Alpha Billionaire Series
Billionaire and the Barista Chapter 29

GABRIELLA

I functioned because I had to. F**k Nathan and his underhanded, conniving, evil, sexy ways. They almost worked on me too. I had fallen back in love with him so easily. Leaned on him for support. I had his child. Was having a second one.

Even baking wasn't helping me this time. Maybe because this time not only was he out of my life, but he had been trying to cheat my property out from under me. Or maybe it was because I knew he was still local, he hadn't run away to a foreign country to escape from me, escape from our problems. He was still in St. Louis, and I knew where he lived. Was he expecting me to suddenly show up on his doorstep, just as I secretly harbored hope that he would come back?

I didn't need him. I didn't want to see his face or hear my name on his tongue. I didn't want him to sweep back into the shop and lift me into his arms begging for my forgiveness. I didn't want him on his knees in his best design suit in the kitchen pleading with me to listen. I didn't. So why was I dreaming about that every night?

Every time the bell over the door chimed, I looked up, my heart in my throat, hoping against hope that it would be Nathan. Every throaty roar of a car had me glancing out the window to see if the Jag had pulled up. I had even found myself watching the construction site next door to see if Nathan was there. He never was.

My mood became more pervasive. I was not happy, and I was not faking it anymore. At some point in the past few days, I couldn't manage a cheerful grin for my staff or my clients.

"You've seemed down lately. I hope it all gets better for you soon," one of my regulars said with a pitying expression on her face.

She meant well. I gave her a weak grin. "Some days are just a little harder than others," I replied.

"I hear you. Have one of your cupcakes. They always make me smile."

Her words brought a real grin to my face, and I felt her sincere words as warmth in my chest. Maybe this was the turning point in my gloom? She gave me an even bigger grin. After paying and thanking me for the most delicious cupcakes ever, she left. Unfortunately, she took that moment of hope and shine with her.

I was back to being depressed and angry with myself. I had turned all of my resentment of Nathan inward. It wasn't healthy, but that's what happened. And as result, I started making stupid mistakes. My mind would wander, and I would forget to set timers. Or I would turn the alarm off, but not do the action the alarm was to remind me to do.

And I wasn't maintaining my temper. In a quiet moment one afternoon, forgetting about the real estate agents who kept pestering me, I answered the phone without mentally bracing for the impact of 'have you considered selling your property?'

In reply, I growled at the poor person on the other end of the line who was just doing their job, and I threw the phone across the length of the service area behind the counter. The looks of horror from the few people working in the front snapped me back to reality quickly. It was all the worse because once I realized what I had done, tears of embarrassment began running down my cheeks. I was the only one there, I couldn't run and hide and hope that everyone would leave before I could show my face again. I wasn't in a good place. I should be for those around me, especially my son. And I needed to be for my own sake.

This afternoon, I sat staring at the ovens, waiting for the timers to alert me to take the cupcakes out. I had messed up the last few batches by either forgetting to set the timer or by ignoring them because I had gotten busy doing something else. Blaming my lack of focus and multitasking as the culprits, this time, I was doing one thing at a time.

I was going to sit and stare at the cupcake until it was time. The meditative quality of mixing batter and the act of frosting did not carry over into staring at an oven. My mind went to places I didn't want it to. It went back to Nathan. If I closed my eyes, I saw his flashing dark eyes and his thick wavy hair. And if I let myself, I could remember the way he smelled, and the exact perfect temperature of his warmth.

I could almost perfectly imagine him here, with his arms around me. And just as I could see him in my mind's eyes opening that delectable mouth of his to say something wonderful, my imagination would hear 'are you aware of your property value?' And it would be in the voice of one of those annoying phone calls.

I closed my eyes and tried the vision again, tried to manipulate it so I heard him say...

"Oh my God, would you get your dog out of here, it's scaring my Mr. Perfikins."

I groaned and slid from the stool in the kitchen. Mr. Perfikins was back. That meant so was Mrs. Teal, and the confrontation we had every few months. I pushed through the door into the front.

"Hello Mrs. Teal," I said as I approached her, the baby stroller, and the yappy dog inside of it. This time the yappy dog was trying to get out and accost a larger animal.

I wanted to grab the stroller and push it out the door, but the last time I tried that, I ended up spending a few hours talking to the police about how I wasn't trying to kidnap Mr. Perfikins but remove him from the premises. So, I no longer touched the stroller. "What have I said about bringing your dog into the shop?"

Mrs. Teal pointed at the larger dog, which was alert and watching but had not moved from sitting at its owner's feet. That larger dog was also wearing an elaborate harness with a metal handle, and a vest identifying it as a service animal. "Service animals are allowed, spoiled pets are not," I groaned.

"Mr. Perfikins is my emotional support."

I lost it. I never lost it on Mrs. Teal or Mr. Perfikins. I was stern, I was professional, but I had never lost it before.

"That's bullshit and you know it. If that little rat dog of yours was a service animal, he would be trained to not bark at everyone and everything. Get out, and don't come back. I am so tired of having this argument with you time and time again." "Fine," she said in a huff," I'll just get my order and leave. And if you think I'm ever coming back-"

"No," this time I was barking too. "You are leaving. There is no order, there is no next time."

Keeping my eyes on her, I opened the door and waited for her to step out. "You need to leave now."

Mitch stared at me from the sidewalk. "You need me to remove someone?"

I looked at him and then turned my gaze back to Mrs. Teal. "I don't know, do I?" I asked her.

With a great deal of blustering and 'I Nevers,' she stormed through the open door. Adrenaline was still high in my veins when Mitch stepped in and then I closed the door behind us.

I was greeted with applause from the few people at the tables, and those waiting at the counter.

"Thank you, I was concerned her dog was going to lunge for Shavers here," the person the service dog was with said.

"Well, Shavers is a good boy. He didn't budge."

"That's what hundreds of hours of training get you. Thanks again."

"I haven't seen you that worked up over anything in a long time," Mitch said.

I shrugged and suddenly remembered my cupcakes. "Shit," I bit out and then ran to the kitchen.

I pulled open the oven and began reaching for a pan.

Mitch physically pulled me back, preventing me from touching anything. "What the hell, Gabby?"

I blinked up at him, angry for stopping me. And then realization dawned across my addled brain. He had just saved me from wrapping my bare hand around three-hundred-degree metal.

All the adrenaline left my body in a rush. And with it, it took any wherewithal I had to maintain being a somewhat functional adult with it.

I collapsed against Mitch in tears. Something I hadn't done in years. He pulled me back to the chair in my office area and sat me down. He handed me a tissue.

"What's got you so upset? It wasn't that woman and her little dog. There is something else going on here. I know you kid. Don't tell me it's nothing."

I sniffed and blew my nose. I had never felt so completely stupid. I almost burned myself. I was so flustered from having to kick someone out and then banning them from ever coming back.

I lifted my eyes to Mitch, he sat on the edge of my desk waiting for me to talk when I was ready. I wasn't ready. I shook my head.

"I've been distracted lately," I managed.

"Sure, right. I've seen you distracted, and this isn't it. I've also seen you broken-hearted. Nathan didn't break up with you again, did he? Good riddance if he did. That man isn't good enough for you. I always thought he was trying to hide something." "I don't want to talk about Nathan."

"Ah, Gabby. I hate being right," Mitch stood, and then crouched down in front of me so he was below my eye level. "You deserve better than that guy. He's just some rich asshole playing down here-"

"If you're going to talk about Nathan, you can follow Mrs. Teal and her stupid dog out the front door," I snapped. "I told you, I don't want to talk about Nathan."