Too Cold To Love, Too Dangerous To Leave

A'S

a, get up

r my head. Why was someone screami

et up in the next five second

n friends since middle school, and she knew exactly how to get me o

mumbled int

seven-thirty!"

ldn't be right. I grabbed my phone from the nightstan

f bed so fast I almost

he was already dressed and ready for her cla

room trying to find clean clothes. "Professor Martinez said i

e late for work," Jenna reminded me. "And you k

ing on time. Last month, he fired someone for being late three times. I couldn't a

hroom. I turned on the shower and immediately regretted it. The water

cold water. It felt like a thousand tiny needles were stab

ook about three minutes. When I got out, I wa

wel through the bathroom door. "You

d, drying mysel

and grabbed my work apron from the hook by the door. I didn't even

" I asked Jenna as I

, looking at her phone. "If

counter and shoved it in m

called after me as

ding was broken. Again. So I had to run down three fligh

to the stop. Perfect timing! I ran as fast as I could

id to the bus dri

ded and sta

t was racing, and I was pretty sure I was sweating even though I h

watching the clock on my phone, hoping I wouldn't be too late. Mr. Peterson started

ed off and started running again. I could see the shop fr

apologizing when I almost bumped into someone. When I final

. Not terrible, bu

eady busy with the morning rush. I could see my coworker

Maya," a voice

sed. He was a tall man with grey hair and a serious face. He always w

ickly. "I overslept and missed my alarm

aid, his voice cold. "I don't pay you

sorry. It won't ha

ke he was trying to decide whether to

," he said. "One more time, and

understand.

he said, pointing to a table near the window. "And don't

quickly tying my a

six. When I got closer, I stopped for a second. The guy sitting there

ugh it. His eyes were a deep brown color, and he was wearing an expensive-looking

self. Just be professional.

customer service smile. "I'm sorry for

his laptop. He just kept typ

econds, but he still

d, a little louder this tim

ooking at me. His voice was cold and annoyed. "Can

et hot. Was he s

ake your order," I said, trying

ee the irritation in his eyes. "Black cof

t up," I said, writing it down even

counter where Sarah

t table six?" I

gging. "But he looks rich.

" I muttered as I star

arah said with a laugh. "Jus

sugar, no milk. I made sure it was fresh and hot, just

carefully carried i

ng the cup in front of him. "One

me, then back at the coffee. He

it out all ov

s voice loud enough that people

heart si

Sir," I said, confused.

e cup away from him. "It's too hot and to

ack coffee with no sugar. Of course it was going

was watching from behind the counter,

trying to keep my voice stead

e this time," he said, g

ack to the counter. Sarah was

t out his coffee

He ordered black coffee with no suga

shaking her head. "That's litera

ke him a new coffee. "But the cu

t it cool down for a minute before taking it back to him

the new cup in front of him. "I ma

cked up the cup and took a small sip. He didn't spit

" he said, not ev

was being rude and unreasonable. But I just smiled and said,

m say, "People like you should learn t

ng. Did he real

him. He was staring at his laptop a

to people who were just trying to do their job. I wanted to t

ked away and went b

sked, putting her h

en though I wasn't. "I just

hour, working on his laptop and occasionally snapping his fingers when he wanted a

ft, I felt like I

h said as we watched

reed. "I hope he

old me that I w