Tamina

My brows furrow as my eyes swing toward the clock. "I'm five minutes early?"

"Not good enough, do you know how busy it's been?" She waves her hands around before flipping her hair. "I've been up to my neck in dirty cups and orders!"

Inspecting the room, there's only a few customers occupying the seating areas, and my head slowly nods. "I'll make sure to be ten minutes early next time."

"That's better, now there are tables that need cleaning, and Mrs Chan over there wants her hazelnut latte asap."

"What are you going to be doing?" I mutter.

"What was that?" she snaps, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing, I'll do it now."

I want to go home.

Jasmine keeps a watchful eye on me as I finish up the remaining dirty tables, and then her view shifts onto her pink mobile clasped between her fingers. A huff comes from me, and my brain tries to forget how she smirked at the sight of my red mark, and the sly comments she made afterword. Next shift, she won't be in, and I'll be alright to let my hair down.

"So, who hit you? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, and it's none of your business," I grumble, handing a customer their change before wishing them a good afternoon.

She scoffs. "Kill joy."

The bell above the door jingles, and it's enough to cut the tension between us. Instinctively readying myself with a smile, bracing myself for another customer interaction since Jasmine looks as if engaging with people is the last thing she wants to do. When my eyes raise to see who it is, my body locks into place. His icy irises pin me down from across the room with ease as he strolls through the space until he's standing in front of me.

"Hello again, Miss Rovers."

I'm still unable to comprehend how and why he's here since he left after we did.

Perhaps he isn't like Brandon's family where they prefer their own cups of coffee.

Turning my gaze away for a moment, my words embarrassingly come out as a stammer. "I-it's Tamina, and hello again, Mr Aventail."

He chuckles, waving a dismissive hand. "Please, just Lucius; Mr Aventail was my father."

Fretting my lower lip between my teeth, my eyes settle on the counter. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a man grab a coffee?" he muses.

My cheeks tinge. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I just thought people of high class don't come to mundane places like this."

"A lot of us aren't like his family. I rather enjoy a public coffee, you never know who you might meet," he explains.

I'm about to respond when a giggle interrupts me.

"Why, hello there," Jasmine beams, making sure to push in front of me. "My name's Jasmine, welcome to the café! What can I get you?"

His eyes remain on mine, and slowly they turn to her. "I'm talking with her."

Jasmine laughs, cocking her hip against the counter as she side eyes him. "Oh, honey," she drawls, "don't talk to this one if I were you." As if sensing me for the first time since she started talking, her eyes harden a fraction. "Don't you have work to do?"

Gritting my teeth, my head inclines in acknowledgement.

"Oh, yeah?" he asks, humour lacing his tone, and my heart hardens along with my eyes. "Pray tell."

Brushing past her, I hear her say, "She's a bit ditsy, if you catch my meaning. And she's full of trouble if you didn't notice that slap mark."

Lucius's eyes are quick to meet mine as I come from behind the counter, and his lip curls as he leans his forearms on the counter. "Tamina, stay where you are. Jasmine, right?"

Jasmines eyes brighten as her head bobs. "Yeah, that's right."

"Did you want to know why she got that slap?" He grins, eyes bright. When she nods, he continues, "My half-sister is a money grabbing whore, who couldn't handle the fact that the man she wanted knows when there's someone better in front of him." His hand settles on hers and he leans closer, and whatever he says next goes unheard by me, but judging by the look on her face and how she runs off, it wasn't nice.

"Come here, sweetheart."

My feet hesitate and stay put. "Please don't call me that."

"Is that because of what Brandon said earlier?" My lips remain sealed and he chuckles. "It must be a coincidence."

Rounding the counter again, my eyes are everywhere but on him. "Look, I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm not meant to be talking to you."

Lucius lets out a low chuckle. "Let me guess, Brandon warned you not to talk to me?"

Instead of answering his question, I fire my own, "Is there anything I can get you, Lucius?"

His eyes flick around the shelf behind me before they meet mine again. "What do you recommend?"

Oh, he's good. Damn him.

"Hot or cold?"

His lip twitches. "Cold, it's starting to get hot."

Holding back the flush, my eyes drop to my fingers on the till. "I can suggest the caramel frostino, if you like those sorts of things."

"One of those, please." He fishes out a ten-pound note before extending it toward me, and when I'm about to take it, he pulls it back. "Can I have coffee in it?"

My head bobs in response, and I'm finally allowed to take the note, but he makes sure our fingers brush, and my mind shoots to Brandon. Pulling away, I'm about to offer his change but he tells me to keep it, and so it's left in the till.

Without a word on my part, I'm whizzing around to make his beverage. Letting out a deep breath, I pour the contents in the cup before topping it off with caramel, cream, and the lid. Sliding it across the counter along with the straw, I say, "Have a good afternoon."

I'm about to turn around when his hand grips my wrist. Raising a brow at him is the only thing I'm able to do since I know my voice will come out unnerved. As if knowing this, he lets go slowly. "You should get a new job."

"Why?"

Lucius stares at me for what feels like forever until his brows soften a fraction. "Why do you think? You can do so much better than here, especially with staff like her," he explains. "Isn't there anything you prefer to this?"

Knowing the best option is to keep silent, but full-blown ignoring people doesn't sit right with me. And it's not like he's asking something rude of me.

"I've never paid it any thought, but I'll bear it in mind," I answer half-heartedly, knowing the problem can easily be resolved with a quick word with Charlie.

"Very well, but one piece of advice before I go."

Sighing, I nod for him to carry on, and his eyes brighten playfully, and it sends a weird feeling through me.

"Watch Brandon; he's not entirely like you think he is. I've seen your type, and I don't think his kind are right for you."

"What 'type' do you think I am?" I fire back. "And what do you mean?"

Lucius chuckles. "Easy, tiger. I just meant you'd prefer someone sweet, someone who would roll over. . . but then again," he wonders, "maybe you're not. You are quite different from the women I've met—"

"Please get to the point," I state, crossing my arms.

"As you wish. Brandon likes control, and he will get possessive, especially over things he finds rare and beneficial to him," he divulges. "He loves secrets."

Narrowing my eyes, I ask, "And what kind of man are you?" That's the only response I've got because nothing else comes to me.

"I don't get jealous enough to be possessive."

"And why is that?" I push, hating how he's poking his nose into my business and cornering me into getting the answers he wants.

His lip curls up dangerously at the corner. "Because I'm a man who knows how to fight for what he wants." Scanning behind me, his eyes settle on me as he takes a step back. "Although, that piece of advice is going to cost you."

My eyes widen as his words sink in, and judging by the smirk, he knows it to, and he's got me.

Brandon's not going to be happy about this.

"W-what do you want?"

Taking a minute, even by going as far as making a slow drag cross his jaw with his fingers, he grins. "I guess you'll have to do something for me, you'll know all in good time, tiger."

With that, he takes a step back and turns to stroll out of the café.