“I’m a librarian of sorts,” she replied. She opened her mouth before quickly closing it again.
Once more, he invaded her thoughts, discovering she’d been about to confess to specializing in rare books. Her hesitation was sensible. Good money could be made in acquiring books for private collections, and theft was a serious concern.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’m an investor.” No good could come from anyone finding out who he really was, especially her, and he quickly changed the subject. “How do you prefer your latte?”
“Three pumps of caramel—real caramel, not that crappy clear corn-syrup stuff—one shot of espresso, almond milk, and whipped cream. No hotter than 165 degrees, please.”
He bit back a smile at her specific instructions. It appeared Nadia was fussy in her likes and dislikes. As someone particularly demanding, he could respect her detailed request.
“But Luc, we don’t need to bother with this place.” She flashed an apologetic smile at the annoyed man behind the counter. “We can go somewhere else.”
“What our not-so-friendly barista has failed to realize is that he is dealing with the owner of the parent company, Nadia. He needs to be reminded we don’t turn customers away during operating hours,” he said as he placed a hand on her lower back and guided her to a table. He savored the connection for a few extra seconds. It had been eons since he had contact with another. “Please, have a seat, and I’ll return with your drink.”
Luc could feel her curious gaze as he stepped up to the counter and faced his irate employee. A glance at the personalized badge on his chest revealed a name.
“Tom. May I call you Tom?” Luc received a sharp nod in answer. “Good. Tom, tell me, what do you know about this business? Do you understand this coffeehouse is one in a chain under a larger corporation?”
After Tom’s wary “yes,” Luc graced him with a lethal smile, one he reserved for the most recalcitrant of employees. “Excellent. Can you tell me the name of that corporation and who the CEO happens to be?”
Sweat beaded on the guy’s ruddy forehead. “Heylel Industries. Luc Heylel.”
Luc withdrew his identification and slid it across the flat surface between them.
“Do you like your job, Tom?” he asked conversationally. “Are you treated well here?”
One of the perks of working for his parent company or its subsidiaries was highly competitive wages and a rarely offered benefits package. He also promoted from within, going so far as to provide schooling for exceptional employees with potential.
“Yes, Mr. Heylel. Of course!”
“Good. I require two drinks. A medium latte, with a single shot, almond milk heated to 165 degrees, three pumps of caramel drizzle, whipped topping, and additional drizzle on top. The other will be a double shot espresso.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”
He never raised his voice when he said, “Should you ever not serve a patron of this establishment before closing time, you will never work in this town again. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.” Tom’s face reflected a sickly pallor. “Thank you, Mr. Heylel.”
“When you have served our drinks, you may count your drawer and clock out. I have the code and the key to lock up.”
“I can wait, sir. It’s no bother.”
Nadia was gazing at Luc expectantly.
He sighed and shook off his ire. Without bothering to remove his attention from her, he said, “Tom, I’m feeling a bit magnanimous tonight. I assure you, it doesn’t happen often, if at all. Go meet your date after you make our drinks.” He loosened his tie and removed his suit jacket. “Comb your hair and put on a clean shirt, won’t you? If you wish to make a good impression, you should take care with your appearance. It projects confidence, which is attractive to a potential companion.”
“I’ll do that, Mr. Heylel. Thank you again, sir.”
Nadia waited until Luc was seated before she spoke. “Heylel? That’s an odd last name. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard it before. Coupled with your accent, it makes you incredibly mysterious.”
Luc leaned across the short distance of the table to clasp her hand. “And do you like mysterious, Nadia?”
“It can be appealing, yes.”
Especially when it’s wrapped up in a package like you.
Her unspoken words telegraphed straight to his mind, loud and clear.
