you managed it at such short notice, but the security company is here already.’
He didn’t say anything and her scalp started to prickle with self-consciousness.
‘Rico?’ The self-consciousness turned into something more sinister. If this was one of Chris’s tricks... ‘I...if you didn’t organise for a new screen door and security system for me, you’d better let me know right now.’
She’d have to ring the agency to check this was all aboveboard.
Which was what she should’ve done in the first place! What on earth had prompted her to ring Rico? Because he’d made her feel cared for? Her throat burned. Hadn’t she learned her lesson?
‘The real-estate agent in charge of your block of units owes me a favour. I decided to call it in.’
She sagged.
‘I’m afraid it’ll mean a slight increase in your rent.’
She didn’t mind that in the least. ‘Well...’ She swallowed. ‘It was kind of you. I just...I wanted to thank you.’
‘I’m just protecting my investment. Did you get a chance to read through the contract?’
She sensed his efforts to distance himself and it made her frown. Not that she’d expected yesterday’s confidences to have made them bosom buddies or anything, but she’d developed friendships with all her other employers. She didn’t know why Rico should be any different.
But he was.
She recalled the dark fire in his eyes, the way his hands had clenched yesterday when he’d said he would make a difference. She suppressed a shiver.
‘I did read over the contract. I made an amendment.’
‘Which was?’
‘I’m not signing a two-year contract, Rico. I thought I’d made that clear. I changed it to twelve months.’
He didn’t say anything.
‘An oversight, no doubt.’
She wondered if he sensed her eye roll, because he suddenly chuckled and the sound filled her with warmth. ‘Believe it or not, it was an oversight. Even though I would like you to reconsider.’
And just like that she believed him. After all, she had an entire security company tramping through her house at this very moment to prove the man’s honour.
‘It’s just once I make a decision I like to get the ball rolling as soon as I can. I forgot to have that line changed.’
She reached out to trace the pattern on her teacup. ‘Why does this project mean so much to you?’ Why was this man so driven?
‘As soon as the café is up and running and I have the figures to prove its success, I can start canvassing for funds for additional cafés in other parts of the city.’
‘You want to run a chain of charity cafés?’
He blew out a breath. ‘Why not?’
She couldn’t think of a single reason. Except... ‘Don’t you ever stop for fun?’
He didn’t answer that, and she winced at how it must have sounded—like a come-on. Her nostrils flared. No personal questions! No curiosity! Curiosity was only one step away from interest, and she wasn’t interested. In any man. Full stop.
‘Are you busy today?’ The question shot out of him, as if on impulse, and suddenly she could imagine him without a tie. In fact...
She bared her teeth and cut off that line of thought.
‘I know you don’t officially start work until Monday, but I’d like to show you the premises we’ve organised and get your opinion on them.’
A tiny thread of excitement wormed its way through her—the first twinge of professional interest she’d felt since she’d been served with the papers informing her that Grandad’s will was being contested.
‘I’d really like that, Rico.’ It would be better than sitting around here, stewing about the will. ‘But the security company is here for another hour or so. At the moment I don’t feel comfortable letting someone else lock up for me.’
‘Of course not. And what about your car?’
‘The tyres are being replaced, quote, “sometime this morning”.’
‘But you’re free this afternoon?’
‘Free as a bird.’
‘Excellent. I can show you the café then, and maybe you could meet a couple of the trainees.’
Rico had certainly put together an interesting programme. ‘Where should I meet you?’
‘If you come to my office, say one-thirty, we can travel together.’
‘I’ll be there.’
‘And, Neen?’ he said, before she could ring off. ‘How did your dinner go last night? The one you were stressed about?’
Her stomach clenched and roiled, although it touched her that he’d remembered. Last night had been an unmitigated disaster and—
‘Neen?’
She shook herself and did what she could to inject humour into her voice. ‘Given the week I’ve had, it went exactly as expected.’
Utterly, utterly dreadfully.
‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ He was silent for several seconds. ‘Still, the week hasn’t been a complete loss. Don’t forget you did score an interesting job.’
Her lips lifted. ‘There is that,’ she agreed, before they rang off.
An ‘interesting job’, huh?
She sighed and poured herself another cup of tea. Time would tell, and even if it did prove true it didn’t make up for not being able to follow her heart’s desire and open her own café.
You didn’t apply for the job as consolation. You applied to stop yourself from moping and twiddling your fingers.
She pressed her hands together tightly. Hopefully soon enough she could put all her dreams into action. She stared up at the sky. ‘Fingers crossed, Grandad,’ she whispered.
* * *
‘We’ve been given these premises on a two-year lease for practically peanuts,’ Rico said as he unlocked the door to the Battery Point property.
‘How on earth did you manage that here?’ Neen breathed. ‘It’s almost waterfront, and just a couple of streets away from Salamanca Markets.’ She glanced up and down the street. ‘The rents around here are outrageous!’ She knew because she’d checked.
Rico just shrugged.
The man was a miracle worker. ‘You called in a favour, right?’ If he weren’t careful, he’d run out of those.
‘The owner of this property is the manager of a local dairy farm. I’ve promised him a lot of advertising—on the flyers announcing the café’s opening as well as on the menus.’
‘Good PR.’
Rico switched on the lights. ‘That’s what he thought.’
Neen took in the size of the generous front room, with its two lovely bay windows overlooking the street. It was a pity it didn’t have water views, although she supposed if it had he could have kissed his cheap rent goodbye.
‘Obviously I said we’d do whatever maintenance was necessary.’
There was certainly a lot of cleaning up to do.
‘What do you think?’
‘I think we can make this look charming. All it needs is a lick of paint and some elbow grease.’ She stepped back. ‘It