The next day, Christian was given a green apron and hat to wear over his casual clothing. "We shall get you up to speed with recipes and how to work the register as well as cleanliness and hygiene." His boss spoke as they exited the back and entered the spacious counter space where workers are serving patrons. Customers. Mostly females, noticed the newcomer and are immediately smitten with him.
"Okay, we grind the coffee beans fresh before brewing them, pouring it into a cup for either here or to go, and add cream, sugar, cinnamon, or milk upon request. Some are flavored. The same process is done with tea. We also blend and add ice to cold beverages that are always poured into to-go cups. Here's where we keep our supply of muffins, cinnamon rolls, Danishes, and bagels that are baked and shipped to us daily. We just keep the goodies locked tight in the display cases until we either run out or need to replace stale product with fresh ones." His boss walked over to a big machine in the corner. "Here is the machine that you will use to make cappuccinos, lattes, and so on and so forth. Let me demonstrate for you."
He heard an order for a caramel frappuccino and showed how to make one. He poured a ¾ cup of crushed ice into a blending container, 1 cup of milk, then two shots of coffee, 1 shot of vanilla syrup. Next he is blending it all together. While waiting for the blender to finish, he is drizzling caramel on the bottom of the to-go cup before finishing blending and pouring the drink into the cup. As the finishing touches, he squirted whip cream on top and added a caramel drizzle on top, put the lid with a hole in the middle on, and handed it to a customer as one of the employees rings them up.
"It gets easier once you get the hang of it. Now, let's see how you do." They hear an order for a mocha frappe, and Christian gulped before standing in front of the machine waiting for instructions. "First, pour a cup of ice cubes into the blending container. Next, pour a cup of coffee. Then, add half a cup of cream or milk. In this case, it's cream. Now, add a drizzle of chocolate syrup on top to sweeten it up. and now you twist on the cover and blend it." Christian is doing his best to keep up with what his boss was saying. "As it's blending, grab a to-go cup over there." He did, and was about to add chocolate drizzling like the caramel shown earlier but his boss stopped him. "Not on this one." He said. "Just grab the drink. It looks ready." He obeyed. "And now pour it in without spilling it, and add whipped cream and then the chocolate." When he put the lid on, he handed it to his boss for inspection. "Not bad for your first coffee."
They hear the lady waiting impatiently for her drink, and handed it to Christian to give to her. "Sorry for the wait ma'am. Hope you enjoy it." he smiled and sparkled making her blush. Upon seeing this, female customers are now crowding the counter. Christian has a look of dread on his face. "Sorry boss. I didn't mean to."
He chortled as he patted him on the back. "No need to apologize. That's the reason why I hired you."
Christian gave him a deadpan look. "Is that so?"
For the remainder of his shift, he learned to make more drinks before taking a break, then learning the basics of the register, taking another break, and then multi-tasking alongside the other baristas, and cleaning towards the end before heading out.
Christian's cell phone rang as he's walking down the street. "Hey." He answered.
"Hey little bro." his eldest sister greeted back.
"What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." She said. "Mom and dad asked me to call you to invite you over for dinner tonight."
"What time?" he asked her.
"Seven."
"Okay. I'll see you guys then." He hung up still feeling suspicion creeping in.
A couple hours later, Christian opened the black gate of the new manor his parents purchased to move to the city that he, Jason, and his sister Sarah attended college. The others followed suit, except they moved into their own homes. The long driveway goes through the scenery that can be mistaken for a small forest that eventually gets you to the red-bricked mansion at the end. It stands tall with ten bedrooms, five bathrooms, a kitchen, a den and living room, a dining room, a big backyard with a pool, a garage and area for Troy to reside in, a shed, an attic, and a basement that holds a wine cellar.
When he made it to the front door, he rang the doorbell, and his sister Jessie opened it. "Hey little brother." She gestured for him to enter. "Bryan is on his way home from work, but everyone else is here."
He went inside to find his family conversing in the den as the children run around the house with Troy telling them to stop. And spotted Jason alongside them. His hair is no longer dyed, and is a natural light-brown color and he still wears his rectangular wire-framed glasses. "Why's he here?" he asked her.
"Jacob and Sarah bumped into him on their way over and invited him to join us." He narrowed his eyes in disbelief.
"Christian!" Ashley approached him and dragged him away enthusiastically. "We're glad you came." She spoke before sitting him right next to Jason before rushing off to get a cosmopolitan that Troy prepared.
"Hey." Jason mumbled.
"Hey." Christian greeted awkwardly.
"I heard you got a job." He said.
"Just started today. And before you ask. I'm working at a coffee shop so you wouldn't be interested since it's not some big hot shot job that you have."
Jason gritted his teeth. "At least I have a job that I wanted. Did you want to become a barista? Or is it just another occupation to cross off an employment list of yours?"
Christian scowled at him. "I already told you, I want to search for a career that I can be passionate about. And if I have to work a millennial job in the meantime, then so be it." Jason frowned at him.
"This isn't going so well." Sarah whispered to the others as they watch from afar.
"Man, they must be really going at it to not make up yet." Jacob whispered back.
That's when they heard the front door open, and Bryan's voice yelling, "Sorry I'm late!"
He entered with a tall, handsome man with gorgeous green eyes about their age. "Yo!" Roger's exuberant shout gained everyone's attention.
Ashley choked on salsa and chips before compiling herself. "Sean! How nice to see you!" The kids ran in excitement to greet and hug the muscular brunette.
"Who?" Christian couldn't help asking.
Jason snorted. "Why don't we introduce ourselves and find out?" Christian's scowl deepened as he watches Jason walking over to the mysterious guest with Ashley checking out his left biceps.
"You've been working out more than usual, haven't you?"
"No more than usual."
"Really? Cause I swear you're buffer than the last time I saw you. Oh, we should get drinks sometime. You know, catch up." she's trailing her fingers seductively before noticing Christian's ex. "Hey Jason."
He extended his hand towards the stranger. "I don't think we've met before. I'm Jason."
The stranger accepted the handshake. "Sean." He looked past him and spotted Christian.
"That is my long-lost brother-in-law and his mate." Bryan introduced.
"Mate my ass." Christian muttered loud enough for Jason to hear.
"It's nice to meet you, but I just remembered a previous engagement that I have and must be on my way."
Christian's family whined. "You don't have to leave so soon." Jacob said.
"Please stay for dinner, at least." Sarah pleaded.
He smiled apologetically to everyone. "Sorry, but I must be going." He left with the others on his tail, leaving Christian and Sean behind.
"Lover's quarrel?" he asked him.
"Not really." Christian answered. "We broke up about a month ago, so."
"I'm sorry to hear about that." he stretched his hand out. "As you've heard, I'm Sean. I'm Bryan's co-worker as well as his childhood friend."
Christian walked over to him. "Christian." They shook hands.
"So, you're Christian." Sean stated. "Bryan has told me stories about you."
"Stories? What stories?"
"Just that you've killed a cougar, and did you really get chased by a hoard of squirrels?" he blushed in embarrassment and sweated from the heat rising in his body, releasing some of his scent. Once he got a whiff, Sean couldn't help feeling arousal kicking in.
Just then the others returned. "He left. Are you happy?" Ashley asked her long-lost brother.
"Happy? I'm not the least bit happy. And I know you guys didn't just bump into him. You planned this ahead, didn't you?"
"We were trying to help." Jacob chimed in.
"We don't need your help." Christian spat. "We'll either work it out or not. But within our own time, so just butt out." he's stomping away. "I'm out of here."
"Christian. Christian!" his family called out but heard the door slamming.
"Stubborn jackasss. Both of them." Roger said before heading into the dining room with the others following him..
Bryan came over and handed Sean a tool kit. "Sorry about that." he apologized to him.
"It's no problem." He said. "I know what they're going through. And by the way, is your brother-in-law an omega by chance?"
"How did you?"
"I could smell his pheromones." He admitted. "It isn't strong yet, but very soon he'll be attracting a lot of shifters if he isn't careful. Especially without his mate around." He patted Bryan on the shoulder before heading out as well.
"This dinner turned into a bust, and what's wrong?" Jessie asked her husband when she came in to get him.
"I'll explain it to everyone at the dinner table."
"What did Christian do?" she asked him.
"Nothing serious. I hope. Now, let's join the others."
He wrapped his arm around her waist and made their way into the dining hall.