Page 17 of A Cup of Autumn
“Figured I’d lend a hand. I saw your daily blends on the back counter.”
“Thank you. But be careful. I need to hire people. You’re so good at this I’m tempted to hand you an apron, and put you to work.”
“Yeah, right,” he joked.
“Good help is impossible to find. An employee who is proactive like you would be a dream come true.”
His chest puffed. “I would be, but can you see me as a barista?”
Yes, she wanted to shout.
“Don’t you think I’m overqualified for the job?” he asked.
Ouch.Raine pressed her lips together. Heat pooled in her cheeks.
Forget brainy professor.
He sounded like an intellectual snob.
She stared down her nose at him. “Being a barista is an honorable job.”
“Very. I couldn’t survive without them. But the position would look odd on my CV.”
Tension—thick and heavy—grew between them. CV stood for something in Latin, but she didn’t know what. Didn’t need to know. She’d worked full-time at coffee shops and barely finished getting her associate’s degree.
“You mean, résumé? That’s the word this community college graduate uses, Professor.” The words spewed like a gallon of French roast had when a spigot on a coffeepot broke. Raine was tired of men who thought they were better than her.
An odd expression formed on his face. “Résumé works.”
What else would he say? Raine should stop now. Except, she didn’t want to. “I suppose there also might not be room for it with all those fancy degrees and initials after your name. Though master barista is a thing if you change your mind…”
He stared at her as if she’d grown horns.
Maybe she had.
Raine had only been half joking about hiring him. Not that she wouldn’t follow through if he’d said yes. His attitude about what she did for a living, however, bugged her. A lot. “But you’d have to pass the food handler’s test to get a card. That’s required to work here.”
He raised his chin. A vein pulsed at his jaw. “How hard could the test be?”
Not hard at all, but Raine would keep that to herself. She shouldn’t try to annoy him. He’d helped her out. She owed him. But what was it with people who thought they were better than everyone else?
Well, her.
She made a smiley face on the foam and handed the drink to him. “This is a pumpkin spice latte. Enjoy.”
He stared at the drink. “Never tried one of these.”
Keaton didn’t sound unsure, more…wary.
“You always order Americanos when I take your order. What made you change your mind?”
“What I’ve been doing hasn’t been working so well. I decided I shouldn’t keep doing the same things and should try new things instead.”
“Many people need to do that.” Herself, included. Maybe she wasn’t too old to learn something from an actual professor. “So, how’s it going?”
He took a sip. Grinned. “This is delicious, so I’d say it’s going well.”
Raine stood taller. “You paid for this drink, so your next one is on me. I appreciate you refilling the coffee cup for that customer.”
