they mauled each other with their tongues. Three other patrons bent over their laptops. And Genevieve and Hannah occupied a table right next to the window.
Hannah glanced my way, and I lifted my hand in a small wave. She wrinkled her nose at me as if I were a stray dog that just pooped on her lawn, then went back to arranging her Sophie-inspired hair around her shoulders and nodding earnestly at Genevieve.
I frowned. “Did you see that?”
“Uh huh.” Ang raised an eyebrow at me.
I dug into my school bag, pulled out one of the storage containers, and marched across the coffee shop.
“Want a cookie?” I pulled the top off the container and held it out. “No charge. We’re giving away some free stuff this afternoon.”
Genevieve frowned out the window, as if she was afraid someone might see her. Then she gave me the tiniest of smiles. “I guess. If it’s free.”
They each took a yellow cookie and then resumed their conversation and hair-flipping. I might as well have been the third chair at their table.
I slipped back behind the register and stacked the three cookie containers on the little shelf under the counter. I watched in satisfaction as both Hannah and Genevieve nibbled their cookies.
The first few coffee shop customers of our shift—a few older couples, a guy with bleached, spiked hair who settled down with his coffee and laptop, and a little girl with her dad who ordered hot chocolate—weren’t good candidates for our experiment, so they didn’t get cookies.
After a short lull, the bell on the door jangled, and I saw Andy Jones. His arm was outstretched to hold the door for someone behind him. And in strutted Sophie.
They walked side-by-side toward the counter, Sophie staring right at me, smirking so hard I thought her face might implode. Something about their proximity and way Andy walked slightly behind her told me this wasn’t a case of two people randomly walking into the coffee shop at the same time.
“Oh my God, she did not ,” Ang whispered.
I fumbled for the container of yellow cookies and set it on the counter next to the tip jar.
Andy and Sophie stood in front of the counter, scanning the menu posted on the wall behind me. I tried to ignore Sophie and watch Andy instead. I mean, he’d taken me to the cove just three days ago. He’d kissed me in the meadow, for cripe’s sake. And now he was studiously ignoring me. I narrowed my eyes. Was this because of Sophie? Or was there something else at work here?
“Hey, Andy,” I tried.
He swallowed a couple of times and started rubbing his forearm. “Uh, hey. Could I get a medium caramel macchiato?”
I marked a sixteen-ounce cup with his order, handed it to Ang, and rang up his drink.
“Let me guess,” I said, looking at Sophie. “Skinny mocha with sugar-free hazelnut?”
“Small,” she sneered.
“Together?”
“Yeah,” Andy said, and reached for his wallet. Sophie smiled triumphantly, and I wanted to poke her eyes out.
Instead, I pasted on my best customer-service smile and pushed the container of cookies toward them. “Help yourselves. They’re free.”
Sophie gave me a pinch-faced grimace. “No, thanks,” she said.
Funny how a phrase that was supposed to be polite was more like a slap across the face when it came from her.
Andy looked like he wanted to take one, but he didn’t. They moved down to the drink pick-up area and watched Ang make their coffees.
Damn. I really wanted to see what would happen if Sophie ate that cookie.
“Guess my great love affair with Andy Jones is over,” I said to Ang once Andy and Sophie were out of earshot. I watched as Andy pulled another chair up to Hannah and Genevieve’s table.
“Does that bother you?” Ang asked. I could tell she wasn’t sure if she should be sympathetic or not.
I scoffed. “No. I wasn’t really into him.” Still, it didn’t feel great to have him saunter in here with Sophie and basically ignore me. “But I do kind of wonder...”
I reached
Hannah glanced my way, and I lifted my hand in a small wave. She wrinkled her nose at me as if I were a stray dog that just pooped on her lawn, then went back to arranging her Sophie-inspired hair around her shoulders and nodding earnestly at Genevieve.
I frowned. “Did you see that?”
“Uh huh.” Ang raised an eyebrow at me.
I dug into my school bag, pulled out one of the storage containers, and marched across the coffee shop.
“Want a cookie?” I pulled the top off the container and held it out. “No charge. We’re giving away some free stuff this afternoon.”
Genevieve frowned out the window, as if she was afraid someone might see her. Then she gave me the tiniest of smiles. “I guess. If it’s free.”
They each took a yellow cookie and then resumed their conversation and hair-flipping. I might as well have been the third chair at their table.
I slipped back behind the register and stacked the three cookie containers on the little shelf under the counter. I watched in satisfaction as both Hannah and Genevieve nibbled their cookies.
The first few coffee shop customers of our shift—a few older couples, a guy with bleached, spiked hair who settled down with his coffee and laptop, and a little girl with her dad who ordered hot chocolate—weren’t good candidates for our experiment, so they didn’t get cookies.
After a short lull, the bell on the door jangled, and I saw Andy Jones. His arm was outstretched to hold the door for someone behind him. And in strutted Sophie.
They walked side-by-side toward the counter, Sophie staring right at me, smirking so hard I thought her face might implode. Something about their proximity and way Andy walked slightly behind her told me this wasn’t a case of two people randomly walking into the coffee shop at the same time.
“Oh my God, she did not ,” Ang whispered.
I fumbled for the container of yellow cookies and set it on the counter next to the tip jar.
Andy and Sophie stood in front of the counter, scanning the menu posted on the wall behind me. I tried to ignore Sophie and watch Andy instead. I mean, he’d taken me to the cove just three days ago. He’d kissed me in the meadow, for cripe’s sake. And now he was studiously ignoring me. I narrowed my eyes. Was this because of Sophie? Or was there something else at work here?
“Hey, Andy,” I tried.
He swallowed a couple of times and started rubbing his forearm. “Uh, hey. Could I get a medium caramel macchiato?”
I marked a sixteen-ounce cup with his order, handed it to Ang, and rang up his drink.
“Let me guess,” I said, looking at Sophie. “Skinny mocha with sugar-free hazelnut?”
“Small,” she sneered.
“Together?”
“Yeah,” Andy said, and reached for his wallet. Sophie smiled triumphantly, and I wanted to poke her eyes out.
Instead, I pasted on my best customer-service smile and pushed the container of cookies toward them. “Help yourselves. They’re free.”
Sophie gave me a pinch-faced grimace. “No, thanks,” she said.
Funny how a phrase that was supposed to be polite was more like a slap across the face when it came from her.
Andy looked like he wanted to take one, but he didn’t. They moved down to the drink pick-up area and watched Ang make their coffees.
Damn. I really wanted to see what would happen if Sophie ate that cookie.
“Guess my great love affair with Andy Jones is over,” I said to Ang once Andy and Sophie were out of earshot. I watched as Andy pulled another chair up to Hannah and Genevieve’s table.
“Does that bother you?” Ang asked. I could tell she wasn’t sure if she should be sympathetic or not.
I scoffed. “No. I wasn’t really into him.” Still, it didn’t feel great to have him saunter in here with Sophie and basically ignore me. “But I do kind of wonder...”
I reached
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