“I can pay for my own breakfast.”
Mark’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you already ate breakfast. You had a granola bar on the train.”
“I eat two breakfasts,” I said defensively. “Sometimes three if it’s a really bad morning.”
“At least eat a soup muffin,” Mark growled. “It’s better than the cake and ice cream you normally eat.”
“Potato, cheddar, and bacon okay?” Chloe asked, putting a muffin in Mark’s bag. “They’re his favorite.”
My stomach grumbled.
“She wants a coffee too,” Mark added, “Probably the large one with all the bells and whistles.”
Chloe smiled. “We have caramel-flavored whipped cream.”
I perked up. “Yes, please!”
“Sprinkles?”
“It’s like you’re reading my mind!”
14
Mark
Igestured Brea to a table. “It will be out soon. She likes to warm up the muffins.”
“Oh, uh.” Brea made a face as if the thought of sitting with me displeased her. I wasn’t sure why that hurt. “I can just take mine to go.”
“Trust me, I don’t want to spend any more time with you than necessary,” I snarled. “But I made the rest of the changes you requested to the website and app. You need to review them.” I handed her my tablet.
Brea was perusing the website as Chloe brought the food out. “She’s cute!” she whispered in my ear as she set the muffin in front of me.
“Never happening.”
“How’s your second breakfast?” I asked Brea as she bit into the muffin. She made a moaning sound that made my skin tingle.
“Delicious,” she said around the food.
“Ready to give up cake and ice cream?”
“Never.” She took a long sip of her coffee.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s so large you need two hands!”
Her mouth made a little O.
Shit.
“Sorry, that was…”
I gulped. Brea raised an eyebrow. “It’s just because my hands are so small—they make everything look bigger. Don’t get a big head.”
* * *
The computer codeswam in my vision. It was almost lunchtime, and I had barely accomplished anything.
It’s because of Brea, I decided. I shouldn’t have offered her breakfast, but then I had an account at the Gray Dove Bakery, and Brea had beenright there, and it would have been rude not to.
