steel, basin sink behind me.
Ryan holds up a finger while he continues counting all the fifty dollar bills. He stacks them neatly in a pile, writes the amount on the slip, then shoves them into the bank bag. “Tell me about it. On the plus side,” he lifts up the plastic tip jar and shakes it, “you made some good tips.”
“True.” Trust me, all of those ones and fives add up. One time during Christmas someone threw a twenty in there. That about made my day. And during the holiday rush, not much can make a person's day when you're a barista. “But I'm still going to have to split them with, Lucy.”
“Still,” Ryan says. “You each had to have made over twenty bucks.”
“Fantastic.” I snatch the container from Ryan, and start divvying up the cash. All together Lucy and I each made twenty-two dollars and some change. Not bad. Not bad at all considering on the drive here I assumed the mall was going to be dead. I take Lucy's cut and stuff it into a white envelope then write her name on it with a black sharpie. Stuffing my cut into the front of my apron, I hand the white envelope to, Ryan. “Will you make sure Lucy gets this.”
Ryan takes the envelope and sets it down next to him. “Absolutely.”
“Are you okay to finish by yourself.”
Ryan is now knee deep in counting the change in the drawer, so he just nods and waves me off.
The Whiffs and Sniffs fragrance shop is located on the opposite end of the mall in the west wing while the coffee shop is located in the central corridor. I'm actually kind of glad that Ryan asked me close because fighting my way through a mass of people to get to the store would have been annoying. I window shop on the way down the west wing corridor admiring some cute tops hanging in a few of the expensive storefronts. I work really hard for the money I make so from time to time I allow myself a few indulgences. When my Grams died she left me her condo, which sold for a decent amount of money, but after my attack, the hospital bills ate up most of that.
When I finally reach the Whiffs and Sniffs the chain curtain is already pulled down and the lights are turned off. Where the hell is Lara? Reaching for my cell, soft laughter wafts over to me and buzzes in my ears. I turn around and Lara is standing with a group of guys from the sporting goods store. I quickly shuffle over to them, and grab Lara's elbow. “You ready to...” I stop mid-sentence when I notice the blue-green eyes regarding me in unreadable way. Sean Reilly. My stomach bottoms out and I can't find my voice. I should have thought of this scenario earlier when Ryan mentioned an autograph signing and meet and greet. Shit. I will myself to breathe, but my lungs aren't cooperating. I'm all swept up in his intense gaze, muscular and tattooed biceps, stunning eyes, and enigmatic presence.
Breathe, Hadlee. I just need to breathe.
Lara finally acknowledges me. “Oh hey!” She nudges my shoulder. “How was the world of Arabica beans?”
I exhale. “Tiring.” Sean is looking at me. I can feel his eyes as they slice through my skin and it makes me nervous. “You ready to go?” I don't make eye contact with anyone else and give Lara a pleading look.
“Well, Lee,” she says with a shrug. “The guys invited us out for a drink. Do you care if we go for a little while?”
I lean in close to her ear. “Can't you just drop me off at home first,” I whisper.
“They are leaving straight from here. JP and Ted said we could ride over with them.” She points to two guys one with blonde hair and brown eyes and the other has light brown hair and green eyes. Both guys nod in my direction and I nod back.
“You know the whole bar scene isn't my thing,” I tell her.
Lara holds up a finger to the group. “One sec, guys.” Then she grabs me by the elbow and yanks me to the side. “Come on, Lee. It could be fun. I know you have a hard time being out at night, but we'll be out with four guys.”
I glance over
Ryan holds up a finger while he continues counting all the fifty dollar bills. He stacks them neatly in a pile, writes the amount on the slip, then shoves them into the bank bag. “Tell me about it. On the plus side,” he lifts up the plastic tip jar and shakes it, “you made some good tips.”
“True.” Trust me, all of those ones and fives add up. One time during Christmas someone threw a twenty in there. That about made my day. And during the holiday rush, not much can make a person's day when you're a barista. “But I'm still going to have to split them with, Lucy.”
“Still,” Ryan says. “You each had to have made over twenty bucks.”
“Fantastic.” I snatch the container from Ryan, and start divvying up the cash. All together Lucy and I each made twenty-two dollars and some change. Not bad. Not bad at all considering on the drive here I assumed the mall was going to be dead. I take Lucy's cut and stuff it into a white envelope then write her name on it with a black sharpie. Stuffing my cut into the front of my apron, I hand the white envelope to, Ryan. “Will you make sure Lucy gets this.”
Ryan takes the envelope and sets it down next to him. “Absolutely.”
“Are you okay to finish by yourself.”
Ryan is now knee deep in counting the change in the drawer, so he just nods and waves me off.
The Whiffs and Sniffs fragrance shop is located on the opposite end of the mall in the west wing while the coffee shop is located in the central corridor. I'm actually kind of glad that Ryan asked me close because fighting my way through a mass of people to get to the store would have been annoying. I window shop on the way down the west wing corridor admiring some cute tops hanging in a few of the expensive storefronts. I work really hard for the money I make so from time to time I allow myself a few indulgences. When my Grams died she left me her condo, which sold for a decent amount of money, but after my attack, the hospital bills ate up most of that.
When I finally reach the Whiffs and Sniffs the chain curtain is already pulled down and the lights are turned off. Where the hell is Lara? Reaching for my cell, soft laughter wafts over to me and buzzes in my ears. I turn around and Lara is standing with a group of guys from the sporting goods store. I quickly shuffle over to them, and grab Lara's elbow. “You ready to...” I stop mid-sentence when I notice the blue-green eyes regarding me in unreadable way. Sean Reilly. My stomach bottoms out and I can't find my voice. I should have thought of this scenario earlier when Ryan mentioned an autograph signing and meet and greet. Shit. I will myself to breathe, but my lungs aren't cooperating. I'm all swept up in his intense gaze, muscular and tattooed biceps, stunning eyes, and enigmatic presence.
Breathe, Hadlee. I just need to breathe.
Lara finally acknowledges me. “Oh hey!” She nudges my shoulder. “How was the world of Arabica beans?”
I exhale. “Tiring.” Sean is looking at me. I can feel his eyes as they slice through my skin and it makes me nervous. “You ready to go?” I don't make eye contact with anyone else and give Lara a pleading look.
“Well, Lee,” she says with a shrug. “The guys invited us out for a drink. Do you care if we go for a little while?”
I lean in close to her ear. “Can't you just drop me off at home first,” I whisper.
“They are leaving straight from here. JP and Ted said we could ride over with them.” She points to two guys one with blonde hair and brown eyes and the other has light brown hair and green eyes. Both guys nod in my direction and I nod back.
“You know the whole bar scene isn't my thing,” I tell her.
Lara holds up a finger to the group. “One sec, guys.” Then she grabs me by the elbow and yanks me to the side. “Come on, Lee. It could be fun. I know you have a hard time being out at night, but we'll be out with four guys.”
I glance over
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