don’t, and someone else snatches him up, you’re going to be devastated. You can’t even function with a miscommunication between you. Do you think you can handle not having him in your life at all? Hell, his brother left a double whammy on me, which I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from. He gives me the silly, stupid giggles and a blank mind.”
Zoey took her cell phone out of her apron pocket and called Khristos, who answered on the second ring.
“Sunshine.”
“I’ll be there, and Khristos, I’m sorry for the past week. I just don’t know how to meet you halfway.”
“This works, even if it’s later than I wished. I don’t give up easily. Nothing easy is worth having, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Gotta get back to work. I look forward to seeing you and Marie, who I’ve warned my brother to not be his usual self with.”
Zoey laughed. “I think Marie can handle your brother just fine. But thank you for looking out for her. I thought he only asked her to force my hand in going.”
“We’re not like that. He’s into your friend. Listen. I’d be all ears just to have you on the phone, but I have to run. You have my number and address. Call me later, or come by if you want to, before I traumatize you with my overly intrusive mother and sister.”
“I’ll think about it. Bye, Khristos.” Zoey powered off her phone and slipped it into her apron pocket. If she kept it on, she’d be tempted to text or call, probably both. Mr. Simms stood at the counter, waiting for a refill of his coffee.
“Darlin’ you got bit by the love bug on me? Why you wanna go do that? Now I wont’ be able to flirt with you as I get my coffee.”
Mr. Simms tickled her fancy. The older man, with his cane and bright blue eyes, always had a story to tell. His flirting never went beyond appropriate. All harmless and he made her smile. “Now, why would you wanna quit flirting and all? You know I live for your cheesy one-liners.” A blush crept up his face as he took his coffee from her and dropped her fifty-cent tip on the counter. He, along with five other men who frequented her shop, always had at least four cups of coffee, and each insisted on paying for refills and giving her a fifty cent tip per refill. They liked to call her their favorite bartender of caffeine.
“We see that young man moonin’ over you. Want us to ask him his intentions? We will, ya know. We may be old, but we’re all ex-military, we know how to shake a man down.”
Zoey grinned. “I’m touched and all, but I think I can handle Khristos on my own. I promise I’ll whisper if I need a hand, though. Deal?”
“Mm-hm.” The salt and pepper haired man shuffled over to the table to sit with his friends.
“What was that about?”
“Marie, the cutest thing ever. I think our guys are looking out for our non-existent virtue.”
“They’ve been coming every morning since you opened this shop three years ago. I’d bet if we opened on Sunday, they’d come then, too.”
“I enjoy them almost the most, and the cute couples that come in together and order the same thing daily, sharing pastries or chocolate, too.”
“I’ve been thinking, and don’t kill the messenger, that maybe there’s an upside to Pastry Goddess. We could market our chocolate there, give her an option to use ours in her products. That way, new customers will know about us, and the customers who frequent both can have variety. We could charge her.”
“I’m not ready to think about Dareia just yet, I’m still processing that he didn’t tell me, you know.”
Marie snorted. “You are so open minded with everything else, and close minded when it comes to matters of the heart. There are hard choices to be made. Imagine being stuck between you, the woman he wants to have, and the sister who depends on him and who he loves. That poor man was in a no-win situation, especially with you spouting off about how she’s wrecking your business. I mean, what was he supposed to do,
Zoey took her cell phone out of her apron pocket and called Khristos, who answered on the second ring.
“Sunshine.”
“I’ll be there, and Khristos, I’m sorry for the past week. I just don’t know how to meet you halfway.”
“This works, even if it’s later than I wished. I don’t give up easily. Nothing easy is worth having, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Gotta get back to work. I look forward to seeing you and Marie, who I’ve warned my brother to not be his usual self with.”
Zoey laughed. “I think Marie can handle your brother just fine. But thank you for looking out for her. I thought he only asked her to force my hand in going.”
“We’re not like that. He’s into your friend. Listen. I’d be all ears just to have you on the phone, but I have to run. You have my number and address. Call me later, or come by if you want to, before I traumatize you with my overly intrusive mother and sister.”
“I’ll think about it. Bye, Khristos.” Zoey powered off her phone and slipped it into her apron pocket. If she kept it on, she’d be tempted to text or call, probably both. Mr. Simms stood at the counter, waiting for a refill of his coffee.
“Darlin’ you got bit by the love bug on me? Why you wanna go do that? Now I wont’ be able to flirt with you as I get my coffee.”
Mr. Simms tickled her fancy. The older man, with his cane and bright blue eyes, always had a story to tell. His flirting never went beyond appropriate. All harmless and he made her smile. “Now, why would you wanna quit flirting and all? You know I live for your cheesy one-liners.” A blush crept up his face as he took his coffee from her and dropped her fifty-cent tip on the counter. He, along with five other men who frequented her shop, always had at least four cups of coffee, and each insisted on paying for refills and giving her a fifty cent tip per refill. They liked to call her their favorite bartender of caffeine.
“We see that young man moonin’ over you. Want us to ask him his intentions? We will, ya know. We may be old, but we’re all ex-military, we know how to shake a man down.”
Zoey grinned. “I’m touched and all, but I think I can handle Khristos on my own. I promise I’ll whisper if I need a hand, though. Deal?”
“Mm-hm.” The salt and pepper haired man shuffled over to the table to sit with his friends.
“What was that about?”
“Marie, the cutest thing ever. I think our guys are looking out for our non-existent virtue.”
“They’ve been coming every morning since you opened this shop three years ago. I’d bet if we opened on Sunday, they’d come then, too.”
“I enjoy them almost the most, and the cute couples that come in together and order the same thing daily, sharing pastries or chocolate, too.”
“I’ve been thinking, and don’t kill the messenger, that maybe there’s an upside to Pastry Goddess. We could market our chocolate there, give her an option to use ours in her products. That way, new customers will know about us, and the customers who frequent both can have variety. We could charge her.”
“I’m not ready to think about Dareia just yet, I’m still processing that he didn’t tell me, you know.”
Marie snorted. “You are so open minded with everything else, and close minded when it comes to matters of the heart. There are hard choices to be made. Imagine being stuck between you, the woman he wants to have, and the sister who depends on him and who he loves. That poor man was in a no-win situation, especially with you spouting off about how she’s wrecking your business. I mean, what was he supposed to do,
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