1
rose
Contrary to popular belief,Reed Bridger isn’t a gargoyle. Sure, my boss occasionally scares customers away with his grumpy attitude and he once made a little girl cry just by looking at her. But he’s not made of stone. After working with him for a year and a half, I’ve learned to spot the subtle differences in his ever-present scowls.
A twitch at the corners of his mouth says, “I got your joke, but I refuse to laugh.”
Eyebrows tugged down and an accompanying groan says, “That’s enough Harry Styles talk for the day.”
The scowl he’s currently wearing, his lips slanted at an angle with one eyebrow raised, says, “Yes, Rose, your plan to have Perk Me Up join in the fun at Sunshine at Sunset is a fantastic idea. I can’t wait to give you a raise to thank you for such a forward-thinking plan. You are my favorite employee.”
Reed crosses his arms, his deep brown eyes never wavering from mine. “No.”
Okay, discerning his scowls isn’t an exact science.
I move closer, flashing my brightest “I refuse to accept your refusal” smile. I use that one a lot with him. “Don’t be so stubborn. It’s a great opportunity for the coffee shop.”
Lila Parrish—wait, Lila Irwin now—Sunshine’s tourism coordinator, just left after inviting us to be a vendor at the new summer concert series starting soon. She’s been revitalizing our community events, and her plan to showcase local bands once a week at a park in town is just the latest exciting addition. Everyone in Sunshine is looking forward to it.
Well. Everyone except my boss, Mr. Grumpy Bear.
Reed is only a few years older than I am, but he acts like an old man guarding his perfectly manicured lawn from pesky neighborhood children. For working in retail, he’s got a terrible customer service face. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice face. Tousled dark hair that’s perpetually falling across his thick eyebrows, full lips beneath a short beard, and expressive eyes.
Unfortunately, those eyes are usually expressing annoyance. Like right now.
“We’ve never done a coffee cart before,” he says.
“And we never served boba tea before Lila and I convinced you to bring that on board. Look at how successful that’s been.”
His frown flattens, proof my enthusiasm’s not getting through to him. “It’s too short notice. We don’t have time to get it on the calendar.”
I scoff. “My Thursday nights are free.”
I’m currently sitting on a surplus of free nights. My social calendar is so dusty, it’s an allergy hazard.
I already wanted to go to the concert series to listen to the bands. This way, instead of sitting on a picnic blanket by myself, I’ll be running Perk Me Up’s coffee cart, talking with townies and tourists, and forgetting how lonely I am for a few hours.
And making a little money, I guess, but the main draw is the social aspect.
It’s why I like working in the coffee shop in the first place. I’ve worked everything from retail to corporate, but this is my favorite by far. It’s usually fast-paced, I get to talk to people all day, and I like my coworkers. Even the grouchy one.
“Troy has classes in the evenings,” Reed says.
That’s another thing I like about working here. Reed might wear a perma-frown, but he’s a solid boss. He pays us great wages and listens well enough to know that our third coworker, Troy, is taking night classes to get a certification in website design. I’ve had bosses who couldn’t bother to remember my name.
“It’s only a couple of hours once a week. I can run the coffee cart by myself.”
His mouth thins. “You don’t even know how big the crowds will be. It might be too much for just you.”
“What do your Thursday nights look like?” I ask with a syrupy smile.
I’m pretty sure his nights are as wide-open as mine, but he’s so tight-lipped, it’s hard to say for certain. He could have a girlfriend, a side hustle, or a pet goat, and I’d never know.
He should really tell me about his pet goat if he has one.
He just stares at me like he’s calculating something. He’s awful at small talk, but staring is one of his special skills. I don’t bother trying to differentiate his stares. They’re all the same: piercing.
My “win Reed over” scheme gets interrupted when a couple of regulars walk in.