Chapter 3 #2
“Oh, that’s great,” Violet says, a mischievous smile on her face.
I am pretty sure Austin told her about my plan and she knows why I’m really here, but I’m not going to say anything.
I give her the order and wait as she starts preparing it.
While I walk around the coffee shop, I see people sitting everywhere, eating and talking, and I’m glad to see that Josy’s business is thriving.
I’m disappointed that I haven’t seen Josy today, but I guess I’ll just have to try again tomorrow.
Violet calls my name when she finishes my order, packing all the pastries and sandwiches in two bags. Just as Violet is handing me the drinks, Josy emerges from the back.
She looks stunning, as always. Her hair is down, cascading over her shoulders, and she’s wearing shorts that show off her long legs, paired with a simple coffee shop t-shirt.
When Josy sees me, she does a double-take and freezes in place.
I like that she has a reaction to my presence.
That means that she was not expecting to see me here.
You just wait, sweetheart, I will be everywhere you go from now on.
I take a step closer, offering her a smile. “Hi, Josy. Your coffee shop is amazing. You did a great job with it.”
For a moment, she just stands there staring at me. It feels like an eternity before she finally responds, her voice a bit quieter than usual. “Thanks.”
I wait, hoping for more, but she falls silent again, leaving me hanging. The tension in the air is palpable, and I can feel Violet’s eyes on us, watching our every move.
“Is this your order?” Josy asks, pointing at the bags and cups.
“Yeah. I came to pick up lunch for the guys,” I answer.
“Well, I guess you don’t want to make them wait for their lunch.” She’s pushing the bags toward me while giving me a nod, signaling me to get going.
“Are you kicking me out of this fine establishment?” I jokingly ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course not. I’m just making sure the food you ordered doesn’t go bad because you decided to stay longer talking to us instead of leaving,” Josy replies with an evil smile and I know she’s giving me a hard time.
If she thinks I’m going to leave and not come back because of her attitude, she’s mistaken.
“Can I have some help carrying this to the truck?” I look straight into her beautiful caramel eyes. Damn, she’s so pretty.
I watch as Josy begrudgingly grabs the cups, murmuring something under her breath that I can’t quite catch.
Before I can ask her what she said, Violet chimes in with a playful smile, “I need to use the restroom.” And slips away, leaving us alone.
I raise an eyebrow, knowing full well she’s just giving us space.
Josy, meanwhile, is determined to avoid looking at me, her eyes focused straight ahead as she practically bolts toward the door.
I can’t help the chuckle that escapes my lips as I grab the bags of food and follow her out.
She’s walking so fast I have to speed up just to keep up with her.
I also can’t keep my eyes away from her fine ass.
Those shorts that she is wearing should be illegal.
The temptation to slap one of her asscheeks and see how she responds is painful, but that will have to wait.
If I do that now, I would be facing death, and I don’t want to die today.
“What’s so funny?” she snaps, turning her head just enough to glare at me.
“You’re funny,” I say with a grin. “You’re walking so fast that I’m practically running to keep up with you.”
“I have things to do, and I need to hurry up,” she retorts, her voice dripping with sass. “So if you could walk faster and open your truck, I can go back to work.”
I smirk, loving the fire in her tone. “I would’ve thought you’re just scared to be near me.”
She stops dead in her tracks and whirls around to face me, her eyes blazing. “Why would I be scared to be near you? This has nothing to do with being scared. I just don’t want to be near you, period.”
Her anger only makes her more beautiful.
The way her eyes flash, the way her lips press together in that stubborn line, it’s mesmerizing.
I can’t help but tease her a little more.
“Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Josy. But you know if you really didn’t want to be near me, you wouldn’t have agreed to help me carry this stuff. ”
She huffs, clearly annoyed. “I’m doing this because I’m a professional and because Violet would’ve kicked my ass if I didn’t.”
“Oh, I see how it is.” I drop my voice to a playful whisper. “So, it’s Violet you’re scared of, not me.”
Josy narrows her eyes at me, her nostrils flaring just slightly. “I’m not scared of anyone, Noah. Least of all you.”
I can’t help but laugh at how serious she is. “Okay, okay. I believe you.” Lowering my voice a little, I add, “But just so you know, you’re kinda cute when you’re mad.”
Her eyes widen, and for a split second, I think she might actually throw one of the cups at me. Instead, she just rolls her eyes and picks up the pace again, practically jogging to my truck. “Just open the damn truck, Noah,” she barks.
Enjoying every second of this, I chuckle as I fumble for my keys. As soon as I unlock the door, she practically shoves the cups into the passenger seat and turns on her heel to head back to the shop.
“Thanks for the help, Josy,” I call after her, still grinning.
She doesn’t even bother to look back. “Don’t make a habit of this, Noah. I have better things to do than carry your lunch orders.”
“See you tomorrow then!” I shout, knowing full well that I’ll be back.
She flips me off over her shoulder, but I catch the faintest hint of a smile before she disappears inside.