Page 16 of Agent Zero
Don’t think about that.He did what he had to do.
“Deal.”Barb grinned, arranging the shakers on a tray, and hefted the whole thing with a single, oddly graceful movement.The bell at the front door tinkled, and Holly suppressed a sigh.Someonewouldshow up right in the middle of prep time.
Barb laughed, swinging away.“Speak of the devil.”
Holly’s head snapped up, the glare of the sun on wet pavement and crawling-past cars turning to shutterclicks as she blinked.
Reese stood in the flood of light, raindrops caught in his dark hair.His broad shoulders were tight, his face shadowed, and his jeans were wet to the knee, as if he’d run through puddles or had a losing battle with a streetcorner–surfing cab.Another sigh worked its way up, got caught in her chest, and she looked down at the silverware tub again.
“Well, hello again, stranger.”Barb took over, familiar patter tripping off her tongue.The saltshakers were perilously close to sliding from the tray, she was in such a hurry.“Your usual?”
“That’s okay.”Nice, polite.“I’ll sit up there.Hi, Holly.”
She glanced up, and it was no use.He was heading right for her.
Suddenly clumsy, it took her twice as long to get the next set of silverware wrapped up.She stared down into the grey plastic tub as if it held gold dust.She had to dredge up a smile and be pleasant, and somehow palm him off onto Barb.
The very thought made her tired all over again.“Hi, Reese.Coffee?”
“Sure.”Did he have to sound so pleased?He moved almost as if he were military, but the hair was wrong.Civilian hair, Dad would’ve said.“I always wondered how that happened.”
Holly finished another set.She was thinking about her father more and more these days.“What?”
“The little paper things.I wondered how they got around the silverware.”
So did I, until I found out.Now I’ve done a million of them.“Me, too.”Why did she want to smile?When she stole a glance, he’d settled on the stool to her left, not too close.Not too far away, either.“You left in a hurry the other night.”
“You didn’t put the tip behind the register, did you?”
A laugh surprised her, and she dropped the last set into the box of finished settings.“No.Brenda was really happy with it.Thank you.”
“Good.”He turned the coffee cup at his place over, set it precisely on its paper coaster.“Sorry for leaving so fast.I realized what time it was, had to catch the train.”
Well, that made sense.She waved the apology away and picked up the box, bracing it on her hip.“It was pretty late.Hey, Barb will take care of you?—”
“I’m just here for coffee.And I wanted to ask you something.”
“Again?”
He paused for the barest second, studying her expression.An answering smile tilted up the corners of his mouth, and she caught a breath of cologne.Had he dressed up?No, it was just the same as usual—navy-blue T-shirt and jeans, that dark nondescript canvas jacket with a high collar.The same watch, and his bare, ringless fingers.Not even a betraying divot on the left third that would shouton the prowl.
I’m not looking, she told herself.I don’t care.
“Yeah, again.Unless you’re busy.”
“You can see they’re beating down the doors here.”She let her gaze swing critically over empty tables.Traffic whispered and rumbled outside.A hiss of steam from the kitchen and Doug turned the radio up, some country song about a woman in need wailing its reedy guitar over the static.Was there anything she could say that was polite yet brisk, or even just neutral?
Barb swung by and set the coffeepot down with a splash.“I’m going on my break,” she announced and—of all things—actuallywinkedat Reese, fluttering heavily mascara’d lashes.“Be good, kiddos.”
Oh, for God’s sake.There was absolutely no way around it, so Holly set the box back down and poured him a cup of coffee.Barb’s giggle as she popped through the swinging door was a masterpiece of mischief, broken only by a crack of her gum.
He curled his hands around the thick ceramic mug, shifted a little on the stool, shot a glance over his shoulder.The light brought out shadows on his cheeks—he would rough up well before five o’clock—and bright threads in his irises, matching the highlights in his hair.Little bits of gold.He’d probably tan easily and deep.
Holly took a deep breath.Be kind.It costs you nothing, Dad always said.“So what’s your question?”
“Got a million of them, actually.I wonder about a lot of things.Occupational hazard.”He blew across the top of his cup, steam gilded for a brief second before the air dispersed it.“I could keep you here until doomsday asking things.”
What on earth did that mean?She waited, holding the coffeepot, wondering what the hell she was supposed to say.
