48 I Can'st Say Tha

"So," Bernie explained, "I was planning the cake for Harry, and I thought—what if we sell set meals or deals. For cheaper than ordering a drink and a cake separately, the customers could add on a cake to their drink for a little extra. For example, English breakfast tea could be paired with a slice of Victoria sponge."

Jade smiled. "I like the idea, Bern. We can trial it next week if you like."

As if not hearing her, Bernie continued his pitch. "As you know, we have to throw away cake, which is an unnecessary cost, so by selling the cakes cheaper, we won't be losing anything… wait… you already like the idea?"

"Of course! It's an idea from my business partner, so I cannot ignore it. Besides, I think it's a good idea. Don't keep ideas like this to yourself."

Not expecting to receive such praise, Bernie's cheeks flushed red. "The idea just came to me; I didn't spend hours thinking about it or anything…"

Laughing off his awkwardness, Jade returned to the front of the cafe.

While she cleared up around some of the customers and wiped their tables, she was thinking about recent happenings. 'I'm glad Bernie suggested that. Given his reaction to not meeting the new hire with me, it seems like he's wanted to get more involved in the business for a while.

'I'm glad he feels more confident now.

'If he carries on like this, I might be able to give him a few more responsibilities, which would help me to no end.'

When she took the dirty cups to the back of the kitchen, Jade smiled at Bernie, but he was still acting indifferently.

'Ha ha!' Jade could not help but laugh inwardly. 'That silly tsundere. Normally, if it's a little girl, I find such a personality annoying. But with Bernie, perhaps because he's an older gentleman, it's weirdly cute.'

…

Ting ding!

Later that day, in the evening when the sun had long set, Liam returned.

At the counter, after ordering a coffee, he asked, "Jade, have you seen my wallet? I haven't seen it since I paid earlier."

Jade, who was brewing his coffee, suddenly remembered his wallet. Having left it in her apron pouch all day, she had gotten used to it and almost forgot about it.

She hurriedly took it out and proffered it to Liam. "Yes, here it is. I tried to chase after you earlier, but you were too quick."

Not wanting him to feel guilty or give her unwanted sympathy, Jade altered the story slightly.

"Sorry about that, and thank you for looking after it." With a smile, Liam took the wallet, took out a note for Jade, and returned the wallet to its place in his inner jacket pocket.

While the coffee was prepared, noticing the lingering silence, Jade politely continued the conversation. "How come you came in earlier today? You normally only come in the evenings."

Liam panicked for a moment. 'I can't say that I came to see you, can I?

'I was obviously worried about your condition and wanted to check up on you.'

The panic did not show on the surface, and with a smile, Liam answered, "I was supposed to meet someone tonight, but it got cancelled."