His nose was filled with the nutty aroma of fresh ground coffee. Inside, Ambrosia was lit softly to enhance the atmosphere. He stepped in onto a mat over a tile floor. Café style seating with wire backed chairs and tables filled the tiled area until it gave way to a carpeted floor. Random couches, recliners, easy chairs, and coffee tables cluttered the carpeted area comfortably. Tall bookshelves created a short partition wall between the café and living room styled sections. Paintings and photographs by local artists hung on the walls. The coffee shop was full, but not crowded, and conversation buzzed lightly over soft music. He was 15 minutes early, since his father had instilled in all his employees and his son the same appreciation for punctuality. In Zachariah McConnell’s world, if you weren’t 15 minutes early, you were late. From one of the couches in the back, Jaimie looked up and saw the tall, handsome young man come in. “Oh, look. If it isn’t Adonis,” she said snidely to Leana, who sat on the couch beside her drinking chai.
