Unsuspecting

Chapter One

“Hey, can you make me another one of those lattes?” Angie called from where she sat perched on the back counter. She had moved the basket of scones that usually sat there so that she could sit comfortably.

“For you or for a customer?” Corinne asked. She glanced up from the latte she was currently making for a different customer to see there was no one in line. The café had been quiet all day. There were only a few people seated at the tables. It was an unusually warm day and since the café, Chocolate and Roses, specialized in warm drinks and baked goods, the lull in business was not unusual.

“A customer,” Angie stated.

Corinne smiled at the customer standing across the counter from her and passed over the completed drink. “Ang,” she said turning to face her co-worker, “there’s no one here to order.”

Angie rolled her eyes and slid off the counter. She leaned against the counter next to Corinne. “Look there,” she pointed to the doorway of the café. Cups were stacked on the counter, partly obstructing their view, but Corinne could still clearly see the man on the sidewalk outside the café tapping away on his phone.

“Really?” Corinne pushed away from the counter and picked up a dishrag. She began to wipe down the counter. “You’re going to give him another free drink?”

“Yes,” Angie said. She still leaned against the counter so that she could spy on the man between the cups. Corinne cleaned around her, she was used to Angie’s spying.

“You don’t even know that he’s going to come in here,” Corinne pointed out.

“He will,” Angie said with complete confidence.

Corinne gave up on cleaning and threw the rag back into the bucket of sanitizing solution. “What makes you think that?”

“My boobs look amazing in this shirt and he won’t want to miss it.” Angie stood and faced Corinne, she ran her hands over the front of her blouse and winked when she caught Corinne’s eye.

Corinne laughed and shook her head. Angie was attending a local college because her parents wanted her to, but she was mostly focused on just having fun and enjoying life. This meant that at 21, she was constantly seeking out and getting acquainted with new guys more often than she was studying. This task was made easy by her generous curves and full lips.

“So are you going to make that drink?” Angie asked, crossing her arms over her chest with an eyebrow raised.

“No!” Corinne said shaking her head adamantly. “If you want to woo the poor boy, you make him the drink, I’m not getting involved with another victim of yours.”

“Wow, rude,” Angie said despite her smile.

While Angie began making the drink, Corinne slipped into the broom closet they called a break room and pulled a bag of grapes from her purse. She popped a few into her mouth and pulled her phone from her apron pocket. She opened a few notifications but didn’t bother responding. Once she was satisfied her stomach would no longer growl with hunger she returned to her station.

“You know what,” Angie said to the customer. It was the guy who had been on his phone outside. “We actually made an extra drink by mistake. We were just going to throw it out, but if you want sweetie, you can have it.” Angie was leaning over the counter smiling up at the boy. He allowed his eyes to unashamedly trail over her body.

Corinne shook her head at her co-worker and busied herself refilling a cinnamon shaker. There was nothing unusual about the scene before her. When Angie had first started at the café a year prior Corinne had been jealous. Angie was always getting attention from customers and she often went out on what she referred to as dates with them. Quickly though, Corinne had grown comfortable with the extra attention her co-worker received because she got to enjoy watching Angie break up with failed flings while on shift. Corinne also didn’t understand how Angie could be interested in these men when all she knew about them was their coffee order.