The Barista’s Guide to The Perfect Steam by Valerie Pepper EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: Valerie Pepper
- Language: English
- Genre: Humorous Literary Fiction
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
JODI
A TRICKLE OF sweat makes its way down the center of my back as
steam from the frother billows into my face. I step back, wipe my
forehead with my arm, and keep moving. The early-March air that gusts in
with every swing of the door isn’t anywhere close enough to cool me off.
I shake cinnamon onto Mr. Steele’s latte. He keeps telling me to call
him Henry, but the man was my high school principal, so no way. I push the
drink to him and glance around the shop. The line isn’t getting any shorter,
which is good. Great, even. But it would be awesome if people could time
their need for caffeine in a pattern that made my mornings a little less
insane.
I’m grateful; don’t get me wrong. Of course I’m grateful. I’d have lost
the shop way before now if these customers weren’t lining up for their daily
dose.
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Actually, that’s the name of my shop: Daily Dose. I’ve owned it since I
was twenty-two, a whole five years. You know that saying ignorance is
bliss? Yeah, that was me. Blissfully ignorant, thinking how hard can it be to
run a coffee shop?
Ha.
It’s hard.
Suck the marrow from your bones hard. But deciding to buy this place
is the only time I’ve done anything entirely for myself, so I don’t mind the
work.
I hand Mr. Steele his coffee with a smile.
He takes the cup and lifts it in answer. “You talked to your sister lately?
How’s she been?”
I force my happy expression to remain. “Oh, she’s great. Living it up in
Nashville, chasing her dream of being the next big country music star.”
He grins as his eyes take on a faraway look. “Next time you talk to her,
tell her we still haven’t had a singer in the musicals as good as her since she
left.”
“Of course.” He leaves and I shove thoughts of my family down.
“Love of my life, sweetness and sunshine, your behind is so glorious
but could you please move.” Darius growls that last part at me.
I giggle and shimmy my glorious behind, as Darius so eloquently puts
it, out of the way. He’s my only full-time employee and he swears I pay him
a pittance, but I like to remind him that his goal is to be a published fantasy
author by age twenty-five, not a barista, and that usually shuts him up. For
about five seconds. The man was born to talk.
“New flare?” I ask.
He flashes me a pleased grin and points to the new pin on his apron, TV
hostess style. It’s a Pride flag, joining a collection of buttons and pins big
enough to make your head spin. “Gotta support my people,” he says and
winks.
We move around each other, a dance borne from years of barista
choreography, and keep the line moving.
“Mrs. Withers!” I beam at the crotchety old lady as she steps up to the
counter. “Your usual?”
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