Hayden Owens is just a typical graduate student working his way through school as a barista for the Owens Coffee Company -- no relation. But he keeps the "no relation" part to himself when he meets dashing, older Neal Kirchner, a successful architect from an old-money family. Hayden doesn't exactly lie, but he figures it can't hurt for Neal to believe he's a rich kid. After all, Hayden doesn't want Neal thinking he's a gold digger.<br><br>Neal Kirchner is Asian Indian and British decent. His parents became Christians, shoving their heritage to the side. Neal has returned to the customs and religion his grandmother cherished. On top of being a very successful architect he's heir to the Indian Rose Tea Company, a business that's been in his family for generations.<br><br>Neal's passion is high performance cars and he meets Hayden at a fundraiser for the automotive engineering department of Clemson University. They are immediately smitten with each other. The closer they become, the harder it gets for Hayden to come clean. Something always seems to get in the way. When a company bankruptcy and a jilted, vindictive woman threaten to expose his charade, Hayden thinks it's all gone down the drain. Luckily Neal is ready with some innocent trickery of his own, but will their relationship survive?

High Test

“It was just a kiss, Steffie.” He certainly wasn’t going to confess he’d been too stupid to get or give a phone number before he’d dashed from the party.


He turned his attention forward, and their conversation stopped as new customers, Miss Snoot among them, walked through the door. While they browsed and stood gazing at the menu on the wall behind the counter, Steffie hurried back to her position in the prep area.


Hayden wondered what it was like, not having to worry about every penny spent. These people dropped fifteen dollars on a half caffe, extra espresso shot with soy milk and nutmeg on top and another four on a cinnamon croissant. He dreamed of the day after he finished school when he could at least eat at a fast-food place without having his account overdrawn, let alone frequent a place like this several times a day. With the size of his student loans, he’d probably be in his seventies before that day arrived.


Chapter 5