Read Love And Coffee: A Cup Of Grace Romance Series Book 1 for Free Online

Matt just to make conversation.
    “I’ve applied to a couple of different places.  Nothing solid though,” he said before taking a swallow of his root beer.
    I had placed myself strategically right next to him on the step. “Well, I’m sure something will come up soon.  I wonder if the Tribune is hiring?”
    “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it,” he said as he studied the can of soda in his hand.
    “Is everything okay?” I asked after he was quiet for a minute.
    “Oh sure,” he said, looking up at me and smiling.  “You know, just kind of feeling lost.  I really hadn’t expected the layoff.”
    “Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said softly.  The layoff was a huge blow.  I had thought I would work at the paper for, well, forever.  Oh yeah, people always say that there aren’t any forever jobs anymore, but somehow I had thought that I was well liked and a good worker and that I would have a position there for as long as I wanted.  Silly me, I guess.
    “But cheer up buttercup, we’ll make out okay.  You’ll see,” he said, brightening.
    I smiled.  “I’m sure we will,” I said and smiled back. 
    If the girls and I could make that coffee shop work, then things would turn out very well.  But we had no business experience.  None of us did.  And it would have been nice to have had some experience.  At least one of us.  I sighed, determined to pray this thing out before jumping in head first.

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER SIX
     
     
     
                  So there I was, at Java Juice sitting across the table from Matt, and staring into his eyes.  Did I tell you I could do that all day and never get tired of it?  Well I can.  I’m quite certain of it.  I know, I know, I was starting to build something up in my mind before I even had any indication at all from him that he was interested.  But I mean, why wouldn’t he be interested?  I was cute.  In a very serious, scholarly sort of way.  But lots of guys loved that.  Not any I had met in the past six months, but that’s beside the point.  Of course, Kathryn and Jillian were also sitting at the table, so it wasn’t like it was a date or anything.  At least not yet.
                  “Did Tara tell you?” Jillian said excitedly to Matt.
                  “Tell me what?” he asked, stirring his coffee.  Today he had chosen a double shot espresso.  An astute choice.  Not one I would have made, of course, I liked my coffee lighter and sweeter.  Like me.
                  “About our new adventure.  I can’t believe you didn’t tell him!” she said, looking at me.
                  “We’ve decided to do it,” I said proudly.
                  “And what would it be?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.
                  “Become our own bosses.”
    He looked at me curiously.
    “Become proprietors of our own coffee shop.”
    “Oh,” he said.  Only he kind of drew the word out.  Like he wasn’t quite sure what his reaction should be.
    “Well, it’s a great idea, right?”  I said.  “I mean, no more fear of more layoffs.   Ever.”
    “That’s true,” he said slowly.  “Have you ever done anything like this before?”
    “Well, no.  We all pretty much started at The Daily News fresh out of college.  Although Jillian did sell stuff on eBay for a while before she got hired on,” I said, hoping it sounded more important than it was.  She had had some old DVDs, CDs, and books she wanted to unload for a few dollars after moving out of our dorm room.
    “I see,” was all he said and he went back to stirring his coffee with the little plastic stir stick thingy.  We would need to buy plenty of those for our shop.
    “Well, it’s a new adventure for all of us.  It will be fun!” I said enthusiastically.
    “Yeah, and with my excellent selling abilities that I learned from selling on eBay, we are going to be rich!” Jillian