This guy is always calm, cool and collected when he comes into Coffee House. I guess first impressions can be wrong.
"Relax, Crew. She's Barry's roommate."
"Barry and Maggie," I speak up. "Maggie and I have been best friends for. . . ."
"Your entire life," Zane finishes for me.
I shrug. "Anyway, Barry's a confirmed bachelor and when Maggie and I graduated college, he offered for us to move in with him and split the bills. It works for us," I say.
"When you're here it needs to remain professional. Is that going to be a problem?" he asks.
"No, sir," I say quickly.
Crew, who is staring Zane down, breaks his gaze to look at me. I think I see his face soften just a fraction when he says, "I was talking to Zane." Still not the friendly guy I've come to know, but this is his business after all. His livelihood.
"Calm down, Ledger. Berklee and I go way back. There is nothing sexual between us. Well . . . not yet." Zane winks at me.
"Enough!" Crew thunders, causing me to jump. "It's my name and reputation on the line. This can't and won't happen, do you understand me?"
"I got it. Now, Crab Ass, can we get started?"
I hold my breath, waiting for Crew to tell me that Zane made a mistake and that I no longer have the job. I'm sure Coffee House will let me stay. I've been there for years now.
"Show her around. Keep your damn hands to yourself," Crew grumbles before marching back upstairs.
"That was pleasant." Zane chuckles.
I slap his shoulder. "Zane! What if he fires me before I even get started?"
"Relax, Berklee. He's not going to fire you. He's just under a lot of stress with getting this place up and running. Neither one of us really know what it takes to run a business. Crew has been researching and doing a lot of reading, but we need you. He knows that. He also knows that since I know you, you can be trusted. He doesn't trust new people easily. They find out he has money and that's what drives them."
"People suck," I say.
"That they do. All right, let's take the tour."
I nod and follow him as he points out the bar, stage, storage closets and security room. He explains that state-of-the-art cameras will be installed, so there will be eyes in the sky, and the team will be in the room next to the door. That way they can get to any potential issues faster than if their office was housed upstairs with the rest.
"Level two." He motions for me to go first.
As I reach the landing, Crew is standing there, his arms folded over his chest and a stern look on his face.
"No touching, and none of that eye shit you got going on either," he says with authority.
"Eye shit?" Zane chuckles.
"Berklee, we need a minute. You can go into the first door on the right. That's going to be the administrator's office."
I don't miss how he doesn't say "your office," but I do as I'm asked anyway.
"Stop fucking her with your eyes," I hear Crew demand.
Zane laughs.
My knees begin to shake as adrenaline rushes through me. I'm afraid to get busted eavesdropping and losing my job all at the same time. Emotional roller coaster.
"Damn it, Davis!"
"Okay, geez. Listen, Berklee has been at practically all of my family functions growing up. She's like a little cousin. Relax. I'm not going to do anything to screw this up for you. I'm invested too, you know. I quit my job to be here."
I hear a heavy sigh, then Crew says, "Okay, I got it, but can you tone that shit down? Please?"
The way he says "please" sounds as though it was painful for him to get the word out.
"Done. Now, can we please show her the rest of the club before we scare her off and we're screwed? We need her and you know it."
Hearing that, I quickly move to the opposite side of the room and look down over the club through the glass.
"It's one-way," Crew says from behind me. "You can see out, but they can't see in."
"Great idea," I reply, keeping my back to him.
"This will be your office. I'm going to be ordering furniture in the next couple of days. You can decorate however you want."
I relax at his words. He's not firing me.
Taking a deep breath, I turn to face him. "Zane and I are friends. I can promise you that we will be completely professional. Nothing other than two friends working together. You have my word." I stare into those dark brown eyes, willing him to believe me.
"Good." He walks to the glass to stand beside me and looks below. "It's a far cry from Coffee House. You up for this?"
"Without a doubt," I say confidently.
He nods.
"Ready to see the rest?" Zane asks from the door.