"Seems like we have a lot of customers today. Did you have something to do with that?" Zayn asked from the checkout, he was rushing to keep up.
"Well, I am an heir, so I've got quite the following on social media." I winked at him, feeling a bit proud of my influence. My attention was then drawn to Barbra, the waitress who I owed a debt of gratitude for saving me from that tattooist fellow. Remember him? I would've been fake engaged to that horror of a man today if it weren't for Barbra accidentally spilling coffee on him and exposing his true colours. I really dodged a bullet there.
She was struggling with a heavy box on her own. "Let me help you with that, Barbra," I offered, hurrying over to her aid.
"Really?" Her head snapped up from the box, eyebrows raised in surprise. "You're so much nicer than I thought, Liam."
"What do you mean? I've always been nice," I teased, flipping my hair dramatically as I took the box from her and placed it where it belonged.
"I didn't mean anything by it," she quickly clarified, looking a bit flustered.
Chuckling, I assured her, "I'm kidding, Barbra."
She smiled sheepishly, her hand moving to scratch the back of her neck. "And sorry again about the coffee I spilled on your date. I was distracted." She let out a small sigh.
"Distracted by what?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms casually.
"Well..." She tucked a strand of her pink hair behind her ear and I watched her gaze shift all the way to a certain someone, who happened to be my fiancé.
Oh, someone is crushing on their boss? I couldn't suppress the grin spreading across my face. It was rather cute. But then again, the last thing I needed was for anyone to perceive Zayn as available. Rule 4 was in place for a reason and it clearly stated: dating others is off-limits. Not that I don't trust Zayn, but boundaries are boundaries. We need to ensure that our relationship looks as convincing as possible.
"I think you two would make a great couple."
Her eyes sparkled with hope as she absorbed my words, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "You think so!"
I gave a nod of affirmation. "Yeah. If Zayn and I weren't engaged, I would totally encourage you to ask him out."
"ENGAGED?!" She shouted out, her eyes widening in shock. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine, Barb," I hurried to reassure her, offering a consoling pat on her shoulder. "You didn't know-"
"DON'T TELL ME I'M MAKING A SCENE!"
The sudden outburst drew our attention to a commotion brewing outside the cafe, where a customer was engaged in a heated argument with one of our baristas.
The customer's voice reverberated through the air like a thunderclap as she continued complaining about something I couldn't really figure out, causing heads to turn and eyebrows to raise. She was a middle-aged woman with fiery eyes and a tightly clenched jaw, her cheeks flushed with anger.
"Ma'am, please lower your voice," the barista, a young man with a strained expression, attempted to diffuse the situation, his tone was extremely polite.
"No! I want the manager. RIGHT FUCKING NOW!" She demanded, her words dripping with indignation as she pointed an accusatory finger at the bewildered barista.
Other customers paused mid-sip, their curiosity piqued by the sudden outburst. Some exchanged puzzled glances, while others discreetly reached for their phones to capture the drama.
YOU ARE READING
The Inheritance Game
FanfictionLiam's the youngest heir to the Payne Family, and the least likely to inherit his ill father's fortune. Unless he fakes a marriage and gets his life on track.
