Chapter 8 Shaun #2
She’s not wrong. I count my blessings every day I have Anna working for me.
Before having her son, Anna worked in cruise ship cafés for the best part of a decade, meaning she barely needed any training at all.
It’s sheer luck that she ended up in West Marbank.
Her only drawback is the fact she’s a single mum and her shift patterns are at the mercy of school hours and childcare, but she can churn out perfect coffee almost as fast as me, so I’ll suffer that burden as long as she’s willing to work here.
Anna looks around. “I thought Kyle was supposed to be in?”
“Kyle is no more,” I say.
For a second, she looks horrified.
“He’s not dead!” I clarify, even though to me, he’s as good as. “He got an acting job.”
“Oh,” she sighs with relief. “When did this happen?”
“Yesterday,” I’m fighting to keep my tone professional for Freddie’s sake.
“What, he just didn’t show up?” A fire ignites behind Anna’s eyes, her Czech accent thickening like it does when she’s annoyed. “I’m going to kill that little prick!”
“Good,” I lower my voice beneath the sound of the tap. “Just make sure you don’t get caught. I can’t lose any more staff.”
Freddie chuckles, but Anna scowls.
“So you worked all of yesterday on your own?” she asks, hands on her hips. I nod, feeling like I’m being told off by a stern teacher. Anna tuts. “You should have called me, I could have covered for you!”
“You have Ethan—” I start to explain, but she cuts me off.
“You haven’t taken a day off since we opened! You’re going to get sick if you carry on like this!”
I’m keenly aware Freddie is listening.
“That’s why we have Freddie here,” I announce, trying to shift the focus away from me. “How did you find your first shift?”
“It’s over?” He glances at the clock. “Wow, that went fast. Guess that means I was having fun!”
“You did great,” I say, taking the tip jar from the counter and counting out coins. “How about tomorrow for another shift? Maybe in the afternoon this time?”
Freddie looks relieved to be dodging another early morning alarm. I don’t know how he’s survived on so little coffee; my eyes feel like balls of scrunched-up newspaper.
“Sounds awesome,” he says. “Will you be here?”
I’m about to answer, when Anna interrupts.
“No, he won’t,” her hand clamps down on my shoulder like a vice, “because Shaun is going to take a couple of days off and get some rest, aren’t you, Shaun?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, hanging my head in mock-shame.
Anna removes her hand. “Good! You’ll be with me tomorrow, Freddie. How’s eleven till five?”
I’m probably imagining it, but Freddie looks almost disappointed.
“You got it!” he says, glancing between the two of us. “So, I can just go?”
“Just a sec,” I say, decanting coins into the till. I pull out a crisp twenty-pound note and hand it to him. “Your tips from this morning.”
His eyes light up. “Seriously?”
Anna raises an eyebrow. “Wow! Busy morning?”
“Not particularly,” I reply, matter-of-factly. “Freddie’s just a hit with the customers.”
Freddie beams as he accepts the twenty. “Rad!”
“You earned it,” I say. “You keep all the tips you earn on shift.”
As Freddie pockets the note, he frowns.
“What about you?” He gestures towards the tip jar. “That was empty this morning. Shouldn’t you get half?”
For a moment, I’m speechless, surprised at Freddie’s generosity. Then I shake my head. “I’m the owner.”
Freddie’s frown deepens. “But you made all the coffees. Well,” he shuffles his feet, bashfully, “all the good ones.”
“He also takes all the profits,” Anna interjects with a pursed smile.
“She’s right,” I say. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to take a cut of tips. Plus, I know how much harder you’ll all work because of what a benevolent leader I am.”
Anna grins, playing along. “Maybe we’re not though. Maybe we’re all secretly taking advantage of you.”
I pretend to deliberate for a moment. “Well, if you’re going to stab me in the back, now’s your chance. I’m weak as a kitten. Just let me lie down first.”
“Noted,” Freddie pipes up. He gives me one of his cheeky winks and I feel myself redden. Anna, thankfully, doesn’t seem to notice. She’s already busy rearranging the display fridge.
“Go home, both of you,” she says, shuffling ham and cheese sandwiches around like a blackjack dealer. “And Shaun, please try to get some sleep. You’ll scare away the customers looking like that.”
Her comment makes me cringe. I’ve been avoiding my reflection all morning. I must look even worse than I thought. Maybe Freddie was just being charitable after all.
“Thank you for your honesty, Anna,” I turn to Freddie, gesturing to the back room. “You can grab your stuff first, if you like? It’s tight back there.”
The corner of Freddie’s mouth twitches.
“Sure,” he says, turning off the tap and shaking his hand dry. As he walks away, I find myself watching him go, staring at his—
“He’s very good looking, isn’t he?” says Anna, popping back up from the fridge.
Yes—the word makes a desperate bid for freedom, but I catch it just in time. “Oh? I hadn’t noticed.”
Anna rolls her eyes. “I swear all straight men are partially blind.”
A strange heat crawls up my back.
“I mean, yeah, I guess he is,” I admit, like it’s not the fiftieth time I’ve thought that today. “Is he, er, your type?”
Anna looks appalled.
“Don’t be silly! He’s too young for me and I’m enjoying the single life just fine, thank you.” She puts one hand on her chin and cracks her neck. “Plus, I’m his supervisor, it would be inappropriate.”
My heart sinks. Something inside me punctures and deflates.
“Yeah,” I agree, nodding along like a bobble-head toy. “Inappropriate. For sure.”
Anna steps closer. “So is Freddie an upgrade to Kyle? Goodness knows we need someone who can remember more than one order at a time!”
“Sort of,” I say, lowering my voice so Freddie doesn’t overhear. “Like I said, he’s great with customers. His coffee knowledge is ropey but that’ll come with time. Perhaps tomorrow you can—?”
“Oh don’t worry,” she says with a wry smile. “He’ll be a wizard by the time I’m finished with him.”
Freddie returns, zipping up his jacket.
“All yours,” he says, gesturing to the back room.
“Is that all you’re wearing?” Anna says, pointing accusingly at Freddie’s torso. “You’ll freeze!”
“I’ll be okay,” he says, nonchalantly. “I walk fast.”
“Walk? Where do you live?”
“Cherry Street.”
Anna lets out a horrified gasp. “That’s too far to walk in this weather!”
As if on cue, the wind whips a spattering of sleet against the café windows. I wouldn’t want to walk five feet in these conditions, let alone to the other side of town.
The words leave my mouth before I can stop them: “I’ll give you a lift, if you want?”
Freddie and Anna stare at me, eyebrows raised. Instantly, I know I’ve been too forward, too eager. We’re basically strangers, of course he doesn’t want to get in a car with me—
“That would be rad,” Freddie says, a grateful smile spreading across his handsome face. “If it’s not too much trouble?”
“Not at all,” I say, my heart racing.
“You never gave Kyle a lift home!” Anna points out, unhelpfully, but I swear there’s a hint of suspicion in her voice. I hold my breath as she turns to Freddie. “You must have really impressed him.”
I swallow, taking care to avoid her eye.
“Losing staff to hypothermia isn’t a good look for a new business,” I say, as casually as I can manage. “Let me just grab my stuff.”
I scamper into the office, shutting the door behind me so Anna and Freddie won’t witness their manager slapping some sense into himself. I pinch the bridge of my nose and shut my eyes.
None of this seems fair. I was just starting to get over Lara… Okay, not true. I’m not over her at all, but why couldn’t I just be left to mourn the pieces of my shitty relationship in peace? Now I’ve been blindsided by whatever the hell this is.
As my heart rate settles, I run a hand through my hair and let out a long sigh.
Enough, Shaun. This crush, or whatever it is, needs to fizzle out faster than a sparkler in a bucket of water. I thought I could ignore it but today has proven otherwise. Besides, Anna is right—entertaining feelings for an employee is wrong.
There’s only one thing for it: I have to set firm boundaries.
After today, no more lifts home. No more getting mushy over Freddie’s charms. From now on, I’m his boss. Nothing more. This is how it has to be, as much as it hurts me to admit it.
I grab my coat and car keys and step out of the office.
Freddie’s waiting by one of the empty tables.
“Ready?” I ask. Freddie gives me a little salute and I nod, stiffly, deliberately avoiding those crystal blue eyes. “Then let’s go.”