overture, Neve usually changed the
subject or brought out pastry samples.
Judy’s offer flattered her. She’d forgotten what it felt
like to have somebody pursue her. And the woman looked rather cute standing
before her, hands behind her back and gaze cast to the floor, as though
expecting a gentle letdown. The puppy-dog silent plea radiating in the room
caused Neve’s heart to pang.
“I suppose I could get away in a few minutes, we’re almost
done with tonight’s special-order work,” Neve said, looking back at the kitchen
area again. Her cohorts still hid, no doubt giggling and high-fiving each other
in secret. “If you don’t mind waiting while we close.”
Judy visibly brightened at that. “Awesome, great. I’ll, uh,
just wait here then.”
Neve nodded and, unable to think of anything else to say,
hurried into the back. Well, this doesn’t bode well , she thought. If she
couldn’t talk now, how would conversation over coffee pass?
“Good Lord, we have plenty of coffee here too,” she muttered
on her way to the small office tucked in the corner of kitchen, where she found
Terri and Corky waiting on her.
“Neve’s got a girlfriend,” Corky teased in a singsong
whisper.
Neve ignored her and looked at Terri. “Why are you hiding
out in here?”
Terri shrugged. “We heard voices when you came in and
thought you needed some privacy, and we’re almost done anyway. No reason for
you to stick around,” she said. “You can take the last deposit and Corky and I
can close up.”
“You sure?” Normally Neve had no problem trusting the two
with closing procedures. She knew Terri wasn’t one to cut corners, but this
time something irked Neve. Terri looked none too happy with her proposed
arrangement.
“Go, have fun for once,” Corky said. “The delivery orders
for tomorrow are ready, and you don’t have to worry about that Sunday party,
either.” She brushed past Neve into the kitchen but returned quickly. “That’s
not the same woman from before.”
Terri leaned out of the office far enough to see, then eased
back next to Neve before speaking. “What’s she doing here? Where’s
Gianna?”
“She had to leave. I bumped into Judy on the way back here.
We’re going out for coffee.”
“Oh okay.” Corky shrugged and left again, just like a young
adult who knew not to pry in another person’s business. Neve liked that about
her—Corky left personal drama at the door every morning and focused on the job.
Terri, on the other hand…
Her other associate leaned closer and pulled Neve deeper
into the office, presumably so Corky couldn’t hear them. “You okay?” she asked,
concerned.
Neve blinked. “Yeah, sure. Why wouldn’t I be? I trust you
guys to close without me.”
“It’s not that. I’m talking about this thing you have going
on with that girl.”
“I don’t have a thing ,” Neve said, annoyed. “She
wants to have a cup of coffee and some conversation.”
Terri raised an eyebrow. “Coffee is a thing. And she’s a
client.”
“A romantic weekend in the country is a thing,” Neve
countered. “We’re nowhere close to that.” A kiss is a thing , she mused
to herself. A touch, a lick, an orgasm…so many things to do, and she’d seen
none of them on her list for a long time. Neve shook away her frustration.
“Anyway, so what if she’s a customer? We don’t have a policy against going out
with people who buy food from us. If we did and sales boomed, we’d all be old
maids.”
Terri didn’t find that funny at all. She folded her arms and
huffed like a put-upon chaperone.
“Terri, not that it’s any of your business, but I know what
I’m doing. Yes, Judy is new to me, and if you’re worried that this girl’s a
serial killer, you can say ‘I told you so’ when you eulogize me. Hey,” she
added quickly before Terri could interrupt, “I don’t judge when you date
people.” She appreciated her friend’s interest in her well-being, but Neve
wanted to
subject or brought out pastry samples.
Judy’s offer flattered her. She’d forgotten what it felt
like to have somebody pursue her. And the woman looked rather cute standing
before her, hands behind her back and gaze cast to the floor, as though
expecting a gentle letdown. The puppy-dog silent plea radiating in the room
caused Neve’s heart to pang.
“I suppose I could get away in a few minutes, we’re almost
done with tonight’s special-order work,” Neve said, looking back at the kitchen
area again. Her cohorts still hid, no doubt giggling and high-fiving each other
in secret. “If you don’t mind waiting while we close.”
Judy visibly brightened at that. “Awesome, great. I’ll, uh,
just wait here then.”
Neve nodded and, unable to think of anything else to say,
hurried into the back. Well, this doesn’t bode well , she thought. If she
couldn’t talk now, how would conversation over coffee pass?
“Good Lord, we have plenty of coffee here too,” she muttered
on her way to the small office tucked in the corner of kitchen, where she found
Terri and Corky waiting on her.
“Neve’s got a girlfriend,” Corky teased in a singsong
whisper.
Neve ignored her and looked at Terri. “Why are you hiding
out in here?”
Terri shrugged. “We heard voices when you came in and
thought you needed some privacy, and we’re almost done anyway. No reason for
you to stick around,” she said. “You can take the last deposit and Corky and I
can close up.”
“You sure?” Normally Neve had no problem trusting the two
with closing procedures. She knew Terri wasn’t one to cut corners, but this
time something irked Neve. Terri looked none too happy with her proposed
arrangement.
“Go, have fun for once,” Corky said. “The delivery orders
for tomorrow are ready, and you don’t have to worry about that Sunday party,
either.” She brushed past Neve into the kitchen but returned quickly. “That’s
not the same woman from before.”
Terri leaned out of the office far enough to see, then eased
back next to Neve before speaking. “What’s she doing here? Where’s
Gianna?”
“She had to leave. I bumped into Judy on the way back here.
We’re going out for coffee.”
“Oh okay.” Corky shrugged and left again, just like a young
adult who knew not to pry in another person’s business. Neve liked that about
her—Corky left personal drama at the door every morning and focused on the job.
Terri, on the other hand…
Her other associate leaned closer and pulled Neve deeper
into the office, presumably so Corky couldn’t hear them. “You okay?” she asked,
concerned.
Neve blinked. “Yeah, sure. Why wouldn’t I be? I trust you
guys to close without me.”
“It’s not that. I’m talking about this thing you have going
on with that girl.”
“I don’t have a thing ,” Neve said, annoyed. “She
wants to have a cup of coffee and some conversation.”
Terri raised an eyebrow. “Coffee is a thing. And she’s a
client.”
“A romantic weekend in the country is a thing,” Neve
countered. “We’re nowhere close to that.” A kiss is a thing , she mused
to herself. A touch, a lick, an orgasm…so many things to do, and she’d seen
none of them on her list for a long time. Neve shook away her frustration.
“Anyway, so what if she’s a customer? We don’t have a policy against going out
with people who buy food from us. If we did and sales boomed, we’d all be old
maids.”
Terri didn’t find that funny at all. She folded her arms and
huffed like a put-upon chaperone.
“Terri, not that it’s any of your business, but I know what
I’m doing. Yes, Judy is new to me, and if you’re worried that this girl’s a
serial killer, you can say ‘I told you so’ when you eulogize me. Hey,” she
added quickly before Terri could interrupt, “I don’t judge when you date
people.” She appreciated her friend’s interest in her well-being, but Neve
wanted to
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