The guy raised half an eyebrow, “Kids always boast about being able to take care of themselves, but in reality, they can’t even tell the difference between marijuana leaves and roadside weeds. But I quite like you, you seem like someone who gets things done.”
“Can you hire me then?” Emma asked him, full of anticipation.
“But shouldn’t you first ask if this bakery is mine?” he asked with a smile. “What if I’m just a clerk and don’t have the right to hire you?”
Emma blushed, feeling a rush of heat to her cheeks. If that were the case, it would mean that her outburst just now had been meaningless, just a form of displaced anger. In reality, she had been displacing her anger, complaining to anyone other than Nelson about the irreconcilable differences between her and Nelson was just displaced anger, because she couldn’t vent her anger to Nelson.
“But you are lucky, this shop was left to me by my parents,” he said. “This means I can hire you, but hiring you would go against Nelson’s wishes.”
Emma held back the urge to roll her eyes, “So will you?”
This made him sigh, leaning on the counter, arms crossed in front of him, “I can, but why should I? Do you really need this job?” he asked.
Emma closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. She needed to stay calm, not get angry.
“I have experience working in a restaurant,” she said. “In addition to cashiering, I can handle some simple cooking and I can make coffee. I used to be the best coffee maker at the restaurant I worked at. And I really do want a job, please.”
It sounded like her resume was indeed quite good. But he still didn’t quite understand her desire and urgency for this part-time job, “Why are you so resistant to letting Nelson take care of you?”
This was a bit offensive, not something a person should ask on first meeting, he had crossed a line. It also made Emma’s inner anger even stronger. Why did he have so many questions, he was just a bakery manager, not a government official, nor royalty, what was the point of him knowing so much information?
“I want to save money, right now only money can make me feel secure,” she said, forcing herself not to roll her eyes at him.
His eyes widened.
“Isn’t living in the alpha’s house at Silver Moon Pack enough to make you feel secure?”
Emma felt she should turn and leave right now, “That’s none of your business, this is my affair. Are you going to hire me or not?”
If this guy still refused, then she would definitely spit at him and leave wasting her time and energy.
The boy looked somewhat distressed. Nelson’s words didn’t have such a strong effect on him, he never really cared about Nelson’s commands, after all, he was just a companion without real power, he wasn’t an alpha, and could never replace an alpha.
And this girl looked like she really needed this job, if he hired her, it would be a win-win.
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, “Alright,” he muttered. “You have a one-month trial period, Emma.”
Emma breathed a long sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” she said, showing the boy a bright smile. “I will work hard.”
“Before that, I need to see your coffee-making skills,” he handed her an apron, “There’s a coffee machine over there, it hasn’t been used for a long time because I don’t know how to make coffee. You have to pass this test before I can determine what job suits you best. By the way, you can call me Rory.”
She was really good at making coffee, at one point she felt like she could be a successful barista in the human world. She carefully cleaned the parts of the coffee machine before plugging it in.
She found the filter, skillfully placed it in the funnel of the coffee machine, then started to pour in the beans.
“It’s too time-consuming to roast the beans now, if I work here, I will start roasting them in advance to ensure their fragrance lasts. But for now, I’ll just start from grinding to save time,” she said.
When she talked about her expertise, her eyes sparkled. Rory watched her, not at her grinding technique, but at her face which was glowing in the dimly lit bakery.
She looked truly beautiful, and she would definitely grow into a beautiful adult, he thought.
Emma carefully ground the beans in her hand, trying to make them a bit finer to ensure the best taste. She was making pour-over coffee, which allowed the coffee beans to have a more layered aroma, resulting in a rich and sweet taste, with a clear and clean color.
Rory leaned in to watch her make coffee, “It seems like you haven’t exaggerated your abilities. I like the aroma of your coffee,” Rory told her.
Emma felt proud. Compliments from others occasionally satisfied her budding vanity, “I also know other brewing methods. If you have more equipment here, next time I can try the siphon brewing method. Where I used to work, we didn’t have advanced equipment or high-quality beans to use with such equipment.”
She felt a bit regretful about this; she had learned how to use these devices but never had the chance to put her skills to use.
Rory didn’t mind, “As long as the customer feedback is good, you can make any requests.”
Soon, she brewed a cup of fragrant coffee and handed it to Rory.
Rory took a sip. Emma looked at him expectantly, “How is it?”
The taste was smooth, without any bitterness. He had tried some supposedly master-brewed coffees in the past, and they inevitably had some acidity. But the coffee Emma brewed could be considered at the top level of coffee quality in terms of both color and taste.
“It’s very good,” he praised, “I would say it’s at the level of an apprentice in a specialized coffee lab.”
Emma was very happy.
“You’re hired. When do you plan to start working? I’m really short-staffed right now.”
This question made Emma a bit hesitant, “I’m not sure about my exact schedule, they haven’t told me.”
“Alright,” Rory didn’t mind, “You can work here before you start school. Once your schedule is arranged, I’ll adjust your part-time hours according to your schedule. Is that okay?”
Emma nodded, “Okay, thank you, Rory.”
Rory smiled and extended his hand to her, holding her soft palm, “You’re welcome.”