Better with Ben (How to Tame a Heartbreaker Book 3) by Casey McMillin
Authors: Casey McMillin
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turned on the headlights so she could see her way to the door and watched as she ran to the house.
Chapter 11
Taylor had to work the opening shift at Common Grounds the next morning. It was Tuesday, which meant they'd be busy with regulars. As a result of being amped up from the kiss she shared with Ben, it had taken her forever to fall asleep. 6AM came early, but even though she was exhausted, she woke up with a grin plastered on her face.
She was opening with three of her favorite guys at work, another fact that put her in a good mood. Michael, the general manager, and Nothing the atheist were at the counter when she walked in.
" What ?" she asked after only a few steps in their direction.
"I should be asking you that," Nothing said narrowing his eyes at her.
She'd been back at work for a few days since the incident, but her mood had been reflective and melancholy—not at all like the normal Taylor.
Not today, though. Today she smiled.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad to see you smiling," Nothing said. Normally, he might think something like that, but you wouldn't catch him saying it. He maintained a rough exterior even though he was just a big teddy bear. He preferred it that way—social barrier, he called it. Anyway, that type of comment was out of character for him, and Taylor gave him a thankful smile for it.
Both Nothing and Michael knew about everything she'd gone through the week before, but neither of them had actually broached the subject. Nothing's comment about seeing her smile was the first time either of them came close to asking her about it.
"It's been a long week, but I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel," she said.
"Well, I'm glad, cause he's right, the smile looks good on you," Michael said.
Matt opened the door and walked in behind Taylor. She turned and gave him a high five. He smiled back at Taylor before taking in the two that were already behind the counter.
"Yesssss," he said, obviously liking the line-up. "I get to pick the music," he said.
"No pop," Nothing said.
"No dubstep," Michael added.
"What else is there?" Matt said, throwing his hands into the air. He was just being sarcastic, but he definitely had a hearty collection of both pop and dubstep, and everyone knew it.
Taylor was on dishes, which meant she had to pitch in where needed until they started to pile up and she could start her first load. She filled the cream containers and lined them up on the self-serve coffee station, taking the time to straighten the packets of sweetener and refill the glass containers of sugar, the stir-sticks, and the napkins.
An early bird or two trickled in during the first few minutes, but it took a half an hour for customers to really start showing up. By the time they'd been open for an hour, Taylor was elbows deep in her first sink full of dishes, which was something she had to get all suited up to do since she couldn't get her cast wet. After the dirty dishes soaked, she rinsed all the crud off before loading them strategically into the commercial dishwasher.
Despite the dirty work, she still wore a smile. She couldn't stop thinking about Ben. It was the first day she hadn't been royally bummed, and it felt so good to have her mind free of the thoughts that had been plaguing her for the past week. She wasn't worried about the girl, or her murderer, or her next panic attack. She wasn't worried about anything for the first time in a week, and she felt utterly free because of it. Granted, Ben's kiss probably hadn't meant nearly as much to him, but she'd take the relief any way it came, and for her, the kiss was working out to be the most effective distraction she could've asked for. Her grin remained in place even as she scrubbed stubborn melted cheese off of a plate. She was doing just that when her friend and co-worker, Anne, passed behind her on the way to clock in.
"Hey, there's a guy at the register who asked if you were here," she
Chapter 11
Taylor had to work the opening shift at Common Grounds the next morning. It was Tuesday, which meant they'd be busy with regulars. As a result of being amped up from the kiss she shared with Ben, it had taken her forever to fall asleep. 6AM came early, but even though she was exhausted, she woke up with a grin plastered on her face.
She was opening with three of her favorite guys at work, another fact that put her in a good mood. Michael, the general manager, and Nothing the atheist were at the counter when she walked in.
" What ?" she asked after only a few steps in their direction.
"I should be asking you that," Nothing said narrowing his eyes at her.
She'd been back at work for a few days since the incident, but her mood had been reflective and melancholy—not at all like the normal Taylor.
Not today, though. Today she smiled.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad to see you smiling," Nothing said. Normally, he might think something like that, but you wouldn't catch him saying it. He maintained a rough exterior even though he was just a big teddy bear. He preferred it that way—social barrier, he called it. Anyway, that type of comment was out of character for him, and Taylor gave him a thankful smile for it.
Both Nothing and Michael knew about everything she'd gone through the week before, but neither of them had actually broached the subject. Nothing's comment about seeing her smile was the first time either of them came close to asking her about it.
"It's been a long week, but I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel," she said.
"Well, I'm glad, cause he's right, the smile looks good on you," Michael said.
Matt opened the door and walked in behind Taylor. She turned and gave him a high five. He smiled back at Taylor before taking in the two that were already behind the counter.
"Yesssss," he said, obviously liking the line-up. "I get to pick the music," he said.
"No pop," Nothing said.
"No dubstep," Michael added.
"What else is there?" Matt said, throwing his hands into the air. He was just being sarcastic, but he definitely had a hearty collection of both pop and dubstep, and everyone knew it.
Taylor was on dishes, which meant she had to pitch in where needed until they started to pile up and she could start her first load. She filled the cream containers and lined them up on the self-serve coffee station, taking the time to straighten the packets of sweetener and refill the glass containers of sugar, the stir-sticks, and the napkins.
An early bird or two trickled in during the first few minutes, but it took a half an hour for customers to really start showing up. By the time they'd been open for an hour, Taylor was elbows deep in her first sink full of dishes, which was something she had to get all suited up to do since she couldn't get her cast wet. After the dirty dishes soaked, she rinsed all the crud off before loading them strategically into the commercial dishwasher.
Despite the dirty work, she still wore a smile. She couldn't stop thinking about Ben. It was the first day she hadn't been royally bummed, and it felt so good to have her mind free of the thoughts that had been plaguing her for the past week. She wasn't worried about the girl, or her murderer, or her next panic attack. She wasn't worried about anything for the first time in a week, and she felt utterly free because of it. Granted, Ben's kiss probably hadn't meant nearly as much to him, but she'd take the relief any way it came, and for her, the kiss was working out to be the most effective distraction she could've asked for. Her grin remained in place even as she scrubbed stubborn melted cheese off of a plate. She was doing just that when her friend and co-worker, Anne, passed behind her on the way to clock in.
"Hey, there's a guy at the register who asked if you were here," she
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