Chapter 38

I’d taken a week off—something I’d never done in all the years I’d been at the coffeehouse. I got calls constantly from my assistant managers and others, but I assured them all that they could handle things just fine without me. Perhaps I’d been remiss in always being there to hold their hands.

Tony texted me the second-to-last day of my stay-cation to say that Rio had stopped by, and he’d been furious that I’d not been there. Like I cared. Word had come down the day before that our coffeehouse would be closing in two months, and employees would either be relocated elsewhere, or given a severance. I understood their anger and fear.

Apparently, Rio had fussed and snapped at everyone, and he’d been given the cold shoulder, the staff barely acceding to any demands he’d made. Should that make me smile? Such unprofessional, petty behavior from my underlings? I was proud.