turn around, Zara is smirking at me again. “What wasthatabout?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly.
Zara looks skeptical. “Did that girl jump you last night? Is that why she’s embarrassed?”
I shake my head. “Nah. She just said some amusing things.”
“Pity.” She looks disappointed. “What are you doing today, anyway?”
“Not sure. Do you know if Benito drives his own car to work?”
“Yep. He drives to the state police barracks and then switches vehicles. Why?”
“When I was asking the guys what I could do for them, he joked that I should wash his car.” I shrug. “Thought it would be funny.”
Zara’s hands pause on the cups she’s stacking. “Benny would say that’s unnecessary, though.”
“I know.” I spread my hands in a gesture of humility. “But I don’t feel right about staying away for so long, and I’ll be back in Colorado before you know it. It’s just a little thing.”
She studies me, her expression serious. “We know your life is somewhere else. Benito doesn’t need you to wash his car. He just needs you to answer our texts.”
“I’ll do that, too.”
