20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Rebecca
A gigantic smile has been planted on my face since I woke up this morning. The rest of the weekend with Eli was nothing short of incredible. Refreshed doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel after sleeping wrapped in his arms all night. The several middle of the night sex sessions didn’t hurt either.
He wasn’t overly thrilled about the early hour at which I not only needed to get up, but also needed him dressed and out of bed to drive me back to campus. What I hadn’t expected to be difficult was leaving him. The pull to him was so strong that it felt like I was removing a piece of myself.
We hadn’t discussed plans for what happens next, and he didn’t invite me to come back after work. Since I don’t know what to make of it, fear and worry snake through my veins.
Though he made it exceptionally clear this weekend that he wants to be with me, not knowing when we’ll be together again is a little daunting. We never even exchanged phone numbers.
If he hadn’t been so adamant about his intentions over the past two days, I’d be sure he was using me.
My mind is so lost in the joy that was the weekend that I get to Juniper Grove in record time.
Parking outside the bakery, I glance in through the window. The lights are all on, but the café isn’t open. Even still, it’s bustling.
Liv is wandering around bringing coffees to the table with her family while Alina is working on filling the cases with today’s goods.
Sitting at one of the tables, is Jameson, with Jordanna sitting in his lap while putting bites of what looks like croissant into her mouth. It’s hard to tell from here, plus it’s quite massacred.
Next to him is Cam, holding a tiny baby Phillip in his arms.
From what Mazie told me when I started, they’ve turned the café into a much more family-friendly location. They always loved having kids and encouraged families to come in, but now they’ve set up a small area for kids to play and added a little bookshelf with picture books. Apparently, there are also new menu items.
These small moments before we open are some that I’ve come to love. I wonder if Eli wants to be a parent.
Holy shit . Where in the fuck did that thought come from?
Yes, he said he wants to be with me, but that doesn’t mean anything long term. And certainly not anything pertaining to having a family. Not to mention, while I know I want to be a mother someday, it’s way too soon.
With a deep breath and shake of my head, I turn off my car and grab my apron. Those are not the types of thoughts I should be having before walking in to spend several hours with his sisters.
While we didn’t discuss telling them, I feel like it’s not my place. Or at least, not yet. I work for them, but I’m not one of them. The rational side of me knows that I may never get to be. But the dreamer in me hopes that even if things between me and Eli don’t go any further, that they’ll accept me into the fold.
Not even necessarily as an honorary family member, but just as an employee they can trust and a friend they can confide in.
Alina has mentioned a couple of former girls who worked at the café, but being such a small town, not too many people stay. It’s not a hard job, and there certainly are worse bosses out there, but I can understand why the turnover rate is high.
I really like the small-town feel. They have their regulars, and everybody knows each other by first name. Even some of the tourists who filled the café over the summer were repeat customers from previous years. It’s the sort of feeling you want in a small shop. To be remembered, valued.
It’s the main reason I’m here. Not just to learn how to run a successful business from other women, but because of the way they’re known, the way Three Sticks is talked about in the community.
There’s a chill that sends shivers racing down my spine in the few short steps from my car to the café door. Winter will be here before I know it, and I don’t want to think about how taxing the drive will be in poor weather. While the sisters understand me calling out for snow, I won’t abuse that.
The smile that I came with has faded, so I bolster myself back up and open the door. That’s another thing about the small-town feel…they can leave the door unlocked before they're officially open and nobody but employees or family will enter.
“Hey, Bex!” Olivia’s the first to notice my entrance and flashes me a smile from where she sits across from her husband.
“You’re early today.” Though it’s clearly just an observation, the way Cam says it comes across a little more like an accusation. It’s possible I’m being overly sensitive this morning.
I lift a shoulder as I round the corner of the counter and deposit my purse and coat in the cubby space beneath. “I had a good night of sleep and was up early this morning.”
Really, I made Eli get up earlier than necessary to make sure I had time to shower, change, and get here in time. There isn’t usually much traffic on a Sunday, but I wasn’t willing to take any chances.
Alina shifts in her chair to face me, resting her hands over the top of the back. “So how are classes going? How’s Eli treating you?”
My face burns, and I choke on air. “Sorry.” I smack my hand against my chest. “Oh, excuse me. Um, classes are okay. Tough this year. Professor Baker is a great teacher. His class is really enjoyable, and I’m learning a lot.” That was convincing. Right?
The smiles that light up Liv and Alina’s faces are enough for me. They both beam with pride.
It’s clear that they’re a close-knit family, and that’s something I need to be sure not to get in the middle of. I wonder if their parents are close with them too. They don’t really bring them up much, but I can’t imagine four siblings could be so bonded and not be the same with their parents.
Thanks to working side-by-side with Liv, I’ve learned how to make the perfect mocha. Well…perfect for me. It’s probably not the healthiest way to make it, but who cares. A bit more of the mocha syrup than called for, and instead of white milk, I use chocolate milk. Not only is it delicious, but it’s rich and smooth and hits all the right notes.
The second that warmth hits my tongue, my shoulders loosen. While I knew I was nervous coming here today after what transpired this weekend, I thought I’d be walking on eggshells. Silly me, I should have known the power of coffee would relax me.
Thankfully, the rest of the day goes by in a blur. It’s a lot busier for a Sunday than I’ve seen since tourist season ended. Lana, one of the other employees, says it’s because people are starting their holiday shopping or coming to get one last look at the leaves before the fall. Apparently, there’s also apples left to pick from the local orchards. The customers aren’t exactly tourists, but there are many from Pineville City and neighboring towns who come for the charm that is Juniper Grove.
Before I know it, it’s noon, and Haley is coming in to relieve me from my shift. At one point earlier in my employment, Lana told me that while they always had a handful of employees, they didn’t usually schedule us to work the same shift or back-to-back, often having us as an extra hand on busy days or if one of the sisters was going to be out. But since they have families now, it was decided to add more people to ease the burden on everyone.
Sundays are the one day a week that Mazie seems to not work at all. It’s nothing I’ve been informed of, but on any Sunday shifts, she’s not in the café, while she’s at least holed up in the back any other day of the week.
The biggest question now is what do I do with myself for the rest of the day? Eli and I didn’t discuss anything regarding going forward, today, or even seeing each other in class. And even if I had his phone number, texting or calling seems a little desperate.
Which, I can arguably say that I am. Because one weekend with him was nowhere near enough.