I lowered my fork. "Excuseme?"
"The melanin in your hair. Yellow hair has less melanin than dark hair. It seems...unnatural."
I set my fork down on the plate. "You think my hair is unnatural?" My lipstwitched.
"It's too Swedish for a town like Midnight Cove. Do you realize you're one of the only blondeshere?"
I blinked at him. "You do realize hair color is genetic and I have zero say in what I came outwith?"
"I'm aware." He shoveled the eggs in his mouth and chewedslowly.
"So you're prejudiced against haircolor?"
Hank rolled his eyes. "No. I just find it odd that Midnight Cove has a mix of black, red, browns, greens, oranges and basically every other hair color on the planet and only a couple ofblondes."
"Okay. Then I'm an anomaly and it offends you?" I was currently in the process of deciding whether or not to be pissed off athim.
"Nothing offends me. It's a little bothersome. Like agnat."
"Are you for real right now?" I muttered under my breath. "So what if I colored myhair?"
"Why do you care so much what I think about yourhair?"
"Well, I didn't until you kept telling me you didn't like blondes and then pronounced my lack of melanin to beoffensive!"
He clacked his mug down on the table. "Are we seriously fighting abouthair?"
"I have blue eyes," I announced loudly. "This too means my melanin is lacking!" I slapped the back of my hand against my forehead, wincing at the pain. "And my skin. So pale! Forgive me Irishancestors!"
Hank's lips twitched. "It doesn't hurt that I also find you veryannoying."
"I can live with that. What I can't live with is a melaninjudger."
"So now I'm offended by melanin rather than just yourhair?"
"Well you said there were only a few blondes, so I'm assuming your distaste is for all ofus."
"No," he said totally deadpan, "it's just foryou."
"Well then. Glad we got that settled." I shook my head, marveling at the weirdness of this. "Weirdest conversation ever. Would you like me to put on a hattoday?"
"A lack of melanin does mean you'll sunburn easier, but that's up to you. Maybe it will make your skin a little darker so I don't shudder every time I see a flash ofskin."
"You are ridiculous," I hissed under mybreath.
"And quite a competent gardener," he announced. "When you're finished with your coffee you might want to take ashower."
I huffed out an annoyed breath. "Because Ismell?"
"You said it," he said. "Plus you have drool in your melanin lackinghair."
I lifted a piece of it up only to realize he was right. I gnashed my teeth and stood up too abruptly. I brought my hand up to my head and Hank was about to stand when I waved him away. I headed to the bathroom and turned on the spray as hot as I couldstand.
Hank. That dude wasweird.
