Page 41 of Of Literature and Lattes
Jeremy stepped back and ran his hands through his hair.
“I can tell you what everybody ordered if you want.” Brendon tapped the tablet.
Jeremy pushed off the counter. “No. Thanks, though.” He turned away as a customer approached Brendon. “You get back to work.”
In his periphery he noticed Alyssa tucked into a corner table. He pulled an espresso shot, added a little steamed milk, grabbed one of the last muffins from the display case, and crossed the store to slide them onto her table.
“I didn’t order anything,” she commented without lifting her head.
“I thought you could use a pick-me-up.”
That got her head up, straight up. “You’re really tall. Did you know that?”
“I’ve heard it mentioned.” He laughed and felt his first moment of ease. “I’ve noted you’re pretty tall yourself.”
She stretched her back, nodded to the gifts, and with a thank-you she reached into her bag and shook a few Tums from a large plastic bottle.
“My food isn’t that bad.”
She laughed. “It’s not at all. My last job gave me ulcers and you’d think they’d be gone by now, but this has me in knots.” She pointed to her open laptop.
“What are you working on?”
“Your numbers.”
“So that’s what’s bad... At least it’s not my food.” He leaned forward. “How bad is it? You don’t look pleased.”
Alyssa shrugged. “I’m notnotpleased and I’m beginning to get a good picture, but there are some questions.” She followed her two Tums with a corner of the muffin.
“Such as?”
“Inconsistencies. Let me play around more before we talk, though. I want to follow the trails myself. Anything you say can prejudice what I find.”
“It’s not a court of law,” Jeremy laughed.
“But once you tell me a story, that’s the one I’ll see. It will influence how I interpret what I find. But do you have any other accounts you didn’t give me? Anything at all?”
He shook his head. “I gave you everything.” He pointed to one of her spreadsheets. “I hope you noted how much I trust you. I didn’t even delete the account numbers.”
She smiled. “I deleted them for you. You’ve got to keep that information secure.”
He scrunched his nose. “It seemed like a nice gesture, but you’re right.”
Alyssa laughed and tapped his forearm. “I caught it. My nice gesture was to delete them.”
“Why’d you ask that? About the accounts? What’s wrong?” He leaned back and her hand fell away.
“I’m not sure... Something.” She glanced first at her computer, then at him. “Hey... It’s going to be okay.”
He leaned forward again, his face inches from hers. “I hardly know you, think you’re most likely wrong, but I love that you believe that.”
For one moment, everything stilled. He vaguely recalled having said something similar to her when they first met and wondered what was up—with him. He opened his mouth to recant, cover, or say something to backtrack, when he looked into her eyes. They were just about the most beautiful blue he’d ever seen.
She leaned back in her chair and studied him. Rather than downplay his words or brush them away with embarrassment, she seemed to absorb them. “I need it to be true too.”
He nodded.
She held his gaze a beat longer before she broke eye contact and looked around the coffee shop.
