Mr. Mouthful

2. Josh-2

All I could think about as I jogged the few blocks to the coffee shop was how I would fail miserably. My stomach was in knots and I nearly tripped twice on the way. The sidewalks were ancient, many with exposed tree roots pushing through the concrete and bricks. After catching myself the second time I decided to walk. Couldn’t get paid with broken hands.

When I opened the door, no one was there, but Sneaky and Luke. It was only 9:30 in the morning.

“So, has it been dead like this all morning?” I asked as Luke passed me a latte. Sneaky was smirking, which had me worried.

“No, it was steady until five minutes ago. Either classes at VCU started, or they saw you coming.” Sneaky giggled, then patted the seat beside her. “I need to talk to you about something important. Sit.”

“Watch out boss.” Luke winked and walked into the kitchen.

Damn, I thought business had been good. Almost every time I was here, which had been most of the time since the symphony hadn’t started, we’d been steady. Sneaky knew a lot more about the restaurant business than I did.

“Is something wrong? I thought business was booming?” I asked nervously.

“Oh no, business is great. We’re over plan for the week already, and if this keeps up, we will definitely have to hire someone to help out. No, this is personal stuff.” Sneaky sipped her coffee, then picked up her phone and started swiping.

“Thank God, you had me scared for a second.” I glanced at my watch and realized I should have been in the shower five minutes ago. “Sneaky, I have to get ready for work. Will this take long?”

“No, one more second.” She swiped at her phone once more and handed it to me. “What do you think of him?”

Hell, she was trying to set me up again. I bit my lip to keep from laughing as I gazed at the picture on the screen. Hmm, for once I actually found the dude attractive. He had shoulder-length, wavy blond hair, blue eyes, and full lips spread into a gentle smile. Oh, and nice dimples too. Usually the men she tried to set me up with were way too good looking, or stuck up suits I’d have nothing in common with. For a goth girl she hung out with a lot of preppy men. I preferred the artsy type.

“As much as I appreciate it…”

“His name is Bradley, and he teaches sculpture at VCU. He’s 34, stable, and as far as I know he has a clean criminal record.” She was practically bouncing up and down next to me.

“So tell me, how do you know he doesn’t have a secret criminal past?” Good God, Sneaky would say anything to set me up.

“Oh, come on, give him a chance. He’s super sweet, and easy on the eyes too. I think he has a big dick.” She rubbed my shoulder and pursed her lips.

I spat my coffee out laughing. An image of her spying on the men’s locker room at the Y danced in my head.

“He sounds enticing, but I have to get ready for work and I’m running late as it is.” I went behind the counter and found a rag to clean up the mess I made. After I rinsed it in the sink, I glanced up to see a frown on Sneaky’s face, and the knot in my stomach grew larger. Damn it, she did go to a lot of trouble, what with spying on him in the locker room and doing criminal background checks.

“Come upstairs and talk to me while I get ready.” I sighed, then pulled her up from her seat. What the hell, I had nothing to lose. Who knew, maybe one of her matchmaking attempts would work out for a change.