Loverboy (The Company #2) - Sarina Bowen Page 0,28
cashed out.” I swallow hard.
“I’m sorry, Posy,” Gunnar says quietly. “I know you had strong feelings about the place.”
“I really did.” Paxton’s was everything to me. I loved the shiny mahogany bar, the chandeliers in the dining room, and the leaded glass windows. I would have done whatever it took to step into my great grandfather’s shoes and run the place someday. Paxton’s was founded in 1927, on Madison and Seventy-ninth. It was an Upper East Side fixture, where starlets and politicians gathered to dine and meet and rule the world.
“It’s a franchise now,” I say in a voice that only quavers slightly. “East Hampton. Las Vegas. Palm Springs. Singapore. Anywhere people are willing to pay twenty-two bucks for a martini. Anywhere you can staple up some mahogany paneling. It’s just a name now.”
“Ouch. That sucks.” Gunnar shoves his hands in his pockets. He’s sorry he asked. “What time do you want me tomorrow?”
“Same time. Employees who clock in before seven can help themselves to a slice of pie or a pastry.”
“Mmm,” he says, his rich voice making that half word sound dirty. “I can't wait.”
My hormones rejoice. We can’t wait, either!
That's when it really hits me. Gunnar is a good barista, and he did well today. That means I need him behind that counter tomorrow. And the day after that. And every hour that he’s willing to work for me.
I’d better order more than one extra-large T-shirt. And I’d better take a lot of cold showers.
“’Night Posy!” Gunnar gives me a wave and leaves by the front door. And somehow I manage not to check out his ass as he goes.
Nobody said running a business of my own would be easy. I was prepared for the long hours, and the constant flow of unanticipated expenses.
But I wasn’t prepared for Gunnar Scott. They didn’t teach this at business school. There was no coursework for how to handle that awkward moment when a man who gave you the best kiss of your life walks in to ask for a job.
Let’s jump him! my hormones shout.
I won’t do it, though. I’ll go upstairs and make a healthy dinner and go to sleep at nine like a loser.
And I will not dream of Gunnar Scott.
It works. Mostly. After a few days, having Gunnar around every morning starts to seem normal. He’s always on time, always wearing a tight T-shirt with a pie stretched across his tasty chest. Even the extra-large shirts prove snug on his biceps.
God, he’s handsome. And—it kills me to admit it—he’s a godsend. I stop darting into the cafe to check on him, because he doesn’t need my help. He has the price list memorized. He can make change before the register gives the total, and his espresso drinks are top notch. He’s polite, and the tip jar is stuffed with cash at the end of the day.
He’s wonderful, damn it. And that makes me crazy.
I’m not the only one who thinks so, either. Teagan loves him. When they work together, she spends less time staring at her phone, and more time staring at Gunnar.
Jerry’s a big fan, too. And Ginny. And my entire customer base. I could just rename this place Gunnar Scott’s Fan Club, With Coffee and Pie.
Furthermore, I never realized how small the area behind the counter is. When the shop gets busy and I come out of the kitchen to pitch in, I feel like I’m constantly rubbing up against him. He’ll reach over my head for a paper cup off the top of the stack, and I’m able to smell his spicy aftershave. Or I’ll reach past him for a clean saucer, and accidentally brush my boob against his arm.
“Sorry,” he says one afternoon when I take a half step backward only to find my ass pressed against his crotch.
“No worries,” I say in a voice as deep as Lauren Bacall’s, as my whole body heats in response. It’s been over a year since I touched a man and working so close to him is torture. But I try to cover up my discomfort with a joke. “You know, fifteen years ago you would have turned that into a sexual invitation. I think you’re off your game.”
“Look,” he says, frothing a jug of milk with aplomb, while I try not to stare at his flexing arm muscles. “Believe it or not, I’ve actually matured since college. These days I know better than to sexually harass the boss.”