I stared at the guy. "So you think I'm deluded?"
"No, I just never met someone so pretty who'd admit they were wrong." He flicked his head toward the drink. "So, anyway, you gonna tell me what's in it?"
By now, I was seriously rattled. On one hand, he sounded awfully jaded for someone so jolly. On the other hand, he'd just called me pretty.
Iwasn'tpretty. Oh sure, I was cute. I knewthatbecause everybody said so.
I had flaming red hair and a smattering of freckles, the kind that makeup couldn't hide. No matter what I did, I would never be the kind of bombshell that made guys likehimsit up and take notice.
Was hetryingto get under my skin?
And speaking of skin, I gave his bare arms a long, pointed look. "Before I tell you what's in the cup, I've got a question of my own."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"Aren't you freezing?"
He grinned. "Hell, yeah."
He looked so boyishly handsome that I almost grinned in return. "And that's agoodthing?"
"Sure," he said. "I'm trying to thicken my blood."
"Sorry, what?"
"My blood," he repeated. "I've been living in Florida, and it's gotten too thin forthiskind of weather."He glanced around, taking in the white landscape and falling snow. "So every day, for maybe fifteen, twenty minutes, I step outside with no coat, freeze my ass off, and then return to the house."
He meant, of course,myhouse – not that I would dream of mentioning it. "And you've been doing this forhowmany days now?"
"Counting today?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah."
He flashed me another grin. "One."
I laughed in spite of myself. "So, how come you're not shivering?"
"Mind over body," he said.
"But shivering isn't something we control."
"Speak for yourself," he said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a basic black wallet. He flipped it open and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. He tossed it onto the counter and said, "Anyway, keep the change."
I stared down at the money. "So you want the drink?" I looked up and tried to read his expression. "Even though you don't know what's in it?"
Suddenly, I recalled that I'd promised to tell him what the cup contained if only he answeredmyquestion first, which he totally had.
But already, he was saying, "I'm not buying it forme."
"So, whoareyou buying it for?"
"You." And with that, he turned and began walking away.
I called out after him. "Wait!"
He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Yeah?"
"Why would you buy it forme? I mean, I have all the free coffee I want."
