“Yeah, totally annoying,” Sean agrees in a tone that says he couldn’t care less.
Eric nods with a smug smile. “I mean, that’s why I gotta step up and do what I can to change the world for the better.”
“How? By correcting people when they say the wrong name?” Sean’s beyond bored now.
“I applied for an internship position at the Pryce Family Foundation. People there make a real difference, you know? Showing disadvantaged folks who can’t help themselves the right way to succeed. I’m just waiting for an interview.” Eric beams proudly, chest puffing out.
He sounds awfully confident. I hope he gets the internship, so he can show all those “disadvantaged folks” who don’t know any better than to call him Erik with a K. How dare they.
The dog whisperer’s still looking at the menu. Should I see if he has any questions about different types of coffee? It shouldn’t take this long for somebody to figure out which drink they want.
Eric finally turns and faces the man. “Hello, welcome to Coffee Heaven. Are you ready to order?”
Well, that was quick and friendly service from Eric. I shake my head inwardly, though. I should’ve said something. Hell, I was ready to take Mr. Dog Whisperer’s order before Eric.
The man nods, barely glancing at Eric.
“You ring it up, and I’ll show you what to do,” Eric says, gesturing at me to take over.
“Okay.” I look at the man who helped me earlier. “Hi. Welcome. I’m new, so I might be a little slow.”
“No problem,” he says, voice low and gravelly. Now that I’m not worried about being flash-raped, I realize there’s a trace of a foreign accent.
He’s barely glanced at me since coming into the shop. Does he not recognize me? Or maybe he does, but doesn’t care to acknowledge me one way or the other. I’m the desperate one, not him. He has his super dogs and that very imposing body.
If he’s a sign from the universe, I don’t want to miss a chance to connect in some way—I already botched one shot.
I should remind him of our previous encounter. “Thank you for helping me earlier.”
He gives me a steady once-over, his gaze coolly assessing. My face flushes. With pleasure or something else, I can’t say. But my heart is beating a little faster, and I realize adrenaline’s coursing through my body again, like I’m facing danger. His pale gray-blue eyes are somehow both sharp and placid, empty of emotion. I note with a shiver that they have the same characteristics as Roy’s eyes.
Except this man doesn’t have the creep factor my stepbrother radiates.
A man with eyes that empty and cold isn’t just some dog trainer. No, he’s probably a monster like Roy, except maybe with a sliver of human conscience underneath, where you can’t see it too clearly.
Maybe he really is a sign from the universe.
It can’t be a coincidence that he showed up to save me from the pervert, and then came to Coffee Heaven only hours later, on my first day here. I mean, what are the odds?
Excitement and anxiety shoot through me, making my hands clammy and shaky. “So…” I prompt when he doesn’t say anything.
“Standard drip coffee. Black,” he says.
He spent all that time to settle on that? “Um. Sure.”
Eric points out which keys to press, and I do it. The machine spits out the total and a space to input his name.
“Your name, please?” I ask, my heart pounding slightly.
Something coolly predatory and satisfied flickers in his eyes. But then it’s gone.
Probably imagined it, I decide. Why would anybody react like that over a barista asking his name for a coffee order? I’m just overly excited about finding the sign I’ve been looking for—and that the horrible mind-fuck Roy’s been putting me through might end in this city.
“Tolyan,” the man says.
Tolyan. What an unusual name. “Do you mind spelling that for me?”
His eyebrows pinch together for a fraction of a second. “Just T is fine.” He pulls out a business card.
“My treat,” I say quickly. “To thank you for your help earlier.” And please come by again.
He opens his mouth as though to protest, then shrugs. “Be my guest.”
I give him a small smile and use my phone to pay for the coffee.
“Awesome,” Eric says, then enters “TEA” into the space for the customer’s name and hits FINAL before I can stop him. He smiles and clasps my shoulder. “Great job taking your first order.”
He places his hand so the thumb is touching the edge of my bra cup, then he moves his thumb back and forth. I freeze, too stunned to move. Doesn’t Eric know everyone in the café can see him? Or does he not care?
I glance at Sean, but he’s thumbing his phone.
“Isn’t it considered a microaggression to put your hand on a woman without her consent?” Tolyan asks calmly, but his question cuts through the air like a knife.
My heart starts racing. Tolyan’s doing it again—protecting me.
Eric flinches. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Look.” Eric points at Tolyan, who lazily looks at the finger like he wants to break it. “I’m, like, the assistant manager here.”
“Actually, the manager’s son,” I grumble under my breath.
He continues like he hasn’t heard me. For all I know, he might not have. He’s too busy puffing himself up like a bird whose territory is being threatened by another bigger and meaner bird. “It’s my job to train the new staff and reinforce positive behavior through praise and reward.”
Touching my bra doesn’t count, I want to tell him, but keep my mouth shut. I need the money from this job, and I can’t be sure I’m going to get another one if I walk out. Besides, he touched my bra through the shirt, so some might just say I’m being overly sensitive. The cops probably would. They don’t think what Roy’s doing is bad enough to warrant a more vigorous response. They’ll probably just laugh if I report Eric’s behavior.
Tolyan gives a stare cold enough that little beads of sweat appear above Eric’s lips despite the café’s A/C. “Give him his coffee, Angela,” Eric says.
“It’s Angelika,” I correct him.
He scowls. “Just do your job.”
What a hypocrite. All that ranting about how offensive it is when people get your name wrong, and now this. If I just didn’t have to eat or pay rent…
But life isn’t fair, and my body demands to be fed at least twice a day.
I put the coffee in the takeout cup with TEA printed in the name area. “Here you go.” I hand Tolyan the coffee.
He nods, then looks down at the cup. A faint sneer crosses his face, but almost immediately, he smooths his expression.
“Sorry,” I say with a small inward cringe. I don’t want him to think I screwed up his name, but before I can say more, he’s already out the door.
Damn it. I can almost hear the universe sigh in disappointment. Don’t bitch that I didn’t give you a fresh lemon.
Chapter Three
Tolyan
I walk out of the café and look at the coffee cup.