Alpha Billionaire Series
Billionaire and the Barista Chapter 16

NATHAN

I saw the old motorcycle parked in front of Love Buns when I pulled in. I was going to have to deal with my past. Gabriella wasn't going to let me get away with messing with Mitch. He had become somewhat important in her life. But I hadn't figured out exactly how. I strode in. I didn't see either Gabriella or Mitch.

I ordered two cupcakes and a coffee before setting up at a table. I pulled out my laptop and began reviewing emails from several property agents we worked with. We were looking for several properties in Texas. They didn't have anything promising yet. I looked up when I heard Mitch's laugh blended in with Gabriella's. I loved the sound of her laughter; it was he sound of angels riding unicorns. If her laughter had a color, it would have been sparkling and a full rainbow.

Mitch started walking toward the door. He dropped a glare in my direction. Fair enough, I had earned i "Hey, Mitch," I said.

"Oh, so you know me this time?" his voice was gravelly from years of smoking.

I started laughing. "Yeah, I know you. I can't believe you fell for that bullshit I dished out."

I stood and approached him, my hand out for a shake. He surprised me by tugging me into a hug.

"Good to see you, man." He clapped me on the back and the brief show of affection was over.

"So, you gave up riding or was that bullshit too?"

I nodded. "Haven't been on a bike for years."

"What happened to that beautiful bike of yours?"

"My parents sold it off," I said.

He tilted his head and hummed. "Well, I haven't seen it since. Hopefully, it found a steady rider."

"How do you know someone didn't paint it and bring it?"

"I never forget an engine. You wouldn't recognize the crowd that races these days."

"So, you still support all of that?" I asked. "I can't believe I was ever that dumb."

"Young and cocky. Don't worry about it, we all go through that phase in some form."

"But you still show up, support all of that?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think you really understood what my mission was back then, still is."

"Any mission statement that involves street racing is doomed to fail. Is that what she's doing with the racing crowd? Some mission?" I nodded toward Gabriella.

She smiled at me, but customers kept her behind the counter.

"I can only surmise what she's still doing with them. You should ask her."

I let out a derisive laugh. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get her to stop working long enough to talk?"

"You got to talk to her on her terms, while she's working," he said.

"Is that so? Is that what you were doing in the back? Talking?"

I guess my tone took a turn to the judgmental because suddenly Mitch was in my face. He was a wiry man, so I didn't think he was all that big, but with him in my space, growling in my face, I realized I had underestimated his size.

"I don't like what you are insinuating. It's one thing to be disrespectful to me, but you will not be disrespectful to Gabby. That girl has been dealt from a crappy deck and she makes it work. She works hard, and she doesn't put up with idiots. And you are talking like an idiot."

I blinked and took a step back. "You're right, you're right. That was out of line. I just" I gestured toward her- "I haven't seen her with anyone. She won't go out with me, and you..."

"Don't insult her like that. Yes, we were talking. I sit, she makes cupcakes. And then I offer brotherly advice because that's what she is to me. So, take your jealousy and suspicions and shove em up your a*s."

He left. He wasn't wrong. Old emotions surrounding Gabriella were partying around me, like it or not. I was jealous of the men she smiled at. It didn't matter if they were across the counter from her or not. All I knew was she smiled at them but not at me. "You look grumpy today," Gabriella said when I approached the counter for a refill.

I shrugged and slid my cup across the counter.

"Did you see Mitch?" she asked as she picked it up and stepped up to the coffee maker. There was a line of industrial-sized dispensers across the back, each labeled with what they contained. "You had Columbia dark, right?" "Yeah," I answered. "Yes, I spoke to Mitch."

"Did you, you know, say anything?"

"Did I confess that in some dickish maneuver I pretended not to know the man the other day? Yeah, I did. Happy now?" I didn't tell her that I continued and made myself into a bigger a*****e than he probably already thought of me. She grinned, and to see that smile start to form on her face had been worth it.

"I should confess to some other good deeds, if you're going to look at me like that," I teased.

"If you have to tell me you took the appropriate action for any given situation, such as coming clean to Mitch, that's not exactly a good deed. Either is bragging."

"That sounds like a lot of restrictions."

"It takes a lot to impress me," she said as she handed my coffee back.

I swear I saw a twinkle and spark in her eyes as she turned away from me. She was making me crazy. I don't know why I thought I could come down here and work and be satisfied with seeing her but not talking to her or touching her. "I have a big decision to make," I started.

"Oh yeah?"

I leaned my hip against the counter, and she didn't seem to mind. She didn't shove me away claiming to be too busy to talk to me. Then again, there weren't any customers trying to buy cupcakes or asking for more coffee.

"I interviewed candidates for a personal assistant this morning," I told her.

"Did you meet one you liked?"

"I liked three of them," I told her. I did. Cameron had gotten in a very smart, capable group for me to meet with. I was impressed.

"Well, then, what's your next step?" Gabriella asked.

"I was hoping you could help me out there. How do you decide between candidates when you have more than one, and only one job?"

"Are you looking for industry secrets? Is this corporate espionage?" she laughed, and it did things to me.

"Seriously, how do you do it?"

"How did you hire your last personal assistant?" she asked.

"I had my assistant at work call the agency to send someone over, and she started working for me."

Gabriella stopped and put her hands on the counter across from me. "Are you telling me you hired the first person you talked to because some employment agency sent them over?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's how I did it every time."

"And you went through how many personal assistants a year?"

"Not per year. I kept them for at least eighteen months, two years typically."

"So what's different this time?"

"The assistant that came with this job. I told her I needed a personal assistant, and she vetted candidates for me and arranged interviews."

"Sounds like she knows what she's doing."

"She does, but I need her in the office, so I can't have her be my PA as well."

"Well," Gabriella said as she pushed off the counter and returned to wiping things down. "I don't typically have that problem. I tend to have more jobs than candidates. And I frequently just offer jobs to people who I would like to work with. I think in your case maybe make a spreadsheet with a pros and cons list. None of them stood out exceptionally?"

"Oh, no, one did. But not exceptionally, quite the opposite in fact. That's why I have a list of three, and not four." I sipped the coffee while it was still hot. "A spreadsheet, huh? Has anyone told you you're a smart woman?"

"Not this week. Thank you." That grin was back.

"How do you know about spreadsheets?"

"You did not just ask me that?" She flicked her towel at me.

I stopped leaning on her counter and returned to my table. She had customers to take care of. I had a PA to hire.

"Cameron," I said into the phone. "Would you extend an offer to Jonah, get the paperwork started, and begin the background screening."

I ended the short call and watched Gabriella. I had already decided to hire Jonah but gave myself some time to be certain. Since Gabriella had made it clear that bragging rights were not to be had, I decided to involve her in my decision-making process. As far as conversation starters went, it was the better choice.

I started to pack up my things. I couldn't concentrate looking at her. And as much as I would have preferred to work in a location with a beautiful view such as her, I needed to focus. "Leaving so soon?"

She wiped down the empty table nearest to me. I caught movement in my peripheral vision, her counter person was back, and Gabriella was out here talking to me.

"I need to get some work done, make calls. That's better done in an office. No one around here is interested in soil samples and water tables and run-off reports." Damn that smile of hers. "I think you're right."

"I'll be out of your way in a minute, then you can clean away all vestige of my presence."

"That sounds so final," she said.

I looked up from putting my laptop away and saw her frown. I could kick myself for taking that smile away.

"Until the next time, I guess." I hiked the computer bag over my shoulder and picked up my dishes.

"I'll take those." She extended her hand and took the plate and fork.

She turned one way to deposit them in the bus tray and I turned the other to walk out the door. "Nathan," her voice stopped me.

I turned in the doorway to look back at her.

"Aren't you planning on asking me out? You've asked me every time you've come in here."

"Did I take away your fun in rejecting me again today?" I shook my head.

"The Nathan I used to know took chances."

"Well, I'm more risk-averse these days. I prefer to be more calculated, act on more certainties. I'll ask you out again when I'm sure you'll say yes."

She shrugged and twisted her lips in a way I clearly remembered as a challenge.

"Gabriella, are you seeing anyone at the moment?"

She shook her head, "No."

"Are you single?"

"Yes."