I slam that door shut before the memories leak out from where I’ve buried them. No way am I going to think about him again ever, let alone on what is the best day I’ve had in a very long time. No, I’m going to focus on keeping things simple. Orderly. Easy. After all, I’m not one to rock the boat just to see what falls out.
I don’t tell any of this to him, of course. Instead, I raise one of my own brows and say, “You’re the one who counts the blueberries in his drink. All I’m trying to do is get what I ordered sometime before the dinner rush. Which, incidentally, starts in”—I make a show of glancing at my watch—“approximately four hours. ”
“So, we’ve got plenty of time then. Why don’t you pull up a bar stool and we’ll get to know each other a little? I don’t have anywhere I need to be. ”
The guy next to him—the trainee—makes a choked little sound in the back of his throat. But he doesn’t say anything, just takes a drink from the second Ethan Special cup, so I don’t bother looking over at him. Especially since every instinct I have is screaming at me to keep my eyes on the guy in front of me. That looking away would be akin to admitting a defeat I am suddenly hell-bent on avoiding.
“Well, that makes one of us. I, however, have a meeting in fifteen minutes that I can’t be late for. ”
“Hmm. That certainly puts you at a disadvantage then, doesn’t it?”
“Why? Because I have a job that actually requires me to perform the duties that are in my job description?”
This time the noise the trainee makes sounds somewhere between a cat hacking up a furball and a hyena in its death throes. “Are you okay?” I finally demand, still not taking my eyes off his trainer. “Because, frankly, I’m getting concerned. ”
He makes the sound again, then slaps his chest hard before taking another long sip from his drink. “I’m good, thanks. ”
“Glad to hear it. I was beginning to think he’d poisoned you. ”
“I never poison anyone on the first day. The second day, however, is an entirely different story. ”
“I wouldn’t go around admitting that to anyone. It makes you—and Frost Industries—culpable if anyone ever suffers so much as a mild case of food poisoning. ”
He steps back then, looks me over from top to toes. “God. You’re one of the lawyers, aren’t you?”
I might have been excited that it was that obvious, except he definitely doesn’t make it sound like a compliment. Which, I admit, gets my hackles up even more. “Is that a problem?”
Before he can answer, someone comes up behind me and orders a Hawaiian Sunrise. The trainer chats easily with him even as he begins scooping ingredients into a blender. Less than ninety seconds later, he puts a beautiful, pinkish orange smoothie on the counter. The guy runs his badge through the scanner, grabs his drink, and then heads off with a wave.
I watch the whole thing go down, then turn to him in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me?”
He does an admirable job of looking confused. “Is something wrong?”
“You just gave him my drink!”
“No. I just gave him his drink. ” He taps the cup in front of me. “That’s your drink. ”
I’m not even sure what I’m feeling at this point. Annoyance, definitely. Shock, probably. Amusement? Strangely enough, I think there’s some of that going on, too. This guy is so brash, so bold, so in-my-face that I can’t help being impressed. Even as I’m determined to put him in his place.
“Are you always this insufferable?” I demand.
“Only when I’m right. ”
“I thought the customer was always right. ”
He cocks his head to the side, pretends to think for a second. Then says, “Nope. Not always. But hey, how about this? I’ll make your drink right now if you give the Ethan Special a try. ” He pushes the smoothie a little closer to me. “Come on. Just one sip. ”
“I didn’t realize this was a negotiation. ”
“Life is a negotiation. ”
“No. It’s a cereal. ” I eye the smoothie. “What if I don’t like it?”
“What if you do?”
“It’s an unnecessary risk. ”
“Almost everything is an unnecessary risk. Sometimes the risk is worth the reward. ” He’s smiling now, but the look in his eyes is intense. Interested. Interesting. It tugs at something deep inside me, makes me wonder, when I never wonder. Makes me want, when I never want.