7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Taran

O nce her shift ended, Maeve joined me at my table.

“So, Scales, spill the beans,” she said excitedly as she took a seat, a takeaway cup of coffee in hand. When I’d come in, a dark hue had tainted her aura. If I squinted just past her, I could see it had lightened considerably.

Does she suspect I was successful ?

“I was thinking we could go for a little walk? Maybe in the park behind the theatre?” I hadn’t been there in years, but remembered it from when I used to attend plays once or twice a month.

“Oh, yeah, that’s a good idea. Let’s catch some vitamin D.” Then she spluttered and coughed.

“Are you all right?” I asked, quickly thumping her on the back.

“Yeah, sorry, choked on my… Let’s go for a walk, okay?” she wheezed.

I followed her out of the cafe, balmy late spring air engulfing us. For a moment, I contemplated offering her my arm, but I had no idea if people still did that.

Don’t make a fool of yourself, Taran.

We wandered across Finnegan Square and down a little alley, past the theatre, until we reached Kalon Gardens. Damn it, I had completely forgotten they’d named the park after my mother, but it was too late to turn away now.

“You need to tell me or I’ll explode, Taran. You can’t edge me like that,” Maeve blurted out as soon as we’d passed through the wrought iron gate.

A giggle escaped me, a sound so unfamiliar I froze in my tracks for a moment.

“I daresay it’s good news, and I hope you agree and don’t hate me.”

“You’re not making it any better!” Maeve was giggling, too, and nudged my arm.

“I bought the cafe.” The words tumbled out of me before I could overthink it anymore, and a warm hand took hold of my forearm, fingers digging into my jacket.

“Say that again,” she prompted, staring wide-eyed up into my face .

How could I ever think you were simple? You’re the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.

“I met with my real estate agent a few days ago and they finalised the contract this morning. It’s usually not such a quick process, buying a property, but the old owner couldn’t wait to get rid of the place.”

“So what you’re saying is…” Her voice sounded faint.

“That I bought the cafe, and if you want, you’ll still have a job after the month ends. I’d be delighted to have you on my team.”

“Taran.” Maeve struggled with her coffee cup for a moment. She eventually plopped it down on the ground, then both her hands gripped my arms. “Are you serious? You bought…I thought you were just thinking out loud. I didn’t expect you to…”

“I plan on giving the cafe a little update. I think it could do with a fresh coat of paint, and whatever you think is necessary.”

“Whatever I think is necessary?” she repeated weakly.

“I’d like to promote you to be my manager. If you want to do it, that is, of course. You can keep your position if you don’t. I was just wondering,” I rambled.

“Oh my God, Scales. I really want to hug you, but I don’t think it’s appropriate. You’re going to be my boss. Oh shit.” She burst into tears. Feeling secure enough that I wasn’t overstepping any of her boundaries, I hugged her without applying too much pressure.

I hope I don’t break her.

“I know you didn’t buy this so I could keep my job, but this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done,” Maeve sobbed into my chest and I only just managed to bite my tongue. Maybe one day I would tell her that I had very much done this so she could keep her job and to make her happy, but not right now. That I could keep the cafe—and her—in my life was just an added bonus.

“Let’s sit down over there.” I picked up the coffee cup and led her to one of the benches standing in a wide circle around a fountain.

It was topped with a sitting Dragoness made from white, highly polished stone. Every scale had been carved by hand and they glinted when the sunlight hit them right.

Great job. That looked exceptionally like my mother, to a point where I wondered if she had sat for the sculptor.

“If you have any ideas, input, inspiration, I’d be happy to hear all of it. This is the first cafe in my portfolio and you are just the expert I need to make sure it is successful.”

“God, Scales, you need to stop this. I have a big enough ego as it is.”

I snorted. “Don’t forget, you’re talking to a Dragon.”

I watched her pull her lip between her teeth. “No worries, I’m not forgetting that anytime soon.”

Oh, sweetling. Stop being so endearing.

“So you accept the promotion?”

“Fuck yeah, of course I do. My manager won’t be happy, but she’s never been interested in the place, anyway.” She twirled her cup in her fingers. “And I have ideas. God, it’s probably embarrassing to tell you this, but I’ve been dreaming of taking over the cafe one day. You know every time real life got too shitty, I started working on my DreamBoard.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s an app where you can create mood boards, you know, for renovations, projects, outfits, stuff like that. Want to see it? ”

I nodded, and she pulled out her phone, its display scratched and cracked in one corner.

Moving a little closer so I could see, I made a mental note to have Stuart pick up a new company phone for her.

“So, as you can see”—she shoved her phone in my face—“I have an entire DreamBoard dedicated to the cafe’s renovation.”

I couldn’t. The display might be in my face, but it was so tiny that I didn’t know how to angle my face to see anything on it.

“I was thinking a black-and-white counter, with this coffee machine. It’s really high-end and expensive, but it’s the best on the market.”

I could sort of make out the coffee maker she was talking about, but it didn’t matter. She wanted it? I would buy it for her.

“Most of the chairs and the tables are beyond their ‘best before’ date, so they really need to go. I found a ton of websites that carry amazing wooden furniture, but you could also track these down in secondhand shops, of course.”

“We might not have time for this,” I thought out loud. “I know the renovations are going to take a while but I would like to keep the closing time to a minimum.”

“Yeah, good thinking! This will be the most expensive solution though.” She worried her lip and pouted at me.

“I’m not trying to make this as cheap as it can get. The cafe is like my second living room. I need to feel comfortable there. I want you to feel comfortable there.”

The pout dissipated into her lovely smile.

“And if you tell me this is what the cafe needs, then we will make it happen. ”

“Scales? You just created a monster.” If her smile was lovely, her laugh was out of this world.

“I guess we make a great team then,” I muttered, unable to keep a straight face. By the Moon Goddess, she is so wonderful. “I’m a monster too, remember?”

She kept showing me more pictures on her DreamBoard, but I was too distracted by how the sunlight danced in her hair to listen.

“Why don’t you get in touch with the contractor who did the restaurant you mentioned?” I suggested. “Struan Fox? I agree, I like his style. And maybe we’re lucky and he has time for us.”

“Me? You want me to talk to him?”

“Well, you’re my manager. I trust you with this.”