Chapter 5
Despite having shrugged off her sister’s jokes the night before, Mallory found herself thinking about James when she went into town the next day with Ariel’s laptop in her shoulder bag. She didn’t have a crush on him—that would be ridiculous, considering she’d only spoken to him twice in over twenty years. Since the computer incident, she’d discovered that he was single and had returned to Ferndale to take care of his ailing aunt, but that was all she knew about him.
So then how could she have a crush on him?
It made no sense, and that was what she’d told Ariel when her sister had tried to trick her into saying something she didn’t mean.
That’s what siblings are for, I suppose,she thought to herself as she opened the door to the new coffee shop on Main Street.Tormenting you.
Inside, the shop was warm, a welcome change from the brisk morning air that had started to bite Mallory’s nose and cheeks. Breathing in the smell of coffee and cinnamon, she smiled and stepped up to order at the register. Afterward, she staked out a premium working spot near the little cozy fireplace on the far wall. Her name was called out shortly after she’d finished unloading her bag. When she approached the counter and saw the overly full coffee mug, however, she paused.
“Oh.”
The barista frowned. “Is something wrong? You got a vanilla latte, right?”
Mallory nodded. “Yes, I did. I just thought it was going to be in a paper cup… with a lid.”
“But you said you were ordering for here.”
“I know, I know.” Mallory waved a hand in the air. “I’m not blaming you. It was my mistake. I just tend to be a little clumsy, and I’m worried that I might spill coffee on my laptop. It… wouldn’t be the first time.” She winced a little. “I hate to do this, but is there any way you can pour the drink into a to-go cup?”
“I can,” she said. “But we are out of to-go lids, so I’m not sure how much that’d help.”
Mallory looked around anxiously for another solution. The shop was selling their own branded reusable cups, but they were $25, and Mallory had already spent more than she was comfortable with on the coffee itself. She really had to watch her spending since her credit card bill would be due any day now.
“No, that’s okay.” She reached for the mug and carefully brought it to her lips. “I’m just going to take a couple big sips while I’m standing here.”
“Okay, but be careful! It’s—”
The liquid burned Mallory’s lips and mouth as she drank, bringing tears to her eyes right away. She sputtered and coughed, putting the mug back down on the counter as her body tried to forcefully rid itself of boiling coffee.
“Hot…” the barista finished her sentence a few seconds too late.
Mallory squeezed her eyes shut and graciously accepted a cup of water from the barista, drinking it greedily. Glancing around the coffee shop, she flinched to see who might’ve witnessed her embarrassment. She felt like crawling under a rock and not coming out until after the new year. Not only wouldshe dodge any potential humiliation, but she could also relax and let Taylor handle the whole Sasha situation.
That would be nice…
At first, it seemed nobody in the coffee shop was paying any attention to her, but then her eyes fell on a pair of greenish-blue ones, and her heart skipped a beat. It was James. He was standing off to the side and smiled shyly at her.
You’ve got to be joking.
Returning an awkward smile, Mallory grabbed her mug again and scurried to her table. When she sat down, she let out a heavy sigh and pressed her hand to her forehead. She had a feeling James was going to come over and say something, and she was right. A few seconds later, she caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. Despite the lingering sense of embarrassment that rattled through her, Mallory tried to center herself and glanced up at him.
“Hey,” she said casually, “how’s it going?”
“I was going to ask you the same question,” he said with a laugh. “Are you okay? It seemed like you were maybe choking a little back there?”
“It was just a little hotter than I thought,” she said. “But I’m fine now.”
“Good.” He slid his hands into his pockets, and it was then that Mallory noticed how nicely he was dressed. He was wearing dark-wash jeans and a wheat-colored sweater. He’d combed his hair back, and his demeanor was much softer and more laid-back than the last time she saw him.
“Are you off work today?” she asked.
“Yup. The whole week actually,” he announced happily. “I asked for it off ages ago, and I have seniority, so I was able to swing it. This will be my first year not having to work the Black Friday shift.”
“Congratulations. Do you have any plans for your week off?”
“Nothing concrete,” he said. “But Thanksgiving has always been my aunt’s favorite holiday, so we’re going to really do it up this year with food. A couple of her friends are coming over to help me cook—since I’m hopeless in the kitchen—and then we’ll watch some Christmas movies or something. My aunt really loves this time of year.”
