Page 233 of Problematic

The girl approached the counter with both hands wrapped around her phone. “Are you Lux Draven?”

Lux glanced at me.

I smiled sweetly. “Use your customer-service voice.”

His nostrils flared. “Yes.”

She stared at the apron. “Do you work here now?”

“Against my will.”

I cleared my throat.

He closed his eyes for a second, gathering all the strength of a demon lord who ruled half a continent. “Welcome to New Abaddon City Coffee.”

The girls burst into nervous laughter.

One pointed toward the menu. “Can you make me a rainbow unicorn frap from the secret menu?”

“There is no secret menu.” He frowned.

“From the video?” one of the other two chimed in.

“What video?” he demanded.

The phone turned toward him.

Someone had already uploaded footage of him working the counter followed by a very colorful frappe montage, followed by “Ask for the secret menu.”

The video had forty thousand views.

Lux slowly turned toward Mandi, who stood outside the front window holding her phone and waving.

“I’ll kill her,” he said.

“She works in public relations,” I reminded him.

“She works against me.”

“Same department.”

The girls ordered three triple caramel cookie frappuccinos. Lux prepared them with clenched teeth and only minor threats leveled at the blender. I corrected his measurements twice. He argued with the recipe four times. The girls left smiling, shaking, and carrying drinks made by a demon lord who was way too overqualified, overdressed, and under-approved.

Lux untied the apron and threw it onto the counter.

I caught it before the fabric landed in caramel. “Your shift ends in three hours.”

“No.”

“You’re scheduled until noon.”

“No.”

“You agreed to one full training shift.”

“I agreed while exhausted and injured.”

“You signed the employee handbook.”