I’m stunned. When I finally look to gauge the blonde’s expression and the damage I’ll have to deal with, it knocks the breath from my chest harder than her attitude ever could.
She’ssmiling.
It’s genuine and bright, like sunlight reflecting off snow in the wintertime, practically blinding. And for some reason, the sound of her soft, breathless laugh punches beneath my ribs in a way I don’tappreciate. I refuse to focus too much on why, but I think I prefer her rage.
“Ellie? You’re friendly, aren’t you?!” she coos, rubbing Ellie’s face and ears like the dog didn’t just body-check her into the floor.
Ellie melts into her touch, tail thumping an excited rhythm. Something inside me churns violently. This isn’t right.
“I didn’t know you liked dogs, Tris,” Callie says, staring at her with a mixture of surprise and fascination.
“I love animals,” she laughs out as Ellie practically sprawls her entire body over her legs, looking for more belly rubs.
WhenTrislooks back up, her eyes find mine. As if I’m watching hell freeze over in real time, her glare turns so icy it almost gives me frostbite.
“It’s people that I have a problem with.” She gives Ellie one more belly rub before standing up and wiping herself off. “Let me know if you need anything, Callie.”
She walks away, but not before dismissing me with a look of disgust.
Once she’s gone, a low whistle comes from Tom. “Damn, man. What the hell did you do? You’ve been here for five minutes and are already on her shit list?”
“It doesn’t really seem like a hard list to get on,” I mumble between bites of my sandwich, which is most definitely not what I ordered.
“True,” Tom says, considering it with a tilt of his head. “But you definitely brought out her claws.”
“Those aren’t claws,” Callie snorts. “Tris is like a rose. She’sbeautiful on the outside, but get too close, and you’ll see she has thorns.”
“Huh,” Tom huffs. “I guess in a way, she’s just like you.”
“That woman is nothing like me,” I say between coughs, choking on my coffee. “I know how to make a decent cup of coffee.”
Callie’s face drops. “Oh, no.” She waits for Tris to finish taking a customer’s order before calling her back over. “Tris, there’s something wrong with Levi’s coffee.”
She reluctantly turns her attention to me. I stare at her for a second, wondering how the hell she ended up working here, before she finally loses her patience.
Her arms come up, folding in front of her as she taps her manicured nails on her arm. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with it, or should I start making guesses? You any good at charades? That might help.”
This woman and her quick, smart-ass remarks. Maybe Tom’s got a point, she is like me. Not that I’d ever admit that out loud.
“Nothing’s wrong with it.” I take a spoon from the table and stick it into the mug.
All eyes are on me, wondering what I’m doing.
“Unless you enjoy your coffee without a spoonful of coffee grounds.” I pull the spoon up to reveal at least a teaspoon of gritty grounds.
She looks from the teaspoon to me, but before answering, I catch the glance she throws in Callie’s direction.
“I’m so sorry about that. Let me get you a new cup.” She takes my mug, but before she goes, I can’t help myself.
“Make sure you actually use a coffee filter this time. Those are the round things that go into the baskets. The filter goes first,thenthe coffee grounds.”
That same shade of red from before slowly fills her cheeks, but this time she doesn’t say whatever it is she’s dying to. It’s so obviously on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she nods her head and walks away. Her long legs move her through the cafe effortlessly.
“Oh, good, Ainsley is back from her break,” Callie sighs in relief, pulling my attention back to the table. “I’ll tell her to put itin a to-go cup for you, and we’ll meet you at the truck. We need to get going if we’re going to make your haircut appointment.”
They leave, and shortly after, Tris comes striding back toward my table with my fresh cup of coffee. She glances over her shoulder, making sure the coast is clear before zeroing in on me. She slams my to-go cup onto the table in front of me so hard that I’m grateful there’s a lid. Ellie wags her tail next to us, clearly not picking up on the temperature shift as the waves of anger roll off Tris.
“Are you trying to get me fired?” She plants a hand on her hip, her stance daring me to push her as she demands an answer.
