Once I've showered and dressed, I make my way to the kitchen. The condo is quiet, Barry and Maggie both long gone. She got the call yesterday afternoon to sub all this week. Popping a bagel in the toaster, I head back to my room, grab my shoes and slip on a couple bangle bracelets and my earrings. I look at myself in the full-length mirror and grin. I'm wearing a gray pencil skirt, a coral silk shirt, and my natural wavy hair is hanging down my back. I grab my black strappy heels and call it good.
Quickly scarfing down my bagel, I grab my purse, lock up and head to work. I feel like . . . an adult. It sounds crazy, but this is my first "big girl" job after college. The first job I get to use my degree. I feel like today starts a whole new chapter in my life. I can't keep the grin off my face as I make the short drive.
Checking the clock, I see that I have plenty of time, so I stop at Coffee House. A new guy is behind the counter. "Hi, what can I get you?"
He's easy on the eyes, and of course I'm still on my "big girl job" high, so I give him a cheesy grin. "Good morning, Noah," I say, reading his name tag.
He grins back and his dimples show. "I'll have two extra-large black and one extra-large pumpkin spice."
"Berklee!" Carrie, my boss-scratch that, former boss-comes out of the back and greets me. "You just can't stay away." She laughs.
"What can I say?" I shrug. "The club is just around the corner, and this is the best coffee in town."
"Noah," Carrie says, "Berklee gets the employee discount always."
"Carrie, you don't have to do that."
She waves me off. "You worked here for years, and I want to. You will always be a part of the Coffee House family."
"Thank you."
She nods, pats Noah's shoulder and walks back to her office.
"Here you go, Berklee," he says with a flirty wink.
"Thank you." I hand him my card and he swipes it. Reaching into my purse, I pull out a couple of ones and drop them in the tip jar.
"Have a good one," he says, handing me my card and receipt.
I grab the drink carrier and leave Noah and his flirty winks behind. When I arrive at the club, Zane and Crew are both parked out front. "Good morning," I say, pushing open the door with my hip, careful not to spill the coffee.
"Let me help you." Zane comes rushing toward me.
He takes the carrier and I pull mine out. "Those two are the same, tall and black." I grin.
"Thanks. You're taking all kinds of care of me." Zane chuckles. "I finished off that dip you made yesterday." He rubs his stomach.
I laugh. "It's so easy even you can make it. I'll write it down for you."
"Or you could just make it for me again," he says as we reach the table where Crew is sitting with his laptop in front of him.
"Fine, I'll make it for you, lazy man. Just tell me when you want it."
"Make me a list. I'll buy whatever you need. It just tastes better when you make it." He bats his eyelashes at me.
"Really? You might want to make it yourself first before you make that assumption."
He places his hand over his heart. "I can feel it." He winks and I roll my eyes.
"What the hell are you going on about?" Crew asks. Zane hands him his coffee and he looks up at me, those dark eyes so intense, taking me in. "Thank you." He holds up his cup before taking a sip.
"You're welcome." I'm proud that I'm able to tamp down the lust enough to even reply. When I graduated college, I never dreamed that my biggest hurdle after actually landing a job would be my sexy-as-hell boss.
"Berklee made this dip, dude." Zane closes his eyes and groans. "So fucking good."
"Dip?" Crew questions. I can see the confusion in his eyes.
"Yeah, I went over there Saturday and we watched the fight. Berklee here made this dip, and I'm telling you man, it's like crack," Zane boasts.
"You were at her place?" Crew asks. His voice is low and gravelly, his eyes flashing between the two of us.
"Well, yeah. I mean, it's my cousins' place. They all live together," Zane confirms. "Anyway, Maggie and Berklee made the food and this dip? So good. I was just convincing her to make it again." He turns to me. "Really, make a list. I'll buy whatever you need."
I laugh. "Okay. It's just a few ingredients. It's easy to make, so you really could handle it on your own."
"Nah, it's always better when someone else makes it." He winks.
"You didn't mention you had company," Crew says, his dark eyes piercing me.
I shrug. "Don't see how it matters."
"Wait a minute. Is he"-Zane points to Crew-"who you were texting when you missed the KO?"