Chapter 219: The Popular Cecilia (1/2)

”Captain, are you sure we can knock ourselves early today?”

”Yeah, knock yourself out!” Ron Samuel didn't even look in Calvin's direction as he continued, ”Leave the coffee shop to us, don't tell me that you don't expect us to handle the shop better than your wife and daughter?”

Calvin lightly chuckled, ”It's not that I am underestimating you, Captain...” He rubbed the crown of Cecilia's head as he stated, ”Our young lass here is just more capable and charismatic than all of you combined...”

A death glare immediately came his way; it came from Ashlynn.

”Of course, Ashlynn is an exception.” Calvin cleared his throat and corrected his words. The killing intent receded in an instant.

”I don't believe you,” James Branzuela came down the stairs and stood before the counter. He made a sidelong glance at the accounts behind the counter and said, ”Today, the shop earned about a hundred pesos in just six hours. We'll surpass that hundred pesos in three hours.”

A smirk spread on his face.

”Oh? Why do you look so confident, Vice-Captain? Do you have a secret weapon up your sleeves?” Calvin asked, intrigued.

”It's not that much of a secret weapon...” James Branzuela shrugged.

He swept his gaze across Ashlynn's and continued, ”Your adorable daughter might've won the hearts of the customers due to how cute she is, but our strategy is different. We will win these customers with sex appeal!”

James declared with passion.

Calvin couldn't help but laugh, ”Sex appeal? Come on, the shop only has two women and one of them is my wife! Do you really think that I am going to let my wife serve customers as a waitress? Well, it could work but this young lass here would definitely not allow it!”

”You're right...” James nodded, ”Charlotte will not work since she will definitely be always on your side and Cecilia also wouldn't allow her mother to steal her job, so that is why...”

He stared greedily at Ashlynn, ”It's your time!”

Pointing a finger at the latter, he declared, ”You will attract these customers with a honeytrap!”

”W-Why me?!”

Ashlynn jolted in shock, ”No! You are not going to make me wear those flimsy clothes!”

”Really?”

James Branzuela smirked, ”What if I told you that if you do everything that I say I will give you twenty-percent more of your cut for today's earnings?”

”Do whatever you want to do with me, and do it until you are satisfied!”

Ashlynn immediately agreed in a heartbeat.

Gold coins seemed to be sparkling in her eyes.

Calvin's lips twitched...

Girl, where is your dignity?!

Letting out a sigh, he heard Charlotte's laughter echoing from beside him.

”Ashlynn sure is an interesting person...” Charlotte commented under her breath.

”Now that I think about it, dear... You seem to have become quite close to Ashlynn,”

Calvin couldn't help but ask.

”Really?” For some reason, when Calvin mentioned Ashlynn—Charlotte's face abruptly reddened, ”Yeah, I guess... I mean, Ashlynn's the only other woman in the coffee shop and I don't really know how to socialize with others, so...”

”You don't know how to socialize with others? Then, how were you able to serve the customers as the cashier all this time?”

Calvin furrowed his eyebrows. Charlotte's words didn't add up.

”I actually learned the trick on how to do it from Ashlynn, dear... When you were gone, I was having a hard time acclimating myself to how the shop worked and she gave me a hand...”

”When she noticed what was happening with me, she told me that I would be less embarrassed if I pretend that the customers are scarecrows...” Charlotte patiently explained.

”Scarecrows? Why such a strange selection?” Calvin's eyebrows scrunched up tighter, ”I could understand it if you pretended that the customers are a bunch of cabbages, but why scarecrows?”

”Pfft!” Charlotte's figure trembled as she tried her best to suppress her laughter, ”Cabbages? Why did I not think of that?”

”Hahaha, well I chose scarecrows because you know—have you seen what scarecrows look like? They are very menacing at night or in the distance, but the way they are propped up with poles and the hasty and flimsy manner they are made makes them look hilarious to me...”

”This is why I am able to maintain my smiles throughout the day...”

Charlotte lightly chuckled, ”But you just gave me an idea, dear! Tomorrow, I will go ahead and pretend that the customers are cabbages.”

”Will that really work?”

Calvin asked Charlotte, ”Are cabbages as hilarious as scarecrows for you?”

”Well, not really...” Charlotte thought for a moment before she squeezed out another smile, ”But do you know that every Saturday there would always be a huge sale of vegetables in the Southern Borough? I always make sure to never miss a day of that sale, since it often means that I'll be able to buy a week's worth of groceries for just a few pesos...”

”Then, you see, the most popular vegetable in that wet market is the potato... While the most expensive one is the cabbage, and they rarely go on sale. But when they do go on sale... It always brings a smile to my face.” Charlotte leaned her head on Calvin's shoulder.

The sweet smile on her face looked incredibly picturesque.

Cecilia also leaned on his other shoulder.

”I see...” Calvin also broke out into a smile, ”If that's really how it is for you, then I don't see why you shouldn't do it. Try it out at least and see if it's really effective.”

”Yeah, I'll try it tomorrow,” Charlotte said, ”By the way, why did sir Ron gave us a day off today?”

”Didn't I just tell you about it earlier? That we should go out and enjoy ourselves?”

Calvin dragged Charlotte out of the coffee shop.

”Eh? Are we going to bring Cecilia with us?” Charlotte glanced hesitantly at Cecilia and her cheeks blushed out of embarrassment.

But only Charlotte herself knew what she was thinking...

Calvin looked at her in confusion as he teased, ”Charlotte, what are you talking about?”

”Are you trying to not let this young lass have some fun with us?”

”Cecilia!”

”Look at what your Mommy is saying! She doesn't want you to join us in the fun!”

”EEEH?!” Cecilia exclaimed. Puffing her cheeks, she glared at her mother, ”Mommy, mommy... do you not want me to join and have fun?”

”No, no, no...” Charlotte hurriedly waved her hand in shame, ”That is not what I meant, Cecilia!”

Glaring in Calvin's direction, Charlotte appeased her daughter as a bright idea came to her mind.

Calvin had shamed her in front of her daughter, and now it was time for him to be embarrassed in my stead!

She thought in her head.

”I was trying to bring your Daddy somewhere else, so we can get you a baby brother, but it seems that your Daddy doesn't want to give you a baby brother.” Charlotte sneered as she stared right at Calvin.

”Wha?! You...” Calvin was dumbfounded by Charlotte's words.

But before he could even say anything...

Cecilia's glare descended upon him as she complained, ”Daddy, why do you not want me to have a baby brother?!”

”I want a baby brother!”

”If I have a baby brother, I can let him help me with the customers. If I have a baby brother, he can also give me some of his snacks! Hmmph! Daddy, you better give me a baby brother, hmmph!”

Calvin awkwardly scratched his head.

A strange feeling welled up in his heart. After that eventful night back then, Charlotte seemed to have become bolder when it came to intimate matters between a husband and wife.

Surreptitiously glancing at the latter, Calvin noticed a faint blush spreading on Charlotte's neck.

Calvin inwardly laughed. He instantly saw through what was going on.