“Could have fooled me. You seemed to be having a good time talking with Melanie, then when I came back from the bar you were quiet.”

  “So were you,” she said.

  Guess he wasn’t doing that great of a job hiding his mood. He wondered now if that was what caused hers.

  “So that is why you got quiet, because I was?”

  “I guess.”

  “Or not,” he said back.

  She shrugged and he let it drop. He figured they could address it when they got back to his place and he could see her face better, see what was really going on in her mind, maybe. He’d never been good at reading women.

  It was odd driving in silence though when the two of them never had much silence between them.

  Thankfully it was a short drive and they were soon pulling into his place. By the time they got to his apartment, him following behind her, watching the sway of her hips, but the tension in her shoulders, he knew something wasn’t right.

  “So are you going to tell me what is going on in your head? It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Maybe he shouldn’t have brought her there after all tonight.

  “No. It was fine.”

  “Yet I don’t believe a word of what you are saying.”

  He started to take his tie off that had been suffocating him all night long. If he’d been thinking straight he would have taken it off the minute he got in the car, but he’d been more concerned over Payton’s mood change.

  “Are you seeing someone behind my back?” she blurted out. Talk about words dropping from the sky.

  “What?” he asked, turning sharply to look at her face. She had to be joking. Hadn’t they had this discussion before?

  “You heard me,” she said, crossing her arms, her breasts pushing up. He shouldn’t be distracted by that, but damn it was hard since he’d been fantasizing getting her out of that dress all night long.

  “What would make you ask me that?”

  “I was approached by someone who insinuated that you were in a romantic relationship at work. That you spend a lot of time together.”

  “Who said that?” he asked.

  “It doesn’t matter. What I want to know is if I’m just some game to you. If you are using me like everyone else has in my life.”

  There were tears in her eyes and his anger was lessening even though he wanted to throw something. “No. I don’t have the patience for games, nor the talent for it. I told you that. How many times did you hear people say I never bring a date to those functions?”

  “Exactly. Everyone was shocked over it. It made me wonder why. Look at you. You’ve got it all. Brains, looks, a good job. You’re the perfect guy and yet you never have a date with you. Why?”

  “Because I keep my private life private. I don’t have to parade women to people at work.”

  “So you do have a lot of women in your life?” she asked one tear escaping down her cheek. He was making a complete mess of this.

  “No. I’ve dated. Of course I have. You know that, but nothing serious. What the hell was said to you?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Yes, it does. It was Anne, wasn’t it?”

  “So you admit it?” she asked, looking for a tissue in his kitchen, then settling on a paper towel and blowing her nose.

  “No. I just know that she has wanted something more with me. She has been hinting at it for a good year. I avoid ever being alone with her though.”

  “She said that you have lunch and work together and they lead to other things.”

  “She actually said that?” he asked, running his hand through his hair. Jesus, he was so out of touch with women that Anne would actually say that.

  “Close enough.”

  “And you believe her? I’m guilty because someone you never met came up and made accusations.”

  “I asked her point blank if you two were romantically involved and she said she never said that. But she was insinuating it.”

  “She wouldn’t admit it because it’s not true. And a few weeks ago my secretary told me I should tell Anne I was dating someone.”

  “Why were you talking to your secretary about me?”

  “Because I had a student come into my office and try to blackmail me for a better grade.”

  “What?” she asked. “That happens?”

  “It does. She threw her father’s name around as a big donor. Then she said she could tell people we were dating and that she broke it off and I gave her a bad grade. My door was open and my secretary heard it all and Jenna—the student—stormed out in a huff that she was caught.”

  “I can’t believe anyone would stoop that low for a higher grade.”

  “You’d be surprised. That’s beside the point. But Cindy made a comment if people knew I was married or in a relationship, things like that wouldn’t happen. I said being a relationship wouldn’t change anything and that I was in one.”

  “I agree. It wouldn’t stop anyone from doing those things. I can’t tell you how many times I get hit on by men with wedding rings on.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Since we’ve been dating, you are hit on?”

  “Bryce, I get hit on all the time. That’s never going to change. But I don’t encourage it. You see how I am about it. You even snorted the one time that guy called me sweetie.”

  He remembered that now. “I still don’t like it.”

  “Sorry. Do you want me to put a sign up that says don’t hit on the staff? People are being friendly. I don’t encourage it and I don’t work the counter much either. The bottom line is, you know how things have been for me. The way I look, I’m always going to get comments.”

  “You think so little of yourself.”

  Her eyes filled and overflowed some more. Great, now he was insulting her. “You know, I never realized it until you pointed it out to me. And then I was sitting there talking to Melanie who said she felt uncomfortable because she didn’t have the education that most did. I started to say I felt the same way, then stopped. I told her that I didn’t care for school, that I liked working with my hands and loved my job.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said it was nice. That she just had a job and it got her through and she was jealous. I started to realize how lucky I was. Then I got up to go to the bathroom and had a run in with Anne and everything I felt good about made me realize I was just living in a little world that didn’t exist.”

  “You aren’t the only one who lives in worlds like that. You want to know why I came back to the table quiet? Because I ran into Jenna’s father who gave me grief for not giving his daughter a B when I gave her a C. She had a D and managed to earn the C, but I wasn’t handing her the B.”

  “So she did tell her father on you?” she asked, her face showing her shock.

  “No. I think she just whined about it. Probably told him she came to me and it didn’t work. He made a comment about what was the big deal to give her a B.”

  She snorted. “She didn’t earn it.”

  “She didn’t. I said that. I said he should be proud she brought it up and I walked away. But that wasn’t the end of it. The head of the Science Department overheard and came over to tell me I have to pick my battles.”

  “He sided with that guy?”

  “Yep. I said the day I compromise my integrity; that’s the day I’m done teaching.”

  “Do you want to be done teaching? Would you really give up what you love?”

  “I don’t want to but I know lives change and evolve too.”

  She got that about him when so many others didn’t. It wasn’t about what he was capable of but what he loved doing. What he’d been trying to tell her all along.

  “I guess we both had a bad night,” she said. “I’m sorry I dumped on you. I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have believed something I know in my heart isn’t true.”

  He moved closer to her, pulled her into his arms and hoped they could be done with this. “I get it. I wish you’d just told me. And I’m sorry you believed it, but I know we haven’t been dating long and it’s hard when you’ve got doubts to push them aside.”

  “I didn’t really. I mean I put her on the spot and tried to act confident and all.”

  “But deep down you were hurt and your trust was shaken in me,” he guessed.

  “Not really you as much as it was shaken in myself. I am hard on myself.”

  “Why? I don’t get it. I don’t care that you didn’t like school or it wasn’t your thing. We are like snowflakes.”

  She started to giggle. “Everyone is unique.”

  “See? You get my corny remarks when no one else does.”

  “I guess so. You do say some funny things. Why didn’t you tell me about Jenna when it happened?”

  “It’s not the first time a kid has come in wanting, asking, or expecting a better grade. It pissed me off, but I put it behind me,” he said.

  “The same with guys hitting on me.”

  “Can we not keep things from each other? I’m not cheating on you. I’m not seeing anyone else. I only have eyes for you. I even had all these plans to get you out of your dress tonight and then drove home thinking they were all flying out the window.”

  “I had ideas about getting you out of that suit and thought the same thing.”

  “See? We are perfect for each other,” he said, framing her face in his hands and lowering his lips to her. “Let’s put this night behind us and go work on these ideas we both had.”

  “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all night.”

  ***

  “Payton, cut the crap.”

  She was trying to figure out what was going on. Where she was. She opened her eyes and realized it was Bryce’s bed and he was sound asleep next to her. She rolled over and closed her eyes again, willing herself to go back to sleep, wondering why she thought someone was talking to her.

  “Payton, stop thinking so little of yourself.”

  No way. Her aunt wasn’t talking to her in Bryce’s room. It couldn’t be.

  For a year now she’d have all these weird dreams of her aunt, or thoughts her aunt was with her—watching over her—at the deli, but now in Bryce’s apartment, her aunt was talking to her?

  “Go away,” she mumbled.

  She heard her aunt’s laugh, the dry one that often led to a cough, then it faded away and Payton willed herself back to sleep and prayed she wasn’t going nuts.

  Happen to Anyone

  The following week at work, Payton was in the kitchen baking cookies and getting her salads ready for the lunch rush, while Justin was manning the counter. Kelly was off for the day, but she’d barely noticed.

  Things were going great with Justin, he was one hard worker like Bryce had said he’d be, and he was proving invaluable.

  Ten minutes later, Payton was carrying out the first tray of cookies to put in the window when she noticed there were three people that had just walked in. She knew she had ten minutes before the last batch of cookies were done, so she walked over to the counter and asked to help the next person in line.

  “Can I get the last of those donuts and six of the cookies you just brought out?” the man said. He was middle aged with a belly that showed he might be eating most of the goodies himself.

  “Sure can,” Payton said back with a big smile, pulling on gloves. “Would you like these in a pastry box or bag?”

  “That’s a stupid question,” the guy said, frowning. “A box, of course. They’ll get all broken in a bag.”

  Her smile never faltered, but she did ignore his comment. Some people were just plain rude and it seemed she was going to be dealing with one for this order.

  “Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked once his order had been filled.

  “No, that’s good. How come there aren’t any more donuts than those six?” he asked this time, a bigger frown on his face.

  “I bake them fresh each day and once they are gone, I move to the cookies. Some days they go faster than others.” Her smile was now etched into her cheeks like the presidents on Mount Rushmore. She pulled her gloves off to walk back to the register.

  “Maybe you should make more for a bigger profit. Or you aren’t smart enough to realize that?”

  She wasn’t about to get into an argument with a rude customer on how to run her business, so she held her tongue. She glanced over and saw Justin watching the interaction, but still assembling the sandwich order he had.

  “If you ever want to place a special order, you can call the day before and I’ll be glad to have some put aside for you,” she offered.

  The guy just snorted at her, so she rang up his order and gave him the total. Rather than swipe a card like most people did, he handed her a fifty. She looked at the register quickly and grabbed his change, then handed it back. He stood there and counted it then handed it back, snapping, “You can’t add either. Count it back to me.”

  She pulled it back and realized that she’d shorted him five dollars. She’d just read the numbers wrong as she was trying to get him to move on and was embarrassed over it...more flustered that he was getting under her skin with his rude remarks.

  “I’m so sorry about that,” she said, recounted the change correctly in her head, then counted it back to him so he knew it was right.

  “Talk about horrible customer service. Maybe the owner should get some smarter people in here who can at least read numbers on a register and count back change correctly. This generation can’t do shit anymore unless it’s on their phone.”

  He turned and walked away, leaving her standing there taking a few deep breaths. “Can I help you?” she asked the next person, then heard her buzzer going off in the back and just froze.

  “Go get the cookies,” Justin said. “I’ve got the next person.”

  “I’ll be right back,” she said to the customer she was going to wait on.

  “No, dear. You need a break after that guy. Plus I’d like some of those cookies out of the oven if you don’t mind.”

  “Thank you,” Payton said, rushing to the back. The sweet lady who said she’d wait was someone who came in every few weeks for cookies or salads and Payton was thrilled to see a friendly face after that exchange.

  When she got to the back, she pulled out the peanut butter cookies that were in the oven, followed by the white chocolate chunk ones and set them aside to cool.

  Her own temper had to cool off for the minute too, so she took a moment to rinse off the pastas in the sink again and start to put her salads together.

  She hadn’t made a mistake counting out change in a long time. She’d always been so careful about it because she knew it could happen. Hell, it could happen to anyone, but more so with her.

  She’d never forget how many times she gave back too much or too little change to people, but her aunt always had so much patience with her. Even the customers were good about it, always just pointing it out, but never being mean.

  Sure, she’d had rude customers before. People who just thought they could shit on hospitality staff, like they were beneath them.

  But mostly she thought it was because she was a kid back then and they didn’t think much of it. That they expected kids to be lazy and make mistakes. But when you’re an adult and make mistakes like that, people tend to be harsher.

  Once the cookies were cooled enough, she pulled them off the tray and brought them out to the counter, her friendly customer now sitting on a stool sipping a coffee.

  “So sorry to keep you waiting,” she said.

  “Think nothing of it, dear. I’ve got your schedule down when I think things are done. It’s a beautiful day to sit here and watch you while you work.”

  “What can I get you?” she asked, knowing the smile was genuine now.

  “My grandson is coming over today to mow my lawn, so if I could get three of each of those cookies and a turkey sub with a container of pasta salad?”

  “Of course,” Payton said, filling the order and then moving to the counter to make the sub as the sweet lady told her what to add. It was a relief to get this after the last guy.

  “Just ignore what that jerk said.”

  “It’s already forgotten,” Payton lied.

  “Some people aren’t happy unless they bring others down. You could have given him five dollars more and he’d say the same thing to you.”

  “I’m sure. But it was a careless mistake on my part.”

  “Please,” the woman said, waving her hand. “Do you know how many people do that without realizing it every day? It’s not like you were trying to short him money.”

  “No. I’d never do that.”

  The lady took her order while Payton rang it up, then she paid with cash, Payton careful to count it back correctly this time. “Don’t let him bring you down. I knew your aunt for years and you’ve turned this place into something special she’d be so proud of.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “It’s nice to hear that.”

  “Millie was a special lady herself, but she didn’t have your touch with baking or even the salads. Not that I’d say that if she were alive.”

  Payton grinned but felt her eyes fill a bit. Times like this, she missed her aunt so much and wished she were here to talk to. “She would have laughed if you said it to her.”

  “She would have. You have a good day and I’ll see you next week.”

  “Thank you. You too.”

  Payton went back to the kitchen to finish the salads and get them out and prepare for the lunch rush that would be coming.

  She turned when Justin walked in the back and said, “I’ll get these salads out there for you.”

  “Thanks,” she told him.

  “That lady was right. Don’t let what that guy said get to you.”

  “It happens,” she said. “It’s not the first time someone was rude. I’m just sorry you had to witness it.”

  Justin laughed. “I’ve worked in fast food. It happens all the time. People want their value meal and they want it fast and they complain if a burger is squished or missing pickles. If the fries are limp. You name it, I’ve heard it. I just pushed them out of my head and knew it was a job and there were better things out there for me.”