Chapter 1 The Start
Rose
I groan as I look around at all the decorations in the coffee shop that I have worked at for the last five years. I have never really bought into the hallmark holiday that everyone has come to love called Valentine’s Day, and once again it was upon us. It had always seemed like it was all about the money. I had never managed to be anyone’s Valentine anywhere near the fourteenth of February. Maybe that had something to do with my bitterness around this time of the month. Most of my coworkers liked to joke that it was ‘my time’ of the month if you know what I mean. They were lucky I was a playful assistant manager and not one that could not take a joke.
Still, though, deep down, I would not mind feeling special like these women that I watched coming in here with these stunning men. Carrying these flowers and boxes of candies, or teddy bears. Rolling my eyes, I wipe down the counters and ready the store before I glance over at my boss and owner, who is counting the till before she flips the light on, getting ready to open the store for the day of business, and smiles at me.
“Are you ready, Rose? We have a week left before the big day, and we have a lot of specials going on from now until Valentine’s. I need the sweet smiles from you to help get the sales, not the come near me and I will eat your soul side, please.” Lacy, my boss, states with a smirk, causing me to snort as she flips the light on, signaling the start of our day.
I could only shake my head as I roll my eyes as I unlock the latch to the door and make my way behind the counter. I start filling orders for everyone, providing the best smile to everyone that I could. It was a typical Saturday morning, and everyone was off spending time with their loved ones, making plans for the following weekends.
I was having a hard time not telling a few of the females who were gushing with their friends conversing about what their boyfriends were planning to do for them to shut the fuck up. Grumbling, I turned and set down a few cups and pastries on a table and gave them my best fake smile to a group, telling them to enjoy.
I spun around as fast as I could and felt myself collide into a solid wall of muscle that smelled of an intoxicating mix of sandalwood and sage. I saw a navy blue fabric of what I could only guess was a very expensive material for a jacket before I quickly noticed a feeling of extremely hot liquid added into that equation.
“SHIT!” I exclaimed without thinking about my language before I quickly slapped my hand to my mouth. I stepped back from the wall of muscle and expensive business jacket that I had been pressed to and was very much enjoying the smell of. I timidly let my eyes travel up from where I was standing currently.
At first I was able to see the black buttons that held together the thick fabric of the jacket that clung to his muscular frame. Slowly I kept raising my eyes and was able to see where the jacket split open to the man’s chest that exposed a black silk-type button-up shirt that gave way to a toned, muscular-looking neck. When I saw his face, I sent up a silent prayer for the earth to just open up and swallow me alive.
The man must have been at least six foot four and the sexiest man I ever laid eyes on. So much so that I did not even notice the artificial blonde thing attached to his arm. “Wyatt!! Oh my god!! Are you okay? And are you fucking blind? What the hell is wrong with you? Is it your first day??” She exclaimed as she turned, dragging her perfectly manicured nails over his coat, brushing the crushed pieces of their pastries from the material as he started dabbing the fabric to rid himself of some of the dampness.
“I am so sorry.” I murmured as my face turned red under her glare and his gaze. His emerald green eyes pierced into my amber brown eyes as his jet black hair hung loose around his head. I watched as he started trying to grab at her hands. “I will be back with replacements and a refund.” I murmur
“You better be sorry! You could have seriously burned one of us with your carelessness!” The blonde continued her fit as I had to shake my head to break my gaze from the man’s eyes. I watched him do the same as he slowly guides her off to the side as he gets himself cleaned up while mouthing apologies to me.
I rush off to find out what they had so I can get their replacements and a refund on their order. I did not even realize or worry that I had a huge brown stain on the front of my white shirt for work.
Once I had their replacement drinks, I walked over and handed the blonde her drink first. She snatches her drink, shaking her head and glaring at me. “Come on, Wyatt, we are going to be late now. This tragedy has caused enough issues.”
I shook my head, biting my cheek hard enough to draw blood before I lost control of my composure. “Tragedy? Really? Well, Ms. I am so sorry I do not measure up to your narrow-minded judgments! But the only tragedy I see here is you, how you look down your nose at anyone you deem lesser than you. So why don’t you go suck a nasty, big fucking toe and, in the process, find a really high cliff and fly a huge kite off it?" I snarled, my eyes flashing with rage.
I watch as he stares at me with wide eyes before looking back at her and grabbing her by the arm, dragging her outside as her mouth opens and shuts like a guppy fish while she seems to be trying to find something to say. I stood silently, not moving from the spot he left me, still holding his cup of coffee, as I watched him reenter the shop.
I felt everyone’s eyes on him and I as he glanced up at me, meeting my eyes. Wyatt reaches out to take the other cup of coffee from me. Our fingers graze each other’s ever so slightly, causing me to feel an electric spark that I could tell he felt also by the look in his eye as mine met his.
“Sorry…” I heard him murmur, his voice soft and velvety smooth. My eyes followed him as he hurried toward the door as the blonde moved to open it. He cuts her off before she could come back in as I stood staring after them.
Lacy walked up to drying her hands on a towel as she glanced at my shirt, then after the couple. “That is a shame. I could have sworn I saw something in the way he looked at you. I would suggest going and grabbing one of the extra shirts in the back, though, love. That is a mighty big spot to be finishing up your shift with, though.” She comments before heading back towards the counter.
I follow her, shaking my head. “It would not matter even if you did. He has a woman. A very beautiful one at that. I would never be in his taste range. That would be wishful thinking, Lacy.” I sigh before I glance back down at my shirt and feel my cheeks start to burn again as I nod and head back into the back to find one of the extras and get changed.
“Rose I am going to go on and head out for the night. Do you mind closing up for me? Ron needs me to stop at the store.” I hear Lacy call from the front.
“Not at all. It is only five more minutes anyway.” I call as I make my way to the front. I was her assistant anyways. So it was part of my job. I smile at her and motion for her to go on and leave before I start putting the chairs on top of the tables and make sure everything is ready for opening tomorrow.
DING
I spin around as I hear the sound of the door, expecting to see Lacy coming back in, forgetting something. “What did you….” I stop midsentence, and my smile falters slightly as my eyes land on the tall, dark, and handsome man from earlier. I watch as he tugs his hat off and shakes his head slightly. I noticed that his buttoned-up navy blue jacket was open, and I could see his black silk button-up this time and how it clung to him, showing off his muscular build.
I stare almost hypnotized at him as I pull my lip in between my teeth and chew. I wanted to lace my fingers through his shaggy black hair and tug his face to me, run my hands up his chest while licking his… “Whipped cream?”
“I am sorry?” I asked Shit. I did not hear anything he said except whipped cream. What the fuck was wrong with me? I felt my cheeks burning red now. As I stared right at him, my brown eyes meeting his green eyes. I could see the smirk in his eyes even as he kept a straight face while looking at me. He knew the effect he was having on me, the asshole. Oh, he was having fun with this.
Wyatt’s eyes twinkled as he watched me squirm. “Could I have a caramel frappe with extra whipped cream?” He repeated. “And I wanted to say I am sorry about how my sister acted earlier today.”
“Oh, yeah. Um, no problem.” I stammer as I struggle to break my eyes off of him as I start to fix his drink. “She acted pretty obsessive for a sister.” I commented as I started fixing his frappe.
“I know. I am sorry she can be a bit much at times. I am Wyatt, by the way.” He comments, smiling politely at me.
I pause, watching him cautiously observing his emerald eyes before I pass him his drink and finally shake my head, sighing. “My name is Rose, and she definitely seems like it.”
Wyatt nods. “Thanks, and I appreciate you making me this so close to closing. I hope it was not too much trouble, Rose. How much do I owe you?” He asks as he watches me with furrowed eyebrows as I start cleaning everything up instead of messing with the register.
“Nothing. It is on the house. Consider it customer appreciation for coming back after this morning.” I say as I glance at him over my shoulder and notice that his gaze was a little lower than face level, and I cannot help but blush slightly as I watch him pull his eyes back up quickly.
“Are you sure? You already gave us the drinks this morning for free, Rose.”
I blushed almost instantly hearing my name roll off his tongue again. The way he said my name, I knew he was not a native from up north here. He had to have been from the South with his drawl, and I fucking loved it. I went to look back over at him and noticed he was almost right behind me at the edge of the counter.
“Yes. I am sure, Wyatt. Thanks. I stained your coat earlier. Luckily your shirt is black, or I could have ruined it too. I am sorry.” I murmured, looking down as I stepped back against the counter with my head dropped in shame. I do not know why I felt so inadequate next to him, but I did.
“Nah, do not worry about that. I have an amazing dry cleaner for that.” Wyatt comments, sipping on his frappe. “This is delicious, thank you, Rose, and please do not think about earlier again.”
I watch him slip some cash into the tip jar from the corner of my eye before he scribbles something on a piece of paper before he shoves it towards me and smiles. “One rose says more than a dozen, so I cannot wait to find out what that says about you.”
With that, I watch him walk out the door into the snowy afternoon without another word, letting the door shut behind him, leaving me with my heart racing in my chest.
