place, but the more I'm out and about in town, the more I'm liking it. It reminds me of one of those towns from old TV sitcoms where everything is lovely and nothing bad ever happens, which is great because that's exactly what I need to happen with this business.
I pull at my tank top and push my hair out of my face before walking into the coffee shop. Andrew's not here yet, but I order and have a seat while I wait for my chai. The sun streams through the window and feels warm on my face, so I rock back in the rickety chair and close my eyes. For a few seconds I breathe in the lovely coffee smells and listen to the making-latte sounds banging around behind me.
"Hey there."
I crack an eye open and scrunch my nose as I try to get a look at the guy standing in front of me. Suited up again, but this time in a classic looking navy blue tone, Andrew's hands are shoved into his pockets and he's smiling down at me.
"Oh, hey!" I sit up and almost stand, but then I wonder if I should shake his hand or give him a quick hug. Both feel awkward, so I decide on nothing, drop my butt the inch back down into the chair, and pull my shoulders up to my ears, unsure of what to do next.
"Sixteen ounce Chai," the barista calls.
Having just awkwardly sat, I stand up all the way, smile at Andrew, and go grab my cup. I wait with him while he orders an Americano. After he pays, we stay close to the counter and our eyes meet.
"So." I rock back and forth on the balls of my feet.
"Good to see you again."
"You, too."
"So Kaylee worked out okay?"
I nod. "Thanks again." Then I stay silent for a second and narrow my eyes.
"What?"
"Well, what's her story anyway?" I say it carefully and smile, not wanting him to think I'm being unprofessional, but really needing more information.
Andrew shrugs. "She's kind of had a hard time of things, especially lately, but she's got a good heart."
I bite my lip, definitely not wanting to come off catty or unappreciative. "That I could tell." I smile. "Her past employers just raved about her."
He clears his throat and his eyebrows jump up as the barista finishes his drink and hands it to him over the counter. He holds a hand open toward the door. "Shall we?"
I nod and lead the way out onto the sidewalk. After a quick check left and right to make sure the one-car-per-five-minutes that drives by here isn't coming, we walk across the street toward the waterfront park. Heck, maybe it would be easy to mistake this place for an island. There sure is a lot of water. We walk slowly along the winding path that follows the bank.
"She interviewed well, then?" Andrew asks after a few moments of silence.
I nod, but then turn it into a side-to-side deal.
He stops. "Okay, what does that mean?"
"Well..." I scrunch my mouth to the side. I don't want to offend him, Kaylee being his client and all, but I guess I would want to know were I in his shoes. "Her resume looked great and all, but she just didn't seem to -- know... much." I squint as I eek out the last, hardest part.
Andrew runs his hand over his chin and nods. "Yeah, I've tried to work on that with her." He shakes his head and looks out at the water. Then he puts his hand out. "I hope once she settles into the position you'll find that your opinion changes."
I nod. "Sure. We totally figured it was nerves."
"I don't want you to think I've saddled you with some nightmare or anything."
"Oh! Not at all." I shake my head vehemently, if not only to cover up the fact that it was exactly what I was worried about. My stomach settles a bit.
"Good." He smiles.
There's a bench to the left of the path and he motions to it, a question written on his face. I nod and watch him, still trying to figure out the purpose of this meeting. Even though I know I'm not interested in a relationship, I still find myself wondering what he's thinking. (You know, so I don't lead him on or anything, of course.) Is this meeting purely Kaylee related? Are we two associates talking about a