Page 6 of Building Romance
“Sure thing,” I reply as I get to work making it.
I go to say something to him about his audiobook-worthy voice, but the door swings open again and a very drenched Hutch walks inside. He shakes his head like a dog, droplets of water splattering everywhere.
“Hutch!” I admonish.
“For the love of…” he groans and grabs my mop from around the door to the kitchen. He wipes up the water and places it back.
Raspy-deep-voice mystery man watches him. His gaze flickering between us.
“My lady,” Hutch says, bowing slightly.
I roll my eyes. “Usual?” I ask as I hand my new customer his drink. Hutch nods.
“Any luck finding that saltshaker that went missing?” Hutch asks.
I shake my head. My lucky saltshaker has been missing for a week now.
“Bummer,” he replies.
I glance back over at the mystery man. My inner twentysomething-year-old Cam desperately wants to write my number on the cup I’ve handed this man. But somehow, I muster all my maturity and refrain.
“Here you are. Anything else?” I ask as I ring him up.
He shakes his head and taps his card on the reader.
“Thanks,” he mutters as he turns and takes a seat by the window, pulling out his phone and typing away.
With a shrug, I turn my attention back to Hutch.
“So, any luck today?” I ask, nodding toward the park.
“Nope,” he sighs and grabs a napkin, wiping the water off his face.
The door swings open again and Jocelyn, who works at the bookstore across the road, walks inside. She sets her umbrella by the door.
“I didn’t know we had a monsoon season so late in the year,” she grumbles.
Hutch chuckles. “What? You want that to be snow? We’d be stuck inside for days.”
“Still, I’d love to see the sun. It’s been like four straight days of this,” she protests as she motions outside.
“Fair. I hear the day after tomorrow is supposed to be nice,” he says. He’s looking at her intently and I just know they have a crush on each other. I wish they’d just hook up already.
“I hope so,” she answers before turning to me. “Can I get two of the daily specials?” she asks.
“Sure thing,” I reply as I set Hutch’s coffee down.
My gaze darts to the mystery man and I find him watching me. I freeze for a millisecond and then give him a smile and pretend that I’m not completely disarmed by him.
Jocelyn looks over her shoulder and then leans over the counter.
“Uh, who is bachelor number one?” she whispers.
Hutch leans over her. And I mean that literally. He is so tall and she is so short that he leans all the way over her.
“What are we whispering about, ladies? You know I love gossip almost as much as Drew,” he says in a low voice.
Jocelyn giggles and elbows him and then he wraps an arm around her middle and lifts her from the floor as if she’s a feather.
