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“No problem,” William said, putting his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll take care of it.”

Vanessa looked at him, confused.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Simple. I’ll start smearing her on social media,” William answered. “Lies, innuendo, rumors…by the time I get done with her, she’ll be fired from her job and will have to come work for you at La Vida Mocha.”

Vanessa laughed and pulled William in for a hug.

“Why don’t we call that Plan B?” she told him.

Chapter 18

The bell over the door to La Vida Mocha dinged as Megan pushed through at a little past one in the afternoon the next day. She briefly wondered if that bell’s sound was eventually going to become Pavlovian to her, triggering her to salivate every time she heard it because of the association between coming in here and kissing Vanessa.

Actually, if she was honest with herself, the smell of coffee was already having that effect on her. This morning, as she brewed some at home in her kitchen, the aroma made her drift off into la-la land recalling the feel of Vanessa’s lips and tongue. It had made her incredibly horny.

Speaking of Vanessa...

“Hey, you,” Vanessa called out from behind the counter. “Are you on your way out of town?”

“I am,” Megan said, approaching. “I wanna beat the traffic.”

“Good idea.”

“Want one for the road?” Vanessa inquired, nodding her head toward all the coffee-making apparatus behind her.

“I do, make it a large, please.”

And then lock the doors, turn off the lights and let me take you right here in your coffeeshop, please!

“So, since I worked here the other day, does that mean I get to come behind the counter like a VIP?” Megan asked.

Vanessa gestured with her arm in a come on through motion and Megan came around. Once she did, she couldn’t help her eyes raking over Vanessa’s legs that were on display because Vanessa was wearing a short skirt. Megan scanned the coffeeshop. It was empty.

“How is your ex doing?” Vanessa asked, prepping the espresso for the Americano.

“Hmm?”

Cindy? Why was she asking about Cindy?

“Your ex, whose Mom died?”

“Oh! Um...about as well as could be expected, I guess. Some of her family from Minnesota are here and so she has some support.”

“Well, it’s nice that you’re going also. Family is great and all, but I’ve learned that sometimes friends are a bit more stabilizing when it comes to stressful things like funerals, you know?”

“True,” Megan agreed, wondering what Vanessa would say if Megan told her that at one point, she had wanted to marry this particular ex. Were her and Vanessa allowed to talk about things like that? Would Vanessa want to hear how shattered Megan had been upon discovering that Cindy had been having an affair with a man? Would Vanessa be sympathetic hearing Megan tell her how she had cried herself to sleep every night for two whole weeks? Or were such topics of discussion not allowed between two people having a fling?

“You okay?”

“Hmm?” Megan snapped out of her reverie.

“You okay? You looked like you spaced out there for a moment,” Vanessa said.

Megan smiled.

“Just thinking about this drive, that’s all. Honestly, if I could afford it, I think I’d helicopter everywhere. Even here to your shop.” She took the coffee Vanessa now had ready and in a to-go cup.