“Owen,” I sigh in relief as I see him coming in. “How did you get in?”
“The door was unlocked.” He frowns. “You should be more careful.” He pauses and tilts his head when I step into the light beside him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Everything.” I wrap my arms around myself.“Business is slower than I hoped. Aurora Coffee wants to buy me out. And I lost days of work when my laptop crashed during the power outage. I’ve been trying to find the files, but…I don’t know anything about computers. I should probably be starting over on those files, not wasting time trying to find them.”
Something shifts in his expression—focused, analytical. “I could help you. With your computer. That’s kind of what I do.”
“Really?” Relief floods through me at the mere possibility of retrieving all my files and work. Mika was right about him being a tech guy.
“Of course. I work in tech. Business systems and cybersecurity, mostly. But anything with computers is my expertise.”
Hope and panic war in my chest. “That would be amazing! You’d be my hero.”
“It would be my pleasure to help,” Owen steps closer, his expression softening, though I still can’t read his emotions.“What’s this about Aurora Coffee? The chain?”
I close my eyes for a long moment, suddenly self-conscious that I’m revealing my problems to Owen. He may be a regular customer, but he’s not a confidant.
“They made an offer. A generous one. They want to move into the neighborhood and apparently want this location.” I gesture around the shop. “But this is my dream. I don’t know what to do. I need what I was working on to talk to the bank about a loan. I love this neighborhood and know it’s up and coming…I just have to find a way to stick it out a little longer. We had a celebrity come in earlier, though I wasn’t here to see it. Do you know who Izzy is? If I could just get someone like her to post about being here…”
Something flashes in Owen’s eyes, but I can only guess at what he’s thinking. He probably doesn’t even know who Izzy is because he doesn’t look the type to listen to sugar-coated pop music.
“Well, I can certainly help you with the data recovery.”
“Why would you do this for me?”
“Because I like solving problems. And I’m addicted to your coffee.”
I laugh. “Just my coffee?” I tease, boldness rushing through me.
Owen coughs quickly and looks away, and for the first time since we met, he seems genuinely flustered. Maybe Mika was right about the universe throwing us together. If he feels half as much as I do, then we could be explosive.
“Are you sure about helping?”
“Absolutely.” He smiles at me, and it goes straight to my core. “But I’ll need to see your laptop. We can do it here. Or I could come to your home.”
“You want to come to my apartment?”
His cheeks flush. “I thought it might be easier...more comfortable.”
For the first time since I met Owen, he actually looks flustered.
“Tomorrow evening would work,” I say, warmth settling in my chest. “I’ll make dinner.”
For the first time in months, genuine hope rises in me. Not only for my business, but for getting to see Owen outside of Daily Brew.
CHAPTER 3
OWEN
Vivian’s apartment is small, but every inch of it is hers—books stacked two deep on the shelves, their spines cracked from use. A blanket draped over the couch. Plants thriving in the window. That sweet vanilla scent I always catch on her at the coffee shop saturates the air, mingled with something I want to revel in.
I’ve seen her behind a counter. I’ve heard her laugh while juggling a dozen orders. But this...this is her private space, and I’m damn lucky she agreed to invite me here.
And fuck, I want all of it.
“Sorry about the mess,” she says, sweeping a pile of papers from the kitchen table.
“It’s not messy.” I set my laptop bag down, dragging my eyes away from the sway of her hips. “It’s lived in. That’s better.”
