Page 36 of A Spot of Tea
He hadn’t even liked tea before meeting Eliza. Like a fool, he thought the only tea out there was Lipton. There was an entire world of teas Eliza had introduced him to – fruity herbal teas, green teas, oolongs. Tonight, he was drinking pu-erh, a fermented variety Eliza made him try. He couldn’t get enough.
“Well hello there!” Cora yelled as they approached the table. “Took you two long enough.”
“People need their tea,” Eliza said, taking a seat. “Joey, this is Cora, and—”
Cora thrust her hand forward. “I hear you’re Eliza’s partner in crime.”
She had a delicate, cold grasp and an intense gaze. Her blonde hair was smooth and fluffed – what his sister called a blowout? Yeah, a blowout.
She wore a lot of makeup – red lipstick, black eyeliner, lots of shades of brown and glitter on her eyes. It fit with her nose ring and sequined shirt, but none of her seemed to fit with the rest of the tea shop – or Eliza, who didn’t wear makeup at all.
Or maybe she did? He couldn’t tell. Eliza was just pretty.
“Partners in crime,” he mused. “I like that for us.”
“I’m Mackenzie, Eliza’s mean older sister.” Mackenzie waved from her seat and made no attempt to smile.
“I’ve got a mean older sister of my own,” he said, dropping into his chair. “I’m not afraid.”
She didn’t laugh, raising her eyebrows at him. “What made you decide to involve Eliza in your hunt for the bank robber?”
Eliza shot her an exasperated look. “You don’t have to immediately interrogate him. He’s not a threat.”
Mackenzie looked at her and narrowed her eyes. “Everyone is a threat.”
Eliza shook her head. “Don’t mind her.”
He smiled and poured himself a cup of tea. “I thought working with Eliza would give me the best chance at getting the reward money. I thought she’d be a good investigation partner.”
“Smart,” Cora said, nodding.
“But,” he added, “I was wrong.”
Cora dropped her teacup onto the saucer with a loud clang. “Sorry,” she whispered.
“Do you guys want me to read the rules aloud?” Eliza asked, holding up the instructions to Cascadia.
Mackenzie waved a hand and leaned in. “What do you mean you were wrong?”
“Eliza’s not a good partner.” He took a sip of the tea. Excellent, as always. “She’s an amazing partner.”
Cora loudly sighed.
“Joey,” Eliza said, her tone stern but her face hiding a smile. “Let’s focus on the game, please.”
“She remembered almost everything about the guy. The bank employees open up to her and tell her things they forgot to tell the police, and I’m convinced she’s going to figure out his identity any day now.”
“Interesting.” Mackenzie sat back. “If she’s so great at this, what does she need you for?”
He didn’t miss a beat. “She’s using me for my plane.”
Eliza laughed. “I like the plane, but that’s not it. Joey is the motivation. I wouldn’t have done this on my own. He’s sort of like an airborne cheerleader.”
“Do you put on a little outfit, too?” Mackenzie asked with a smirk. “Pom-poms? Ribbons in your hair? I’d love to see it.”
“So would I!” Cora said. “I mean, I want to go flying. I don’t care what you wear.”
“There aren’t pom-poms, but I’ve got sunglasses. Does that count?”
