Chapter 39

I walked out of the office, feeling calm and in control for the first time in a while. The familiar sounds of the coffeehouse soothed me, and I actually smiled a few times, to the shock of my staff, and the regulars, causing them to ask me if I was feeling alright.

Was I usually that much of a sourpuss?

* * * *

A week before the coffeehouse was supposed to close, imagine my surprise when an email was sent out, informing us of the opposite. Say what?

I received numerous texts, asking me if it was true. I didn’t know if that meant we would all keep our jobs, or still be moved around. Was Rio responsible for this? And if so, did it make me think of him differently? And did I want to remain? Or could I? They may have decided to bring a new manager in to replace me.

When I arrived the next morning at six, the two employees who were there bombarded me with questions.