Chapter Three

"Sorry I'm late, Deanna." Instead of going to the back to clock in, Edwin rushes behind the counter to lend a hand. Having worked at the shop since it opened earlier this year, with the exception of grand opening, it's the longest he's ever seen the line. It definitely explains why he had to circle the block a couple of times before finding a place to park.

"It's like someone opened the flood gates," Deanna York, the owner of the Coffee Loft, says jokingly. Using the backside of her hand, she pushes a lock of hair away from her face.

"I've got this if you need to take a break," he says, slipping the dark brown apron over his head and swiftly tying the strings around his waist.

"No, no. I'm good," she assures him. "Could you grab some more milk from the back? We need a crate of whole and a couple cartons of oat. And could you glance at how much whipped cream we have left? I'm afraid we might not have enough to get us through to the next order."

"Sure," he says. "I'll be right back with everything and let you know about the cream."

Just as he's getting ready to go into the cooler, music begins to play from the jukebox out front. Happy that someone else likes this song too, he prepares his voice for the opening lines…his version.

"…you ain't nothin' but a coffee pot, brewin' all the time…"

Using his hip to push the cooler door open, he swings his hands back and forth to the rhythm.

"…you ain't never let me down and you better not start now …"

Without further ado, he gathers the milk that Deanna needs and rushes back out so he can finish the song before it ends. Yeah, it's one of his favorites, in case you were wondering.

Two hours later, he stops to catch his breath.

"It's been like this all day," Niecy, the most recent hire, reaches for her tumbler underneath the counter so she can take a few swallows. "I've definitely gotten my steps in for the day."

Deanna pulls several sleeves of cups from underneath the counter and replenishes the stacks next to the ice machine. "Crazy, huh? From what I can gather, the Tahoe CC is providing a free shuttle service to the downtown area now. I believe someone said it runs every half hour. Since many of the students don't have their own transportation, this gives them an opportunity to leave campus without having to take a cab or an Uber. I must say, it's been a nice boost in business, but they could've at least given us a little warning. We're used to tourists, not college kids who are obsessed with coffee and cold brews."

"Maybe we should look into staying open later if it continues," Edwin suggests. "Any idea how late the shuttle runs?"

"I think I'll call the school and see if they can give me some more information. I don't want to jump the gun, especially if this is something they're just trying out." Deanna makes a good point. "I'd hate to readjust the schedule then have them suddenly stop."

Grabbing a bottle of cleaner, Edwin begins to wipe off the counter. As he makes his way down to the end, he picks up a few stray napkins and straw wrappers left sitting on nearby tables. Considering the number of people that were there earlier, everything still looks relatively clean. Closing up tonight should be a breeze.

He wipes the front of the jukebox with his towel, pausing long enough to look at the updated list of songs.

"Oh, yeah," he says to himself, seeing a new set of Elvis Presley hits, and punches in the numbers out beside a few of them. He begins to bounce his shoe against the stained concrete floor as soon as the music begins to play, something he can't help doing no matter how hard he tries to resist.

"Edwin." Deanna calls his name but he's so busy singing along, he doesn't hear her.

"Edwin!" she says again, this time a little bit louder.

"Huh? What?" he jumps when a warm hand brushes against his shoulder.

Deanna nods her head towards the back of the shop. "There's someone at the counter asking for you."

Edwin jerks his head around and a smile immediately spreads across his face.

"I know I probably should've called first, but Reba was headed this way and didn't mind dropping me off," Charlotte says as soon as he's within earshot. "I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."

"We had a pretty big rush earlier, but things seem to have settled down now. You're timing is perfect." Feeling the stares from his co-workers, Edwin steps a little closer so no one can listen in on their conversation. "I've got the book behind the counter. When I got here to start my shift, we were so busy, I never got a chance to take my things to the back. Let me get it for you."

"I really appreciate this." A look of relief washes over her when she sees the front of the book he's carrying. "Yes, that's the correct one."

"It's been taking up space on my bookshelf ever since I put it there last spring," he chuckles. "Right along with the others."

"How much do I owe you for it?" Charlotte sticks her hand inside the front flap of her purse and pulls out a small leather wallet. "I've got forty dollars on me right now. I can get you the rest this weekend if that's okay. My parents don't fully understand the whole transferring money thing, so my dad said he'd stop by the bank and add the funds to my account on Friday."

"When I said you could have it, that's exactly what I meant. When the semester is over, just pass it on to someone else that can benefit from it if you don't want to keep it."

"Are you sure?" Feeling a little emotional from his generosity, Charlotte holds off before returning her wallet to her purse. Little does he know, her intentions were to use the money for food for the remainder of the week. But she'd certainly give it to him if he'd take it.

Edwin doesn't want to embarrass her by saying anything, but he can't help noticing the moisture in the corners of her eyes. "I'm positive."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Can I get you something to drink?" he asks, hoping she'll stick around for a little while. "Another peppermint mocha?"

Charlotte thinks about it for a second before declining his offer. "The one from the other day was certainly delicious, but I should probably avoid any extra caffeine this late in the afternoon. I have a hard enough time going to sleep now."

"Some other time then?" Edwin raises his brows while he waits for her to reply.

"I'd like that."

Noticing the line of people beginning to form at the counter again, he excuses himself so he can get back to work. "Goodnight, Charlotte."

"'Night."