I pulled in front of the shop, and when I turned to look at her, I saw worry on her face, which confused the crap out of me. She seemed sweet, but why was she acting like she had nothing?
“Yes, I’ll pause the meter.”
She put up her finger. “And this won’t put any menu items into play?”
“No, you’re good.” I never expected Madison to be anything like this chick.
The coffee shop was in an old building with dark wood floors, little tables and chairs everywhere, and a long counter where a woman sat reading a book. Just beside her were a man and woman talking quietly.
“This is so stinking cute.”Her little nose wrinkled like this was some kind of happy surprise.
I followed her to the left, where there was a brightly colored room with antique coffee signs climbing up the walls, a few racks of clothing, and shelves containing everything from jewelry and coffee cups to scarves and art strategically placed so that no customer could miss them.
A gasp escaped Madison as she put her hands over her heart. “Adorable, adorable, adorable!”
She skipped over to the clothing, took a red dress, walked over to the full-length mirror, and held it over her outfit. “I love this!”
I leaned against the jewelry case. “You should try it on. Maybe give those overalls a rest.”
“For your information, overalls are all over the runway?—"
“Yeah, yeah, in Paris, they’re a hit. The French are strolling around town with their baguettes and cigarettes while sporting glow-in-the-dark overalls. But here in Montana, they’re mostly worn by Farmer Ted, not a pretty lady.”
She turned, and her mouth dropped open as she teased, “You think I’m pretty. The Uber-driving-gigolo from the airport thinks little old me is pretty.”
I held her gaze. “Yup.” I let the ‘p’ pop in a mocking sort of way.
Her cheeks crimsoned before she put the dress back on the rack. “Well, I’m not in Montana to shop. I need to stretch those dollars.”
She pulled out her phone and took a selfie beside the jewelry, and then made a silly face as she held up the dress and took another pic before she started pecking away at her phone. “What’s the name of this place, and where the hell are we?”
“Black Sheep Coffee, Springfield, on Platteview Road.”
She pecked some more before sliding her phone back into the giant pocket. “Boom.”
“Boom what?”
“I love helping local businesses. I have a ton of followers, and now this coffee shop will too.”
She was a confusing little thing. “Why would you do that?”
“My family owns hotels, and, although I went to college, it was decided long ago what my career would be.” She peered down into the jewelry cabinet. “I make sure everyone knows our hotels are hot, and any event I help with is hotter. Shall we get coffee?”
I followed her out of the boutique area. “Like a job? You post stuff like a job for the hotels?”
We reached the counter. “Yes, like a never ending 24/7 job. Don’t get me wrong, it has its perks, but my sole purpose is to keep the hotels in the headlines with many meetings to ensure I’m doing just that.”
Huh, the party girl wasn’t exactly what I thought she’d be.
A hippie dude with long hair and a beanie on his head appeared behind the counter. “What can I get you?”
Madison leaned against the counter. “Hi there, I’ll take a Venti Caramel Crunch Frappe, please.”
He leaned in closer to her, and it hit me that I didn’t like that.
“Are you as sweet as the five syrups that are going into your coffee?”He sounded like a grande douche.
She leaned in towards him. “Maybe, but mostly I’m a bitch.”
