No customers.
No Franny Mulberry holding down the fort.
I moved closer and took a careful look around. The lights were on, the sign saidOpen, and the door hadn't been locked.So where the hell was she?
I wasn't the worrying type, but something about this wasn't adding up. My eyes zeroed in on the swinging door leading to the back.If she was in some sort of trouble, that's where she'd be.
I strode forward only to stop mid-step when I heard a small clank from somewhere near the espresso machine. A moment later, Tessa jolted upright from behind the counter, clutching a sponge in one hand and a spray bottle in the other.
At the sight of me, she froze. Stiffly, she said, "Oh. Hi. So…uh, you're back, huh?" She said it like I'd robbed the place yesterday and was coming back for more.
I blinked, trying to recalibrate.Okay, what did I miss?
It's not like she and I went way back, but yesterday, I'd seen her twice, and both times, she'd been reasonably relaxed, even if she hadn't shared her name.
But today?She looked like the star of a hostage video.
I asked, "Bad time?"
With a tight smile, she replied, "Nope. Not at all." She dropped the bottle onto the counter and flung down the sponge with a wet slap. "So, what can I get you?"
I held up a finger. "First, a question."
"What?"
"Should I duck?"
She gave a little shake of her head. "Why?"
"Because you look like you wanna throw something, and I want to be prepared."
She glanced at the sponge, like she was actually debating it. But then, with a forced little laugh, she said, "Don't be ridiculous. I'm just doing my job."
It was a lie – and not a very good one. Her posture was rigid, and her cheeks were pale. When the espresso machine hissed, she practically flinched before glancing toward the back as if expecting trouble.
Finally, it hit me.She wasn't just rattled.
She was afraid.
I moved closer to ask, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just wondering what I can get you, that's all."
Huh.
She was wondering more than that.Silently, I scanned the area behind the counter. If there was trouble in the back room, Tessa on her own wasn't a happy thought.
And yet, there she was, pushing me to grab and go – like whatever the trouble was, she'd be handling it herself.
Screw that.
The way it looked, I had two choices – order something or get the hell out.
News flash.I wasn't going anywhere, not until I knew she was safe – maybe from a stranger, maybe from an ex, or maybe from a sleazy boss with roaming hands.
It wasn't hard to imagine. Tessa was the kind of beautiful that turned heads. But it was the guarded look in her eyes that made me uneasy, like she was carrying more than she ever said out loud.
So yeah, if someone was bothering her, I wasn't about to leave her hanging.
