Page 7 of The Marriage Narrative
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” Coco lightly bumped her forearm against his.
“Shit.”Over-steamed milk had splattered all over his hands and apron.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Just got distracted.” He placed the steel frothing pitcher into the small sink beside the espresso machine and poured out the now cool shots.Damn it. He clenched his jaw to help him focus. Choosing someone based on looks alone was an all-aroundbad idea. There had to bemore.He scanned Zinnia again, head to toe—
She might be a reader. Had a colorful sense of style. Tall with good posture. Likely the kind of person who cared about little details because her bejeweled nails matched her outfit.
“Hey.” Coco tapped him again. “You’re in the way and fucking up my workflow.”
“Stop cussing on the front line.”
“Youjustdid it.”
“I pay you enough to ignore my hypocrisy,” he joked. “Remake this for me while I clean up?”
“Don’t give me orders, old man.” Her expert eyes barely needed more than a glance at the ticket before getting started.
Foul mouth aside, Coco was one of his best employees. If he wanted to retire tomorrow, he could leave her and Phil in charge of his entire business. Which was fantastic considering he was about to disappear due to a secretly preplanned family emergency.
He finished cleaning the station and removed his apron. “My meeting is starting early. West is on his way to fill in.”
“I got this. Thanks, though.”
Room One was behind the coffee bar and bakery—a combination kitchen, storage, and employee break area. He tossed his apron into the laundry basket and thoroughly washed his sticky hands.
Whywas Zinnia so early? Worry crashed into stress like a train hitting a semitruck. They had confirmed the time twice by text, yesterday and that morning. He didn’t have any new messages from her. He hadn’t forgotten anything…had he?
Shit.
His memory resembled Swiss cheese on agoodday. If he didn’t write something down, it slipped away as if it never existed.Being stressed out made things ten times worse. He’d been forgetting everything lately—returning calls, appointments, locking his damn front door. At this rate, he’d be lucky if he remembered his own name by the end of next week.
He’d just have to apologize to her. Explain and completely throw himself at her mercy. This meeting had to go well because she was his last chance.
Time was not on Jordan’s side, but maybe Zinnia could be.
After a quick fit check in the mirror and using some lotion because he wasnotmeeting her with ashy hands, he headed back out front. She was still in the same section, almost to the end.
Being able to make conversation was like a muscle for him. If he didn’t use it, that fucker atrophied expeditiously, and it had been a while since he had needed to try. He said a silent prayer, hoping all the questions he had about her proposal would be enough to carry him through, and took an unexpectedly nervous deep breath.
“Excuse me, hi. Zinnia?”
She whirled around, eyes wide and with a book clutched to her chest. “Yes?” Between one second and the next, her startled expression faded into recognition. “Oh, hi! You’re here already.” And then, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why?”
Great minds. “Because this is my store. I own it. I was working behind the counter when you walked in.”
Her eyebrows raised slightly as she looked him up and down, once and then again. Disappointment filled her eyes before she shuttered it behind a tight smile.
Dressing in all black was a way of life for him. He’d chosen to wear a clean work uniform, also all black, because this was a business meeting. He knew women cared about how much effort men put into first dates—he’d heard his sister complain about itenough for the lesson to stick. But again, this was abusiness meeting. What was she expecting?
She placed the book back on the shelf, notably in the correct spot. “You technically didn’t break my meeting in public rule, but you are bending it.”
He’d told her he knew a great place to meet because he worked in retail management, but not that he owned Tantivy. He figured she’d look it up online and see him on the store website. Apparently, that didn’t happen.
“Well, you said you loved surprises. How did I do?”
Her entirebeingbrightened as she smiled, like watching the sunrise after wandering in an endless night. “I absolutely would’ve wanted to see your store. Well played.”
