Page 39 of Once Upon a Lie

Valentina

2:50 p.m.

After-hours cleanup has begun, and the shop still smells like burned poppy seed bagels from this morning.

Breakfast was a rush. Lunch was an even bigger rush. And for some reason, my head hasn’t been as “in the game” as I’d like it to be. Thankfully, I spend my days dealing in cinnamon and coffee, but if I were in, say, the brain-fixing business, some people probably wouldn’t be waking up from surgery.

Sorry, imaginary patients.

Cher’s counting the tip jar while Sunnie’s perched on the counter, scrolling on her phone and pretending to “inventory” the bakery case. They both jump to attention when they notice me watching.

“Do you want to tell me why we’re down to three napkins?” I ask, tossing an empty box into recycling and smiling as they tuck away their money and electronics and giggle like hyenas.

“Because we’re popular, boss,” Sunnie explains affectionately, picking through the remaining bagels to give us an idea of how many of each kind to start with tomorrow.

Cher snorts. “Sunnie handed out five napkins with every iced latte like she was Oprah. We’re popular, but that shipment of napkins just came in last week.”

“Throw me under the bus much?” Sunnie questions, tossing her pen at Cher so pathetically she catches it easily. When Cher shrugs, Sunnie turns to me, grinning. “Some people are messy, Teeny. I’m providing a service. And you know it’s crazy warm for October. The ice in the lattes melts so fast, and I never want anyone to ruin their work clothes.”

“Well, that’s really kind of you, Sun, but you’re providing us with a paper shortage,” I respond with a dramatic tsk. “If you keep at the You get a napkin! You get a napkin! dramatics, we’ll have to limit them to one again like Christmas season two years ago.”

“Oh no, not the napkin rationing.” Cher groans and laughs at the same time. “Customers still bring that up.”

“Yeah, and I’ll have no qualms about throwing Sunnie under the bus, too, if we have to do it again.”

“Hey!” Sunnie refutes. “I’ll be good! I promise!”

“Uh-huh,” I respond with a roll of my eyes. “You said that two weeks ago, too, remember? When you kept giving that lacrosse player with the eyebrow scar a free bagel every time he came in.” I pause a beat before continuing. “He was here ten times a day by the end of the week.”

“Oh my God! I forgot about that!” Cher cackles.

“That was a weird period in my life that I would prefer not to revisit,” Sunnie says, but she’s smiling. “I had just broken up with Jared, and I just . . . felt a little impulsive in finding his replacement. As we all now know, Eyebrow Scar wasn’t a good idea.”

Cher and I both laugh, and I envelop Sunnie in a hug. “All in good time, Sunnieboo. But maybe . . . this time . . . wait for the guy to chase you?” I shake my head as Cher laughs behind us, dragging myself to the register to open the drawer and start sorting coins. “You never know when a guy will just show up at your door with industrial-grade trash bags,” I muse, making myself chortle.

“What?” Cher and Sunnie ask in unison, pulling my head up sharply. I didn’t mean to say that part aloud.

“Nothing.” I clear my throat.

“Ahhh, uh-uh,” Sunnie taunts. “That doesn’t sound like nothing. That doesn’t sound like nothing at all.”

“It is. It’s just . . . the new guy . . . in my building. He was in here last week?” Both gals press their lips together as they share a glance, and for some nonsensical reason, I keep going. “Tall. Muscular. He has an easy smile and an appreciation for an Asiago bagel,” I explain with a snort. “Well, after the raccoon incident?”

They nod, having heard my tale of woe.

“He . . . he brought me some really good trash bags.”

Ugh. What am I even saying?

“Never mind. It’s nothing.” Though it isn’t nothing—I just don’t have a name for it yet.

Cher’s eyebrows lift. “Has he stopped by again?”

“No,” I say too fast.

“Have you seen him in your building since he stopped by with his . . . gift?” Sunnie presses.

“No.” It was only yesterday, but if I’m being honest, it was probably the stomach-churning desire for him to step foot in here today that burned my poppy seed bagels this morning and dropped a tray of fresh plain around noon.