Page 36 of Living La Vida Mocha

His shoulders sagged with relief. “Whew. Great. Thanks. See you Saturday around six? The actual tree ceremony is around eight, but you’ll want to check out the food trucks and other fun festivities before that.”

“I’ll be outside your place by six.”

“Dress warm too. There are firepits, but you’ll want to keep your toes from freezing.”

“I promise I’ll dress for the weather.”

“Great.” He flipped his gaze back to the counter. “I should get back to work as I’ve been doing enough pro-caffeinating.”

A gentle laugh breezed out with his words. The guy was funny, and on point with his puns.

“See you Saturday.”

“Who knows, you may see me before.” I winked.

With a slight spring in his steps, he moved toward Nina and talked about whatever they normally discussed.

I, on the other hand, sent a quick text message to Amanda.

I got him to ask me out. Step one is in motion.

Chapter Ten

Hours later, dressed in jeans and an old sweatshirt from my alma mater, I entered Daisy & Dahlia’s five minutes early feeling out of place yet eager to start something new.

“Evening, Miss.” Stanley set a box on the counter and looked me up and down over the tops of his glasses. “I must say, I was half expecting you to no-show.”

“I wouldn't dare.” Shocked he'd already judged me.

“It happens more than you think. People say they are going to show up, and they never do.” He shook his head and leaned against the counter. “Regardless, you're here, and I'm glad for the company. You can set your things behind the counter. No cell phones while on shift, okay?”

“That's fair.” It's not like I'd get a lot of calls anyway.

“Great. Then we'll get along fine. Here, grab this box, and I'll get the other.”

A small grunt escaped my lips when I picked up the box. Not sure what was in the small box to make it so heavy.

“Follow me.”

I half expected to need to walk around the building via the back alley, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a connecting door between his shop and the one next door. There was a definite chill in the room when we walked in, and despite the thick hoodie I shuddered in response.

Following Stanley’s lead, I set the box at the head table.

The room was an empty store, complete with bare walls and windows. The solitary decoration in the yellowish room was the sign hanging in the picture window advertising the Grinch Tree workshop. The concrete floors were scattered with tables; twenty-one six-foot tables in three rows of seven. A few chairs sat stacked in the corner. Guess it was probably easier to walk around than sitting to make the trees.

Back into the floral shop, where it was noticeably warmer, Stanley went to the old-school coffee pot. He grabbed a mug and filled it, turning to me. “How do you like it?”

“Oh, umm, black is fine.” I didn’t see a fridge and wasn’t a fan of powdered creamer. He handed it to me, and I wrapped my fingers around the mug. “Thanks.”

“A good cup of coffee can help you muddle through the day. A great cup of coffee will get you through the worst day.”

It was out there, but I nodded all the same and took a wee sip. There was a slightly familiar taste, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“This is good.”

“Make sure you let the coffee guy know.”

“Who’s that?” One of his suppliers, I supposed.