After Grammy and Aidan were done with their water and cookies, they proceeded to pay and leave.

Aidan was babbling all about how Sawyer had swooped in and helped his grammy while they were crossing a busy street. Sawyer had taken one look at Aidan's tired grammy and his hungry tummy and drove right back to the cafe. And voila! He met his ultimate superhero sidekick—or sidekicks—Machu and Pichu.

Grammy shook her head with a smile as she watched her grandson ruffling Pichu's fur.

"He's just excited for his birthday tomorrow. His parents are out of town for work so it gets lonely around for the poor boy."

"Ooh, birthday! I love birthdays! Hopefully, his parents will be there to celebrate too." Sawyer plastered on his best charming grin and I frowned.

What the heck was he cooking up right now?

Lui's eyes sparkled as he caught on something and cleared his throat.

"Yeah. There'll be his friends and other guests, I guess. I'm sure you managed a lovely venue for his big five."

"Six, actually," Grammy offered a warm smile. "And no. I had no time. His parents have tight schedules, unfortunately. So, we're keeping it humble in our home."

It seemed I had an idea of what these boys were doing.

"That's great," I chimed in with a smile. "But I think he deserves a party where he'll feel the happiest. After all, six is an important milestone in his life."

Sawyer's golden eyes jumped back to me and that intense look and tilted lips did something to my ever-fluttering stomach. The odd flash of pride in them was unmistakable.

Grammy let out a thoughtful hum. "I thought so too. But most local halls are either already booked or above our budget. So, home is the coziest option for us right now."

"That's sad. Aidan deserved better, though." Sawyer shook his head, the subtle mask of sorrow in his eyes made me a little too real at the moment.

Was that a true emotion or a ploy to lure in a potential client? This trick of relating to customers was something my saleswoman job had taught me early on and Sawyer was a master. So, I didn't know what to make of it.

"He does." She offered him a solemn nod. "But there's nothing we can't."

"If you want..." I glanced at Sawyer who smirked wider. "We can host the party on his behalf. Right here."

Grammy stiffened for a second before slumping her shoulders. "That's very thoughtful of you but—"

"Don't worry about the budget. The party's on the house. On his honor. " Lui winked at Aidan who gaped his mouth at the mention of the party.

Grammy still seemed wary. "Still... Aidan may not like—"

"Party! Here? Yaaaay! You hear that Red, we're having my birthday party here! With you guys! Aren't you excited!"

Grammy looked at me with tired eyes and I shrugged with a helpless smile.

"Well, the boy had spoken."

Grammy sighed. "Alright. I'll talk to my son and his wife. Let's see what they say."

A giddy feeling bloomed in my heart.

"Of course. So, let's share our numbers then. You know, for final confirmation?"

Grammy offered a curt smile and we exchanged our number. After that, she left with a teary-eyed Aidan who was eyeing Machu, and Pichu with puffed cheeks and pouty lips—already growing so attached to them.

Lui, Sawyer, Freddy, and I let out loud breaths.

This was a hot flirting with fate. Confirmation of this invitation guaranteed the presence of a crowd and a chance to impress them. Denial would lead to a lack of customers and a possible failure in the food inspection. And right now, we were running on thin eyes. Very, very thin eyes.

***

For the rest of the day, we waited biting our nails for a call from Aidan's Grammy or Bella as she liked to call herself.

Afternoon turned into late afternoon.

Late afternoon became evening.

The evening was falling on the verge of night.

And still, there was no call from her.

"There's no party tomorrow guys and clearly no customers. Let's pack up."

I did not even have the energy or answer to counter Lui. What could I say? Bella was reluctant for this pro bono birthday bash from the start, and with the current reputation of the cafe, we'd be glad that she had even considered giving this prospect a chance.

"Yeah, I think it's best. We have an inspection tomorrow." Laura sighed and stood up from a stool near the counter.

She had been smiling and offering hopeful words to the ever-frowning Lui ever since she heard about Grammy and the possible party.

Freddy had gone to out house to take care of Machu Pichu.

Lui was putting the display items out in a cardboard box. He would take them out and feed a group of homeless just around the block. Laura had told me so but Lui would never admit.

He wanted everyone to believe he dumped these wasted goods in garbage cans every night before closing up. It was better than keeping the food items in the freezer and wait for the rare sight of customers the next day.

Sawyer was typing something on the laptop with pursed lips and a slight frown—must have been cooking up new strategies.

I checked the responses on the social media posts. As usual, no lacking in the likes, comments, and shares department.

Machu Pichu were a fan fave. Many aww-ed and coo-ed for them, showed interest in visiting and petting them. If only they could just come in real life.

I let out a soft breath and leaned back to stretch my stiff arms. My fingers popped, bones cricked, neck twisted backward and sideways, and I caught a glimpse of Sawyer.

Those honey-gold eyes seemed to blaze brighter as they stared at me. They left invisible hot traces on my throat, jaw, and lips, before finally settling on my eyes.

His lips curved in a thin smirk when he found me watching him. His gaze dropped back to my lips and my skin tingled for the next three seconds. Because that was the duration his eyes were staring at my lips before he moved away and focused back on his screen.

As much irresistibly arrogant as he seemed while checking me out, I still caught the subtle bob of his throat twice afterward as he typed away on the laptop.

I smiled and went back to replying some of the comments on my posts.

Not so invincible, huh?

I was in the middle of thanking a guy for showing his interest in Machu's yellow slit eyes when Lui's phone blared out.

The whole cafe seemed to jump at the sound as Lui scrambled to pick up the call.

"Hello? Yes, Mrs. Grahamson. Okay, Bella, yes. Yeah. Mhm. Alright. Thanks for calling, Bella, good night."

Pin-drop silence greeted Lui the second he dropped the call and looked at us with a somber look.

Oh no. We didn't get it, did we?

I eyed the rest of the people present there, even Freddy, who had joined us sometime during the call.

"Okay, guys. Aidan's getting a Superman-themed birthday. Here. Now scramble. We got a party to plan."

After that, we seemed to be turbo-touring from one shop to another.

Flowers, balloons, and props were my duties.

Renting sound system, lighting, and tech stuff was Sawyer's.

Laura, Lui, and Freddy would handle the kitchen.

That night, we were in the cafe right past two A.M. decorating and preparing cake—well, Freddy and Lui were baking it.

Laura fumbled with the cake decoration but somehow managed to piece together a mouthwatering, delish masterwork with the Superman logo and a Superman made of cereal and fondant front and center.

Around three A.M., we finally packed up and dragged our tired asses to Winters residence, and just before I could drop my head into pillow, my mind buzzed with an insane idea.

My droopy eyes snapped open and I fumbled with my phone. The words were getting blurry, the screen light woozy, and I dropped the phone twice on my face in the last two minutes. But the giddy smile on my face never wavered. Not once.

***

The next morning, we stepped into the cafe earlier than usual and began sprinkling some last-minute touches to make our magical Superman-themed birthday bash sparkle.

The party isn't until afternoon so we still had the time, the inspection will happen at three so hopefully we'd have enough audience to witness the big green check.

I was done with the decoration, now my job was to keep Machu and Pichu busy in the yard so they didn't get inside the cafe and play 'shred it' with every decorative item—especially, the big cardboard poster of Superman on a pedestal in the corner.

I was sitting on the grass, scrolling through social media posts and watching Machu Pichu chase after a poor squirrel through the yard when Sawyer's sound box beeped long for a few seconds. 

His raspy, deep voice husked a few 'hello's to check its function.

I ignored the strange flutters in my belly and focused on the delicious smells of bacon, lemon, and coffee from the kitchen window.

Freddy, Lui, and Laura were strong-arming the kitchen and did I mention, they hired some extra chefs? Not only them but busboys, a hostess, and an entire serving team from their contacts just for today.

It really looked like a cafe at this moment. Albeit, without customers...yet.

By the time afternoon rolled in, the serving staff and we had our meal, and we were waiting for the guests to arrive.

At exactly one thirty, people walked inside our cafe, both from our guest list and out of it - the result of my last minute madness.

Yes, I invited them to today's party online because, well, who didn't like parties and extra crowd and maybe some extra cash too? That last bit was totally for me, though.

Honestly, I didn't expect them to actually show up. I mean, we invited people to our cafe thousands of times before and no one bothered to visit. Then what compelled them to come today?

My bet was on the curiosity. People wanted to see who would dare do the unthinkable and host a party in our God-shunned cafe? And, well, it paid off in the end. I mean, just look at them.

Their gaze wandered around at the red, golden, and blue-themed decor. We spared no expense with our ride-or-die festival in our Cafe de la Winters. This was literally our last chance to save this place, after all.

Our catering and serving teams were on a roll the second the hostess seated our guests. Their merry chatter filled the air as Lui barked orders at the chefs from the kitchen.

I caught Laura wiping a discreet tear before she smiled brightly and took orders from the customers at the counter. Two other assistants helped her manning the display.

I hadn't seen Freddy out since the last time he dumped himself in the kitchen.

Sawyer was his usual charming self—smirking and sweeping guests, especially ladies, off their feet, as well as occasionally throwing in discreet punchlines to promote our cafe.

And me? Well, my duty entailed chaperoning two royal highnesses on their stroll through the cafe grounds. Machu Pichu were literal fan favorites among most of the guests. Their upturned noses, damn-care stares, and fluffing tails had wrapped these people in their puny paws. Literally.

I just had to intervene occasionally to distract them from going anywhere near the counter and the kitchen and bam. We got a hit show.

Aidan and his family arrived another half an hour later. His squeal was the loudest as his gleaming eyes took in the glittery Superman poster and his two favorite cats lounging beside it for the moment.

He pushed past his parents and rushed to wide-eyed Machu Pichu who squeaked simultaneously the second Aidan hugged them.

"I missed you! Did you miss me?" Aidan put down those wriggling furballs and placed them on his lap before cooing at them.

I chuckled, shaking my head, and turned to see our hostess, Ray, greeting Aidan's stiff smiling parents and grammy to a table. She led them away from the crowd to a corner reserved for the family.

A waiter approached them and took their order—a special service for the party guests and those who didn't feel comfortable standing in the line and ordering.

When he left, I walked to the family with my best professional smile.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Mirasol Hayes from the management staff. Hope you've settled well. Is everything to your liking so far?"

The brunette in a beige sundress, Aidan's mother maybe, offered a small smile. "Yes, everything is perfect. Thank you."

"Yes, good," The dark-haired man in a black suit, Aidan's father, nodded. "Although, I'd have preferred a more upscale arrangement for the celebration, Mother spoke highly of this place despite its...reputation."

I barely saved my faltering smile before pulling my lips back up. "Of-Of course. Thank you for giving us a chance. We promise not to disappoint you."

"And we plan to keep it," Sawyer chimed in from my side, offering them his greasy sweet smile with a hint of an edge. "I'm Sawyer Ronnes, her partner. Nice to meet you. Mr. Jacob, VP of Queens Dairy, right?"

"Yes. Likewise." They shook hands in a stuffy jerk I was all too familiar with—the signature boardroom enemies sharing hand germs.

Sawyer dropped his hand and moved to the brunette, his smile turning a notch softer.

"And you must be Helen? The proud mother of a cute son? I've read your articles on interior design. Very insightful."

"Thanks." She smiled a shy smile, either for the compliment or for the man who delivered that compliment.

Anyway, I had no business feeling the burn inside me. Nope. It was pure business. I had done this before too.

"Now, Mrs. Bella. How are you?" Sawyer's smile grew more endearing as he looked at Aidan's grandmother. "No more adventures on the sidewalks?"

She let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, none, unfortunately. Day is boring."

"And we gotta change that soon. Anyways, we'll let you guys off the hook now. Enjoy and let us know if you need anything, okay?"

"Yes, have fun," I nodded. "The cake will be coming out shortly."

They offered smiles—a notch looser now than before—and we turned around to leave.

"Sawyer the Savior?" I mumbled low when we got away a little far.

"At your service." He winked, lowering his head a little.

Nope. My heart did not just flutter.

"I could've managed, you know."

"And let that blotchy-nosed douche insult you and our cafe?" He shrugged.

I shook my head at him with a smile.

This man was really something else.

Just then my eyes caught a man in a gray button-down walking inside the cafe.

His green eyes were intense as he looked around with pursed lips.

Sawyer noticed him too and so did Laura. She whispered something close to her, sending her inside the cafe, before Laura crossed the counter and walked to him.

"Mr. Terrence, welcome. Please come with me." She ushered him to the kitchen with a jittery smile and flighty steps.

I frowned and shared a glance with Sawyer before we followed them.

We were just about to cross the kitchen threshold when we heard voices—Lui's were loudest even though he wasn't speaking over the hustle and bustle of chefs.

Freddy was flipping a pan on fire in a corner. His furrowed brows were solely focused on his sizzling goodies, although, I spotted him sneaking a look at the left side of the kitchen where Lui, Laura, and Mr. Terrence were hovering over a freezer machine.

Sawyer and I took place near a counter corner close to the door—I didn't know about him but my thoughts were on quicker escape if they saw us lurking around like creeps. This was, after all, their company's innermost matter.

However, Sawyer didn't share my views. After a couple more seconds of standing, he clicked his tongue and tugged at my elbow forward.

"What are you doing? Let go." I hissed, shaking my head in a frenzy.

Sawyer didn't bother with a response and pulled my frigid ass toward the trio now assessing a pack of frozen crab—well, Mr. Terrence was doing the assessing part while Laura talked.

"This is a fresh batch arrived just this morning." Laura smiled.

"For today's event?" Mr. Terrence raised his brows.

"Yes."

He offered a small hum and nothing else before moving toward the processing table behind him.

Two people were working on croissant doughs. One was shaping them and the other was pouring fillings into them.

"Both sweet and meat?" Mr. Terrence picked up the bowl full of savory, yum-smelling, pork filling, ignoring the chocolate one right beside it.

"We wanted to give options. Chocolate is our bestseller, by the way." Lui nodded.

"Or it was." Sawyer breathed low in my ear.

I glared at his smirk, ignoring the tingles on my skin.

Mr. Terrence gave the bowls a long, hard stare before putting the one in his hand down and turning around.

One by one, he visited the cooking counter, plating table, and brewing station. He took some of the roasted coffee powders and fiddled with them between his fingers for a while.

"This is from the finest roasted beans in our family farm." Laura offered.

As usual, Mr. Terrence zipped his lips and gave the kitchen a final once over.

"Let's see the other parts," his grave voice thrummed before he strode out of the kitchen.

Laura and Lui shared a worried glance with us before following him. Sawyer walked out after them while my back prickled.

I looked back and found Freddy frowning even harder now. There was a clear show of annoyance in his gaze with a subtle hint of fear.

Yeah, Freddy, I felt you.

I offered him a soft blink and something like a smile—hoping it was some sort of assurance well enough for him.

But who was I kidding? We all were on the chopping block today. One wrong slice and we were done. And I guess, Freddy knew that too because he pursed his lips and went back to flipping his bacon, his shoulders slumped shoulders never lifted.

At that moment, I felt like a selfish bitch. Because we all were rooting for the success of this place for our own gains. Laura and Lui for their legacy and company survival. Sawyer and I for our contract and secret schemes. We all had our reasons.

But that guy? He was here just because he loved this place, and nothing else.

And for his sake, I hoped Mr. Terrence would see value in this place and give us the green light. We might need this place to run but this cafe needed Freddy to breathe, and vice versa.

With one last glance at Freddy, I turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

The rest of the inspection tour went smoothly—well, as smooth as one could expect from Mr. Terrence the Stiff. However, the highlight of this event was him meeting the stars of our cafe—Machu and Pichu.

Both fur troubles were lounging in a corner, close to the tables of their cooing fans, when Mr. Terrence spotted them.

They were busy purring and swinging their tails to the peasants' touch as Mr. Terrence walked toward them. Machu noticed him and bothered with a meager glance before looking away.

Ha! Take that Mr. King of Stuffy.

Mr. Terrence did not even blink as I thought and much to my silent gasp, bent on one knee and patted Machu on the head.

Pichu watched the whole thing and meowed, issuing a silent order.

Mr. Terrence obeyed like a humble subject, brushing his fingers on Pichu's soft, silky coat, earning a satisfied purr from him.

And I had a hard time biting my lips.

Hoo boy! Even the great Terrence couldn't stop himself from surrendering before their feline highness. Wish I had my phone right now.

As though hearing my thoughts, Sawyer pushed his phone in my hand and pointed his chin toward the unfolding history.

I took a swift picture and bumped our thumbs while giving back his phone with a straight face.

After that, Lui and Laura offered Mr. Terrence a seat for tasting—an unofficial stage of inspection, probably. I wasn't so sure.

A waiter took his order and after a while, served him bite-sized platters of almost every item on the house.

The whole time he ate, he remained silent and typed something on his phone after finishing each dish. 

Laura and Lui did not speak but remained close, most certainly to offer any service he required.

After wiping his face with a napkin, Mr. Terrence nodded at the waiter taking away his empty platters, and stood up.

His gaze fell on me and he raised his brows as Sawyer and I hovered near his table.

I didn't know whether I should squirm or feel offended that he noticed us just now. But then, he was there for inspection, and judging by his people skill, it was safe to say that he was genuinely unbothered by our presence...until this moment. Nevertheless, I offered him my best professional smile and stepped forward.

"Hello, sir, I'm Mirasol Hayes from the marketing department and this is Sawyer Ronnes, my partner." I shook hands with him, earning a vague nod.

Sawyer was next. But his gaze held a hint of amusement as he looked at me before smiling and shaking hands with Mr. Terrence.

Mr. Terrence gave him the same nod and turned to Laura and Lui afterward.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Terrence. We're glad to show you our cafe." Laura smiled.

Lui nodded. "It was a pleasure."

Mr. Terrence strained his vocal cords in response with a barely there hum. "It's good. We'll send in the official feedback in a week. Thanks for having me, Mr. and Ms. Winters. Good day."

And that was it.

The great Mr. Terrence left us high and dry after that non-comment comment on our cafe. People wiggled and whispered around us. And I didn't dare to look at Laura and Lui behind us.

I couldn't.

Not after feeling like a fucking failure. Not when Sawyer's warm hand grasped me like I was the last straw in a drowning ocean.