A Guide to Being Just Friends(13)

“Groomed?” Who was this man?

“I have degrees in computer science, engineering, and cybersecurity.”

Her jaw dropped. “Degrees?”

“Yes. I graduated young. I liked learning so I did as much as I could. What do you think of the site?”

Quick change. She couldn’t blame him. The tension filling the air when he spoke about his dad was tangible.

“It’s perfect. Truly. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. It was fun.”

“I should pay you.”

He shook his head. “Nope. It was my apology.”

“Your apology was your apology.”

He chuckled. “Okay. It’s a favor for a friend. How about that?”

She hated the favor part. She hated owing people. But the friend part felt too nice to wreck the moment. She didn’t even realize they were staring at each other until her heart pinched. Like it was warning her of something. Whatever passed between them must have caught him off guard as well if the hitch in his breath was anything to go on.

She pointed at one of the options. “I don’t know if I should advertise delivery.”

She really wanted to but she definitely wasn’t ready to hire employees who could cover the store.

“That page can stay hidden until you can offer it. You know, you could offer deliveries during a one-hour opening. If you only offer three spots, it would increase demand.”

Checking the time, she realized they’d chatted and he’d worked most of the afternoon. She went to the door, turned the sign to CLOSED. “I’ll think about it. I’d really like to increase my in-store clientele first.”

“That’s fair. Did you get business cards made?” He stood, stretched.

“Since yesterday?”

He stared at her like he didn’t think that was asking the impossible.

She rolled her eyes. “No. Not yet.”

“You should.”

She stopped herself from sticking her tongue out at him and saying “duh” like one of Piper’s kids. “I know.”

“You’ve got a good logo. It’s fun and easily transferrable to shirts, mugs, and other merchandise if you choose to go that route. You’re in a touristy area so that’s a definite option.”

Did he just have all of these ideas kicking around in the back of his brain? “Again, I need to increase my customer base.”

“Flyers are a simple and effective way to spread the word.”

She could print them herself.

“Have you looked at Facebook ads?”

Her spine straightened. “Not yet.”

He frowned. “It’s important even if you have limited funds.”

Pushing away from the counter, she stared at him a minute before letting out a frustrated groan. “Okay. Thank you. That’s a lot of ideas and examples of what I’m not doing. But I’ve been a little busy. I’m on my own and funds are limited.”

He reached over and closed the laptop. He cleared his throat, stared at the counter. “It’s a lot. It can be overwhelming.”

A new kind of tension pushed against her rib cage. He knew what he was doing, had done it before, according to what he’d said. He was just offering advice.

“Sorry for being defensive.”

He finally looked at her again. “It’s your business. People say it’s not personal, but it is.”

She nodded, a lump forming in her throat. It was definitely personal. “Thank you for all your help. You have a week of salads on the house.”

“Not necessary but thank you. Let me know if you have any trouble with the website. It’s live now and as things change you can update it.”

She’d need to google how to do that. “Perfect. Heading home to delete your dating profiles?”

His grin did a weird thing to her stomach, made it feel like she was on a trampoline. Fortunately, he’d just irritated her so she was able to ignore it.

“The exciting night of a bachelor. I think I’ll just stay away from them for now. How about you?”

“I’m going to go home and look up business cards.”

His laughter surprised her. “Good idea. I’ll see you soon, Hailey.”

She locked up after him, went back to her laptop, and played on her website. It looked fantastic. She had a lot to do and think about but didn’t want to go home. She wanted cake. And knew someone who loved it every bit as much as she did.

It was quiet next door, just a few tables with customers.

“Hey,” Tara said when she got to the counter.

“Hi.” Hailey had only spoken to her a couple times. Now that she knew the connection between Stacey, Everly, and Tara, she was even more determined to make a good impression. “I’ve heard great things about your chocolate cake,” Hailey said. The coffee shop was open much later than Hailey’s. She’d gone with demand and decided, for now, eleven to six was plenty.

“It’s got a reputation. Who’d you hear it from?”

“Wes.”

Her smile widened. “Ahh. He’s such a sweetie. You want a piece?”

Maybe Wes should try asking out someone he knew in real life. “Two actually.”

As she stepped around one of her baristas, not the bored one from last week, Tara grabbed a pair of tongs. “I’ve been meaning to stop by your place but things have been so hectic. There’s a San Verde Shop Association meeting next week. We have one a month. We also have a Facebook group and an email chain. It helps all of us keep up to date with what’s happening. Sometimes we organize sales and specials. I thought you’d like to know.”