Chapter 32: The Queen is Back
Kai
Sunday came and held the promise of a fresh start —but also a simmering pressure that pulsed beneath Kai’s skin. Her first official day back at work tomorrow.
She stood in front of her closet, fingers skimming over neatly folded stacks of uniforms. Black fitted polo shirts with bold red piping down the sleeves and embroidered VCafe logos on the chest—a sleek, sharp phoenix rising from a coffee cup, wings flaring behind steam. It was clean, confident branding. Paired with tailored black pants or mid-thigh shorts and optional red-accented leggings, the look was unmistakably VCafe: bold, professional, and unapologetically hers.
Sliding one shirt from the hanger, Kai held it up against herself and let out a slow breath. It had been weeks since she’d worn this. Since she’d been her—the version of herself that ran this place like a queen. The version that didn’t flinch at her reflection or feel shaky tying her apron.
Her phone buzzed on the dresser. Again.
James: Bet that uniform hugs your ass just right.
James: I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Coffee. Car heated. Maybe even a kiss.
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips. The next text came just as fast.
James: Okay, definitely a kiss.
Kai: Behave. Some of us have to wake up at 4am.
James: Mmm. That’s when I get extra misbehaved.
She threw the shirt onto the bed and shook her head, flopping onto the mattress with a groan. He was insufferable. Charming. A walking complication with a dangerous smile. And she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Every time her phone pinged, it was like a magnetic pull back to him—to his teasing texts, to the lingering echo of his kiss on her door that still burned her lips.
But she needed Monday morning. Not with James picking her up, or walking her in, or making anyone at the gym café start whispering before she’d even clocked in. She needed to walk in on her own terms. In her own shoes. With her own rhythm back in place.
Yoga at 5am. Café open by 6. Deep breath. Grind coffee. Move.
It wasn’t that she wanted to keep Jame's a secret. It was that she wasn’t ready to give the world access to something still so new. So raw. So hers.
Her phone buzzed again.
James: Still not too late to come over. You can wear the polo. Or not. I’m easy.
Kai bit her lip, grinning despite herself.
You’re not easy. You’re impossible.
She didn’t send it.
Instead, she stood up and laid out her uniform piece by piece. She braided her hair back tight, ran through her to-do list, and double-checked her bag for Monday morning prep.
And as she climbed into bed with her alarm set for 4:00am, the last thing she saw was James’ name glowing on her phone again.
James: Goodnight, Trouble. Don’t work too hard without me.
The alarm hit at 4:00am sharp. Kai didn’t snooze it.
By 4:05, she was stretching on her mat in the soft silence of her living room, letting her breath fall into rhythm with the familiar flows. Warrior pose. Reverse. Deep twist. Every muscle warmed and lengthened under her own control, and that was exactly how she liked to start her week: grounded, focused, alone.
By 5:30, she was walking through the rear doors of the Castle Hill Gym Café. The hallway lights flickered on with motion sensors, casting a gentle glow on the polished floors and industrial brick walls. She unlocked the front café doors and immediately got to work—flipping on the espresso machine, powering up the glass display fridges, tapping through the Point-of-Sale menu to prep the day’s specials.
At 5:50 on the dot, the quiet hum of the café cracked wide open with a chorus of excited shouts.
“KAI!”
“Holy shit, the queen is back!”
“Someone tell HR I’m being emotionally compromised!”
Kai turned just in time to catch Ella, one of her waitstaff, flinging arms around her. Behind her, Chef Luca followed with a tray of freshly wrapped muffins and his usual smug smirk.
“It’s been four weeks, and you didn’t even FaceTime us once,” Ella said, mock-pouting.
“You wouldn’t have wanted to see my face,” Kai replied with a laugh, squeezing her tight. “Now get your apron. We open in ten.”
As if on cue, the men’s 5am weightlifting class came stampeding through the doors. A wave of testosterone, protein shake breath, and loud voices.
Tim, Jason, and Carl were front and center—towel-draped and already sweating.
“Well well well, if it isn’t our girl—back and looking like a snack.”
“Kai, I’m filing a complaint. Four weeks without you? Torture.”
“Come sit with us, c’mon, we’ll even let you pick the protein bar of the day.”
Kai rolled her eyes but kept the grin on her face. “Tim, I’ve seen more charm in a spin class. Sit down before I replace your pre-workout with decaf.”
The café regulars burst into laughter as the trio tried their best to jockey for position across the counter.
And then the air shifted.
She felt it before she saw him.
James.
Tall, clean-cut but just rumpled enough to look dangerously off-duty, he stood in line behind the guys—hands in his coat pockets, eyes locked on her. Amused. Lethal.
Her stomach dropped and curled at the same time. She wasn’t ready for this. And yet… here he was.
“Morning, boys,” James said smoothly, stepping just close enough to loom.
Tim faltered, glancing back. “Oh—hey. You new?”
James smiled, slow and sharp. “Nope. Just… observing.” He let the pause hang like a blade. “Didn’t realize breakfast came with a side of desperate flirting.”
Jason cleared his throat. “We’re just being friendly—”
“Sure,” James said. “Real friendly. But I think Kai’s busy. You guys should probably get those seats before they’re gone.”
The three men shuffled off with mumbled goodbyes and sheepish glances.
Kai blinked, then arched a brow. “You really couldn’t help yourself, could you?”
James stepped forward, his voice dropping just for her. “You looked like you needed saving.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.” His eyes flicked down her uniform, lingering on the fitted cut of her polo shirt. “That outfit should be illegal.”
Her cheeks heated. She stepped back toward the espresso machine just to give herself space to breathe.
“You here for coffee or chaos?” she asked, voice low and playful.
“Bit of both,” he grinned. “Richard and I are grabbing a booth at seven. Join us?”
Kai hesitated. Her gaze flicked to the café clock. 6:12am. Rush hour was already humming, and she still had drinks to prep and the next barista wasn’t due until 6:55.
“If Emily shows up on time, I’ll swing by.”
James leaned in slightly, voice velvet-soft and full of mischief. “I’ll be waiting. Try not to miss me too much.”
Kai scoffed under her breath, but her heart was thudding.
As he turned and walked toward the corner booth like he already owned the damn place, she forced herself to focus.
Espresso. Orders. Routine. Not James. Definitely not how he looked in that shirt. And absolutely not what he’d said the night before about what he wanted to do to her, after she sent a picture of what she was wearing to work today to him. And he called her trouble.