Page 14 of Sugar & Ink
“You said you skipped lunch. It’s nine-thirty. Sit down before you fall down.”
“I don’t take orders from strange men.”
“I’m Rome.”
“That doesn’t make you less strange.”
Fair.
I pulled out a chair and sat. “Then don’t take it as an order.”
She stared at me.
I pulled the burgers from the bag, set one across from me, then opened the fries. “Take it as dinner.”
For a second, she didn’t move. Then her stomach growled. Loud. Louder than mine would’ve if I hadn’t eaten half a sandwich between appointments.
Her eyes widened.
I looked at the fries, not at her. Figured that was nicer.
“Traitor,” she muttered.
“Your stomach?”
“Yes.”
“Smartest part of you right now.”
She huffed, but she pulled out the chair across from me and sat down. “You’re bossy.”
“Only when people are on ladders after twelve-hour shifts.”
“It wasn’t twelve.”
I checked my phone.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. It was twelve.”
I slid the burger toward her. “Eat, Josie.”
She stared at me for half a beat, then she unwrapped the burger. “You’re always this charming?”
“No.”
She took a bite, and for the first time since I’d walked in, her shoulders relaxed.
I grabbed my burger and leaned back in the chair.
The shop was quiet around us. It had the feel of a place that had been used hard all day and was also trying to take a breath.
It looked like a first day. A good one.
Josie chewed, swallowed, and pointed at me with a fry.
“You pie too?”
“Apple.”
