finally realize there really wasn’t a graceful way to end that sentence and her voice trailed off. Instead of finishing her thought, she looked at Jade sheepishly and shrugged.
“Um, so are we going or what?” Jade asked, still feeling slightly awkward.
“Yes, we’ll be taking the train so we should head out. Are those your things?” Paris asked, gesturing toward the small suitcase and carry-on bag Jade had by the front door.
Jade nodded, slinging the carry-on strap over her shoulder and grabbing the suitcase. When Paris stepped forward to take one of the bags, she moved a bit back. “I got it.” She didn't like people touching her things. “I just need to stop for coffee and I’m good to go.”
Paris looked at his watch. “Oh, I don’t believe there is time for coffee.”
Jade gave him an even stare. “Oh, there is always time for coffee.”
“I could go for a coffee,” Callie chimed.
“I’ve made travel arrangements for us already,” Paris said. “And since one of us was late,” he eyed Callie meaningfully again, “I’m afraid we really need to get going. If there’s time once we reach the station, perhaps we can stop there.”
“No, absolutely not. I know the train depot and the coffee there is - blergh.” Jade shuddered. “We can hit the place around the corner. It’ll take, like, five minutes.”
“We really don’t have time,” Paris said simply and Callie sort of sighed, apparently resigning herself to a lost point.
Jade pushed past them toward the elevator. “I’m telling you, coffee break will take five minutes.”
Paris turned with a strange look on his face and Callie looked stunned. Jade stared back at them as she stabbed the button for the elevator. She got the impression that no one had ever really argued with Paris before.
“I said we don’t have time,” said Paris plainly. He wasn’t angry or rude. He seemed completely flabbergasted they were still having the conversation.
“We have tickets, don’t we? And those things hardly ever leave on time. Who cares if we’re late?”
“That is hardly the point,” Paris said frowning.
Callie’s face turned back and forth between them like a tennis match.
“It’s totally the point,” Jade replied, stepping into the elevator when it arrived. “Make the train late with magic or something.”
“That is completely not allowed.”
“Then what are the perks of being a witch?”
Paris looked stymied. “There are no perks.”
Jade gave a snort. “Well, you got screwed over then, English.”
Paris had nothing to say to that. It was like his brain had frozen at the irreverent tone of her argument.
The elevator gave a ‘ding’ and they were at the main lobby. Jade pulled her suitcase behind her, rolling it across the tiled floor with a clack at each groove.
Paris stepped up beside her. “I cannot believe you are arguing with me about this.”
She stopped and turned to face him. “Me neither, I could have had coffee by now.” At his blank look she rolled her eyes. “Just… Go without me, I’ll meet you there. Honestly.” She turned to Callie, “I can get you something if you want.”
Callie’s face lit up and she was about to speak when Paris interrupted her. “We’ll go as a group.” He strode out in front of the women and Jade took a second to look at Callie and smirked. She mouthed the word ‘coffee’ with a smile.
Callie looked like she was stifling a laugh as she fell alongside the other woman.
Twenty minutes later, Jade sipped her coffee, content and victorious. She eyed Paris, sitting across from her, stonily staring out the window of their train compartment.
“See, time to spare,” she said as the train lurched forward and started rolling away from the station.
He turned his gaze on her. “If you count running through the train station in a most undignified manner ‘time to spare.’”
Jade shrugged. “Yet here we are, on the train. With our coffee.” Jade turned to Callie,
“Um, so are we going or what?” Jade asked, still feeling slightly awkward.
“Yes, we’ll be taking the train so we should head out. Are those your things?” Paris asked, gesturing toward the small suitcase and carry-on bag Jade had by the front door.
Jade nodded, slinging the carry-on strap over her shoulder and grabbing the suitcase. When Paris stepped forward to take one of the bags, she moved a bit back. “I got it.” She didn't like people touching her things. “I just need to stop for coffee and I’m good to go.”
Paris looked at his watch. “Oh, I don’t believe there is time for coffee.”
Jade gave him an even stare. “Oh, there is always time for coffee.”
“I could go for a coffee,” Callie chimed.
“I’ve made travel arrangements for us already,” Paris said. “And since one of us was late,” he eyed Callie meaningfully again, “I’m afraid we really need to get going. If there’s time once we reach the station, perhaps we can stop there.”
“No, absolutely not. I know the train depot and the coffee there is - blergh.” Jade shuddered. “We can hit the place around the corner. It’ll take, like, five minutes.”
“We really don’t have time,” Paris said simply and Callie sort of sighed, apparently resigning herself to a lost point.
Jade pushed past them toward the elevator. “I’m telling you, coffee break will take five minutes.”
Paris turned with a strange look on his face and Callie looked stunned. Jade stared back at them as she stabbed the button for the elevator. She got the impression that no one had ever really argued with Paris before.
“I said we don’t have time,” said Paris plainly. He wasn’t angry or rude. He seemed completely flabbergasted they were still having the conversation.
“We have tickets, don’t we? And those things hardly ever leave on time. Who cares if we’re late?”
“That is hardly the point,” Paris said frowning.
Callie’s face turned back and forth between them like a tennis match.
“It’s totally the point,” Jade replied, stepping into the elevator when it arrived. “Make the train late with magic or something.”
“That is completely not allowed.”
“Then what are the perks of being a witch?”
Paris looked stymied. “There are no perks.”
Jade gave a snort. “Well, you got screwed over then, English.”
Paris had nothing to say to that. It was like his brain had frozen at the irreverent tone of her argument.
The elevator gave a ‘ding’ and they were at the main lobby. Jade pulled her suitcase behind her, rolling it across the tiled floor with a clack at each groove.
Paris stepped up beside her. “I cannot believe you are arguing with me about this.”
She stopped and turned to face him. “Me neither, I could have had coffee by now.” At his blank look she rolled her eyes. “Just… Go without me, I’ll meet you there. Honestly.” She turned to Callie, “I can get you something if you want.”
Callie’s face lit up and she was about to speak when Paris interrupted her. “We’ll go as a group.” He strode out in front of the women and Jade took a second to look at Callie and smirked. She mouthed the word ‘coffee’ with a smile.
Callie looked like she was stifling a laugh as she fell alongside the other woman.
Twenty minutes later, Jade sipped her coffee, content and victorious. She eyed Paris, sitting across from her, stonily staring out the window of their train compartment.
“See, time to spare,” she said as the train lurched forward and started rolling away from the station.
He turned his gaze on her. “If you count running through the train station in a most undignified manner ‘time to spare.’”
Jade shrugged. “Yet here we are, on the train. With our coffee.” Jade turned to Callie,
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