Chapter 35: Chapter 34

LILLIAN

Lillian had been working at the tea shop for a few weeks now. It was a little over a month, which meant she had already received her first paycheck.

The amount was less than what she was accustomed to, but it was a decent sum for a part-time job. It covered her rent, and she could pay the rest of her bills with the money she had saved.

It wasn’t the perfect solution, but it kept her from going broke.

She was mostly needed during the evening rush at the tea shop, but she found herself going in the mornings too. She did this voluntarily, assuring her boss, Mr. Aoki, that he didn’t need to pay her extra for these hours.

She was having some trouble brewing tea the right way, which was absurd because it wasn’t supposed to be that hard.

Mr. Aoki, or Hikaru as she called him, made it look so effortless, as if it were second nature to him. Maybe it was.

When she confessed her struggles to him, he just shook his head with a shy smile.

“Brewing tea is part of our tradition, but Keiko was the most talented at this,” he said.

“Do you ever give yourself credit for anything?” she asked, chuckling.

“For convincing her to marry me,” he replied simply.

“And besides that?”

“That’s the most important thing. She was the most beautiful girl in our hometown, and she had turned down several suitors before she said yes to me.”

“Probably because she was in love with you too.”

“I’d like to think she loved me as much as I loved her. People often said we were a perfect match,” he replied modestly.

“The photo you have back there”—she pointed to the wall behind them—“is proof enough. But I meant, do you give yourself credit for anything not related to Keiko?”

“I’ve always been good with numbers and money. I was able to provide for us and our children. I’ve even made some investments over the years.”

“Really?” she exclaimed, impressed.

“Yes. I’m not running the tea shop out of necessity. I’m financially secure.”

“That means you could go back to Japan anytime you want.”

“Yes, I could. Now, let’s see if you’ve got the hang of this tea brewing.”

Eventually, she did get the hang of it, but she continued to come to the shop in the mornings because she had nothing better to do. Sometimes, she even came in on her day off.

Hikaru joked that he would have to start paying her overtime if she kept showing up outside her scheduled hours—or charge her for monopolizing so much of his time.

She just laughed.

She enjoyed being at the tea shop. It was either that or the library, but she couldn’t bring herself to start reading in the city. Reading was for her hometown.

The tea shop was for the city, and she enjoyed Hikaru’s company. She also found herself liking the smell of tea, which was surprising.

She was tempted to start trying different brews. Hikaru said it would help her recommend the right tea to customers.

He also told her that if she stayed long enough, she might learn to anticipate their needs before they even expressed them.

When she teased him, asking if this was one of Keiko’s talents, he laughed and said it wasn’t, but he always wanted to meet someone who could do that.

Hikaru was her only friend in the city.

Noah had been more than just a friend—the bastard.

***

She couldn’t help it.

She had been thinking about it too much.

She had to pass by there again.

They had stopped talking in January—and now it was April. The weather was becoming more unpredictable, but at least the sunny intervals were longer and the parks were starting to bloom.

She liked that, and she liked that the customers at the tea shop seemed a bit more cheerful.

It was a Wednesday, her usual day off. Hikaru said that Wednesdays weren’t as busy, but she would probably need to work longer hours on Friday and Saturday.

She didn’t mind. She wouldn’t mind working seven days a week if it kept her away from temptation, but that was illegal.

So, here she was—standing outside the building he had bought and shown her before they went their separate ways.

The building didn’t look as deserted anymore. It was bustling with activity, especially on the top floor.

People were coming and going, moving things around. She tried to figure out what they were turning it into, but she couldn’t tell.

“Travel agency,” a voice said behind her.

Sure enough, it was Noah. She should’ve realized he wasn’t inside, but she was too engrossed in her own thoughts. She swiveled around to face him. He was grinning, a cup of coffee cradled in his hand.

“If I’d known, I would’ve gotten you one too,” he offered.

“I thought you quit coffee,” she remarked.

“I’m back to work now, and I’ve found I need a cup to kick-start my mornings. I try not to overdo it, though.”

“I’m glad you’ve found a use for this.” She gestured toward the building. “And that you’re suddenly chatty and not craving solitude anymore.”

“Lillian…” he sighed.

“No, it’s fine.” She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “It was nice catching up, but I need to get going.”

She attempted to sidestep him, but he gently caught her hand. She arched an eyebrow at him. He had no right to detain her.

“Noah,” she cautioned.

“Stay.”

“You don’t need more alone time?” she retorted sarcastically.

“I have a job offer for you,” he declared, ignoring her jibe.

“A job offer?” she echoed. “Can you even afford to pay employees right now?”

“I need assistance and you were an exceptional assistant. Unless you’ve found a better opportunity.”

“I’m waitressing at a tea shop three blocks from my place because I can’t stand doing nothing while waiting for something better,” she confessed.

She could’ve lied and told him she’d landed a dream job elsewhere, but she couldn’t bring herself to deceive him just to annoy him.

“Then this is perfect timing.” He grinned at her.

“You think?” she scoffed.

He nodded.

“Well, I don’t plan on leaving a job that pays me regularly to work for someone who might not be able to pay me at the end of the month.” Her tone was icy, but beyond her personal resentment toward him, her logic was sound, and she meant every word. She was content at the tea shop.

“Let’s discuss it in my office.”

“You’ve already set up your office?”

“It was the first thing I did, since so far I’m the only one working here or trying to get the business off the ground.”

“Well, good for you, but I still…”

“Are you working today?” He gently squeezed her hand.

Again, she could’ve lied, but she didn’t. She admitted it was her day off. He assured her it would only take a moment, and he wouldn’t keep her if she didn’t want to stay.

She followed him inside, not because she trusted his intentions, but because she couldn’t resist. She still cared, and she was curious.

“It does look empty,” she observed, slightly taken aback.

From the outside, it hadn’t seemed that way, but clearly, the workers inside had given a false impression. She’d seen them laboring on the top floor, so she’d assumed they were working from the bottom up, which wasn’t the case.

The other floors were just as they were last time, only cleaner.

“I know,” he acknowledged, then added, referring to the workers, “Electricians and plumbers. I had to inspect everything, and once they’re done, I’ll have to paint the entire place. I don’t plan on doing more than that right now, because I’ll only be using the top floor. Maybe I’ll set up an information desk at the entrance in a few months, but I don’t see the need for it yet.”

He was a few steps ahead of her, explaining everything. All the changes he’d have to make, and all she could think about was how this was too much for a small business.

“Have you considered renting out the space you don’t need?” she asked abruptly as they approached the elevator.

He glanced at her over his shoulder.

“Do you think this will fail?” he asked, pressing the elevator button.

“No, but you need to be practical. You spent all your money buying this place, and it might take a while before you start profiting, and you need to pay for all the renovations.”

They stepped into the elevator and began ascending.

“I’m aware of that, thank you,” he smirked.

The elevator chimed.

“You could’ve bought an apartment instead and solved your housing problem,” she pointed out as he unlocked his office door.

“Asher let me stay at his place,” he informed her, gesturing for her to sit.

The office was a sight to behold, spacious and inviting. The furniture wasn’t high-end, but it was practical and aesthetically pleasing, giving the room a modern, comfortable vibe.

From what she could tell, the view wasn’t half bad either.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes, it’s nice. You mentioned you’re staying at Asher’s place?”

“Correct.”

“I wasn’t aware he had a place here.”

“Neither was I, until it hit me that he might have a place in town for convenience. I called him up and lucked out. Truth be told, I couldn’t afford a hotel anymore, and my brother didn’t need his city apartment, so he let me use it indefinitely.”

“That’s fortunate for you.”

“Would you consider working for me?”

“Noah, you can’t afford me. And honestly, I’m quite content with my current job.”

“The tea shop?” He chuckled. “You’ve never been a fan of tea, Lillian.”

“Well, I might be changing my mind about that.”

“If you don’t want to work for me, that’s fine. But your excuse is a bit weak, don’t you think?”

“Do I strike you as someone who makes excuses?” she retorted. “I genuinely enjoy working there.”

“I don’t remember a tea shop in your neighborhood.”

“Like I said, it’s three blocks from my house. We never noticed it because none of us are tea enthusiasts. I stumbled upon it while trying to avoid Tamara.”

“Were you successful?” he asked, intrigued.

“Absolutely. I can’t stand her. If I had to face her, it wouldn’t end well. I’d probably end up punching her. I can’t stand that woman.”

“I feel the same,” he chuckled. “I wasn’t as lucky as you. She spotted me before I could escape. She’s upset because Asher is trying to replace her.”

“She made her own mess. She should deal with it without complaining,” Lillian said coldly. “I wouldn’t mind if I never saw her again.”

“Is that how you feel about me too?” he asked, settling behind his desk as she stood by the window.

“Considering you’re still a jerk, I probably should.”

“But you don’t.”

“I warned you that getting involved would complicate things,” she chided. “You didn’t listen.”

“There were no complications while we were in bed.” He smirked. “I’d say problems were easier to forget then.”

“Problems start after sex, Noah.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t play dumb.”

“I’m not. We weren’t in a relationship, were we?”

“No, we weren’t. But we were together every day. Even friends don’t spend that much time together. We were practically inseparable, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid when you showed up at my door.”

“So, you were relieved when I asked for some space?” he asked.

She turned to face the window again, preferring the view. “I didn’t appreciate how you went about it. As if it was my fault things changed, when it wasn’t. But it seems we both needed it. I just didn’t think it was fair for me to take the blame for something I warned you about.”

He nodded, letting out a sigh.