Page 17 of A Spot of Tea
“You’re going to go back, then? I mean once we get the reward money.”
“Yes. Once we get the reward money, I’ll go back.” A smile spread across her face. “So, never.”
He laughed again. “It’s my mission to get you back to school.”
“I thought your mission was to buy a plane so you could run your own shady cocoa bean business?”
“Maybe I want to open a scholarship for your education. You can apply by telling me what I was wearing when we met.”
She was quiet for a moment, then said, “A black LL Bean bomber jacket, Ray-Ban aviators with golden tint, a gray shirt, dark jeans, and white Nike sneakers with a red swoosh.”
He sputtered out a laugh. “Are you kidding me?”
Eliza turned to him, grinning. “Am I right?”
“I don’t know!” He pulled into a parking spot in front of Harbor Coffee and stopped the car. “But probably. You’re unbelievable.”
She bounced her shoulders in a peppy shrug. “Thanks!”
“What were you studying? Becoming a true detective?”
“Physics.”
“Physics,” he repeated slowly. “I don’t think I’m smart enough to be talking to you.”
“You don’t think you’re smart enough to be talking to a college dropout?”
He stared at her, taking in her smile and the glint in her eye. “You know, you don’t have to talk about yourself that way.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “What way?”
“Like you’re nothing more than your mistakes.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
He spoke again. “For example, you’re an expert in memorizing outfits.”
“Right.” She smiled. “So you’re saying I should lean into that?”
“Yeah.” He paused. “You know, you remind me of someone.”
“A famous designer you flew to a runway show in Milan?”
He laughed. “No. My best friend. Always making jokes at his own expense.”
“He sounds great,” she said, opening her car door. “Much more fun than a tea shop fashion designer.”
She walked ahead of him and opened the door to Harbor Coffee. It looked like they were closing up, but the barista’s eyes brightened when he saw her.
“Hey, Eliza!”
“Hey, how’s it going?” she asked.
“Not too bad. How are things up in tea city?”
“You know, starting to pick up a little.”
He threw a rag over his shoulder. “That’s good. Same here. We’re starting to get more visitors. More tourists.”
