Coyote (Hawks MC Next Generation #1) - Lila Rose Page 0,1
many other food businesses and had the customers from the factories around us.
“Channa, baby, when are you going to agree to run away with me?” Amos asked after I gave him his usual—a sausage roll, pie, and donut. He was a man in his forties with a pot belly, beard, and wild greying hair. He loved to tease, but I knew he was harmless. He’d been a regular since we opened three years ago.
With a laugh, I shook my head. “I’ve told you a million times, Amos, I’d drive you crazy within a couple of days.”
“And I still don’t believe you.”
“I can’t risk it though. So grab your coffee from Denise and skedaddle.”
“One day, Channa, one day.” He winked and headed down to the end of the counter, where Denise was busy making coffees.
It took another half hour before the lunch rush died to a slower pace and I could relax a little without running all over the place to fill orders.
A chair scraped over the floor, which had me glancing that way. I wished I hadn’t because it was Cody rising from his chair.
My blood froze and stopped pumping through my body. At least that was what it felt like.
I fisted my hands at my sides, annoyed by my reaction. It wasn’t like he would remember me. Not like I did him. After all, it had been one incident. One small occasion.
Then why can’t I get it out of my head?
Why do I remember him like it was yesterday?
Why does he have to be so darn good-looking?
He tapped the table with his knuckles, saying something to the man he was sitting with, which made the other guy laugh. Cody grinned and my breath caught. I coughed and he happened to look my way.
With a noise in the back of my throat, I ducked down behind the counter to land on all fours.
“Shit,” I hissed. Now I look like a jack-in-the-box fool. Unless I didn’t get up off the floor. It looked like he was leaving, so I could stay down here and wait him out.
“Channa?” Denise said with humour in her tone.
I lifted my hand and pressed a finger to my lips to shush her. She rolled her eyes and called out her order.
The doors to the back opened. “Channa, what are you doing on the ground?” Stanley called.
Dear God, please take me to heaven now.
“I, ah, lost something.”
He snorted. “Well, get up. You look like a fool.”
Gee, thanks for pointing out the obvious.
As I stood, Stanley slipped around me to place a tray of cupcakes on the counter, and I quickly darted out through the doors.
“Girl, get back out here,” Stanley yelled. “I ain’t serving, since the last time I did you yelled at me.”
Closing my eyes, I ground my teeth together and drew in a deep breath through my nose. Turning, I stepped back into the front, saying, “That’s because the last time you served someone, you snapped at them to hurry up.”
He groaned, as if remembering that time. “They were taking forever.” He walked out the back again, mumbling under his breath.
I stepped back up to the counter and smiled at the customer. “Sorry about that. What can I get you?” I asked, but I didn’t hear what they said because Cody Marcus was at the door looking back at me. His friend said something, and Cody glanced at him to reply before shifting his gaze back to me for a second and then leaving.
As soon as he was out the door, I relaxed and got back to work, pushing the sight of him from my mind. I also hoped it would stay well away from my mind and that he never showed here again because I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
Maybe he didn’t remember that time, but I did, and it was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. The memory of it flashed through my mind.
“Channa, I don’t trust him,” Darla said, grazing her bottom lip with her top teeth in worry. We were sitting on the school oval at lunch talking quietly so our other friends didn’t hear, because I hadn’t shared with them that Ron Delian, the boy who was three years above me in year ten, who I had a crush on, had asked me to meet him in the gym after school. How he knew I was into him, I didn’t have a clue. Although, he could have seen me watching him a few million times. Even