Page 56 of Kiss Me Like You Mean It

Kat hums thoughtfully. ‘Yeah, we are a lot in this town. I’m used to everyone being in my business and having an opinion but I can see how it could be difficult. Actually, it may surprise you to hear this, but I myself thrive on the attention.’ She tosses her hair and fixes me with a wide grin, making me laugh.

‘I’m the total opposite,’ I admit. ‘I don’t love being perceived. If I could exist as a sort of nebulous energy cloud in public, that would be great.’ I sigh happily at the thought.

‘If I promise to try and perceive you as a nebulous energy cloud in great boots, will that help?’

‘Maybe,’ I smile. ‘Thanks.’

‘What are friends for? Anyway, I’m glad you took me up on the invitation to visit my place. What can I get you?’

I look over the giant chalkboard on the wall behind her. ‘A maple-oat latte, please, the biggest size you have,’ I say before turning to linger over the glass case of pastries. ‘These look amazing.’

‘Try the pecan muffins,’ Kat advises. ‘I buy them in fresh from this baker in the next town over. They’ll change your life.’

‘Sold.’

Kat gets to work making my coffee, chatting the whole time. I can’t believe how easy it is to be around her. In between the slightly overwhelming town meeting and the weirdly charged conversation I had with Nico, last night was surprisingly fun. Nico’s friends are great, and I actually managed to relax and enjoy myself with them.

I can’t remember the last time I felt so comfortable with new people.

‘This place is lovely,’ I say, looking around in appreciation. ‘The perfect spot to get some work done.’ And it is: it’s light and airy and full of dark shining wood and splashy green plants. Kat grinds some coffee beans and the rich smell fills the air.

‘Thanks,’ Kat nods as she moves easily around the giant silver coffee machine. ‘It’s been a lot of effort, but I love how it turned out.’

She hands me my coffee, and I reach for my purse with my other hand, but she stops me with a wave. ‘Nope, first one’s on the house.’

‘Oh!’ I stop, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. ‘That’s so nice.’

The bell over the door rings.

‘Hello, Kat. Good morning, Lee,’ the dapper-looking man approaching us calls out as the door closes behind him.

‘Hi, Gerald. You want the usual?’

He nods in agreement.

‘Hi, Gerald,’ I repeat after Kat, trying to commit his face and name to memory.

We make conversation for a couple of minutes while Kat makes his coffee, and I feel unnecessarily proud of myself for asking him two questions instead of just nodding politely. Look at me! I’m doing it! I’m integrating!

By the time Gerald heads back out the door (with a coffee for his husband Carl) a queue has formed, and just as I realise that I’m being trapped in a sinking quagmire of small talk, Kat interrupts.

‘Lee has a ton of work to do, so stop yapping at her and concentrate. Who wanted the maple scone?’

As the hungry crowd turn their attention to Kat, she winks at me and mouths the words nebulous energy cloud. Gratefully, I take my coffee and muffin and head for a table in the back where I pull out my laptop.

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been working on a complicated money laundering case that involves investigating several years of accounts across multiple businesses and I lose myself for a while in the soothing familiarity of the work, sipping my delicious coffee, devouring the sweet and spicy cake and hoovering up all the crumbs as I try to untangle the puzzle in front of me. They look innocent enough, but my gut says there are secrets hiding inside all these numbers, and I’m going to ferret them out.

‘Lee,’ a voice breaks through my concentration and I blink, lifting my eyes from my computer screen, like I’m coming out of a deep sleep.

Kat is standing over me, her hands on her hips. ‘I said your name, like four times.’

‘Sorry,’ I wince. ‘I get a bit involved in my work.’

‘I can see that,’ she says, eyeing my computer screen. ‘It looks like you’re trying to crack the Matrix.’

‘Something like that,’ I agree, and when I catch sight of the clock in the corner of the screen I realise I’ve been sitting here for over two hours.

‘Nico called in his lunch order and I wondered if you wanted to take it over for him?’ she asks. ‘He’s working up at the inn, and you have his truck, right? I think Luke was going to pick it up for him later but as you’re here…’