The Coffee Girl by Natalie Charles

Author:Natalie Charles [Charles, Natalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cranberry Press
Published: 2015-05-05T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Jessie screamed and threw a cornbread muffin at me. Emily clapped her hands over her mouth and dropped into a chair in the corner. Dad made me explain three times who Jax Cosgrove was. Basically, the reaction was about what I'd expected.

"I can't believe you kept this from us!" Jessie shrieked, running her gaze from me to Jax and back again. "How long has this been going on?"

We were standing in the kitchen at Hedda's, surrounded by stainless-steel appliances and the warm scents of tomorrow morning's pastries. "Not long," I said. "About a week and a half now. It's kind of sensitive, with Jax's profession."

"It's nice to finally meet all of you." Jax's smile was sincere.

Dad shook Jax's hand and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Another actor. Better than the last one, I hope."

A flash of uneasiness crossed Jax's face. Just as quickly as it came, it vanished. "I hope so, sir."

Emily crept forward then and slipped a paper catering menu across the table. "Is it okay to ask you for your autograph, Mr. Cosgrove?"

He spared a devastating smile. "Sure. And please, it's just Jax."

I exhaled for the first time all day. This was okay. Good, even. Jax was acting like a normal guy around my family, and while I felt guilty for lying to them, my heart was in the right place. This was about saving Hedda's, and given the right circumstances, I believed Jessie or my dad would've done the same.

Jessie, especially, was electrified by the news that I was dating a movie star. "You have to tell me your secret," she gushed. "First Griff, and then Jax! And here I was telling you that you'd been sleeping with the wrong men. The guy is sex personified."

I laughed nervously and scratched at the side of my neck. "Yeah. He's great, all right."

She folded her arms and stepped closer¸ lowering her voice to barely a whisper. "Maybe this is weird, but I need details, okay? You don't need to get gross, but just give me something."

I glanced over my shoulder, but fortunately Jax seemed to be engaged in conversation with my dad. "Another time, maybe."

"Sure. No problem." She gripped my elbow. "Oh my gosh. My cousin is dating Jax Cosgrove!"

I couldn't dwell on the excitement over the relationship. My strategy was to focus on the catering component. Hodges Brennan may have been a bully, but at least he upheld his end of the deal. We had a catering contract signed before noon on Tuesday and barely a minute to collect ourselves before rolling up our sleeves.

"We're going to need everyone here for the next two weeks," Dad said, referring to the college students who worked at Hedda's in the summer season. "They want more hours? They just got 'em."

The order was impressive. Hedda's would provide breakfast and lunch for the cast and crew, which meant bagels, granola, fruit, sandwiches, salads — pretty much everything we produced. We were going to be working double-time, managing the bakery's current needs and meeting the new ones.

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