repeated in a familiar polite tone. “Pleeze, can I help you?” I wrenched my eyes to the counter.
Dino, with his weathered smile, waited for my order.
“Caramel latte, grande, low-fat milk, please. Four tall coffees. All to go.” I stopped and checked the shelves behind the glass again. “A dozen chocolate chip cookies, six poppy seed muffins, also. That should do it.”
He nodded and busied himself with my order.
“How are you, Dino?” He looked up again. This time, his eyes flickered with recognition.
Dino clasped his bony knuckles under his chin. “Mees Meelissa. Es you!” Dino laughed and clapped his hands. “Bellissimo. You are be-you-tiful.”
“Um, t-thank…” I stammered.
He didn’t stop there. “Audra,” he called to the wisp of a teenager behind him as he busied himself with my latte. “Come, look. Mees Meelissa.” Hands in the air, he gestured at my new look, tracing my face and shoulders with his hands. “Ah, your eyes sparkle.”
Audra gave me a dutiful once over, smiled blandly, and went back to making cappuccino. Obviously, I didn’t have the same impact on teenage girls, which I later rationalized was a positive thing.
Dino stood mesmerized, my to-go cup in hand. Audra almost bumped him out of the way with the coffee carrier.
“Thanks. Could I please have the cookies and muffins, too?” I smiled apologetically. “We’re working a little overtime…and my friends are really looking forward to the sweets.”
With a sweeping bow, Dino set the latte on the counter, put the coffees in a carrier, and bagged the goodies. I handed him two twenties, told him to keep the change.
Behind me, Dino blew kisses.
Chapter 20
I couldn’t help but feel flattered. How long had it been since anyone, let alone a sixty-year-old man, fell all over me and complimented my looks?
Bellissimo , I repeated, rolling the word around. Why did it always sound sexier in another language? Right. Italians. Language of love. They were all pros.
By the time I strolled through the door of the station, I was feeling pretty good.
I’d go through some DVDs, check the mail for new ones, see if I could retrieve some boxes from Drew’s wastebasket. He always kept his door open and unlocked.
Except today.
I tried the knob. It didn’t move. I peered through the glass, just in case Drew was in there sleeping. Pitch black. No news director.
There went that idea.
Voices floated from the control room out into the hallway. Joe, legs stretched, cowboy boots on his desk, was in the midst of telling a joke when I walked in.
“…and so, when he opened the door, there was a big hairy man, wearing nothing but tennis shoes and a sign around his neck saying, ‘If I catch you, I can do anything I want…’”
The room erupted in laughter so loud no one noticed me standing in the corner, balancing my drink, the guys’ coffee, bags of treats, my just-in-case makeup bag, and purse.
Joe stood up so fast he looked like a giant wasp had stung his backside. He knocked over a bag of pork rinds, which scattered across the floor like pieces of Styrofoam. The look on everyone’s face was identical, sheepish, and a little shocked, like they’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar—or better yet, dirty magazines.
“Hey there,” I said to break the silence, and laid the bags and coffee cups on the desk.
“Hey,” they chorused. Joe bent his mammoth body to pick up a few stray pork rinds. I sank to my knees to help.
“How can you guys eat this stuff?” I teased, eyeballing the bag of boiled peanuts on the counter. “Do your wives know?” My eyes narrowed in a mock look of concern.
“Aw, Melissa,” one of the guys started to explain.
I waved for him to stop. “Just kidding. Here’s some more junk food so we don’t run out.
And what’s the deal with Drew’s door being locked?”
“Um, Alyssa-alert,” Joe rolled his eyes. “Someone said they saw her outside the building yesterday.
Dino, with his weathered smile, waited for my order.
“Caramel latte, grande, low-fat milk, please. Four tall coffees. All to go.” I stopped and checked the shelves behind the glass again. “A dozen chocolate chip cookies, six poppy seed muffins, also. That should do it.”
He nodded and busied himself with my order.
“How are you, Dino?” He looked up again. This time, his eyes flickered with recognition.
Dino clasped his bony knuckles under his chin. “Mees Meelissa. Es you!” Dino laughed and clapped his hands. “Bellissimo. You are be-you-tiful.”
“Um, t-thank…” I stammered.
He didn’t stop there. “Audra,” he called to the wisp of a teenager behind him as he busied himself with my latte. “Come, look. Mees Meelissa.” Hands in the air, he gestured at my new look, tracing my face and shoulders with his hands. “Ah, your eyes sparkle.”
Audra gave me a dutiful once over, smiled blandly, and went back to making cappuccino. Obviously, I didn’t have the same impact on teenage girls, which I later rationalized was a positive thing.
Dino stood mesmerized, my to-go cup in hand. Audra almost bumped him out of the way with the coffee carrier.
“Thanks. Could I please have the cookies and muffins, too?” I smiled apologetically. “We’re working a little overtime…and my friends are really looking forward to the sweets.”
With a sweeping bow, Dino set the latte on the counter, put the coffees in a carrier, and bagged the goodies. I handed him two twenties, told him to keep the change.
Behind me, Dino blew kisses.
Chapter 20
I couldn’t help but feel flattered. How long had it been since anyone, let alone a sixty-year-old man, fell all over me and complimented my looks?
Bellissimo , I repeated, rolling the word around. Why did it always sound sexier in another language? Right. Italians. Language of love. They were all pros.
By the time I strolled through the door of the station, I was feeling pretty good.
I’d go through some DVDs, check the mail for new ones, see if I could retrieve some boxes from Drew’s wastebasket. He always kept his door open and unlocked.
Except today.
I tried the knob. It didn’t move. I peered through the glass, just in case Drew was in there sleeping. Pitch black. No news director.
There went that idea.
Voices floated from the control room out into the hallway. Joe, legs stretched, cowboy boots on his desk, was in the midst of telling a joke when I walked in.
“…and so, when he opened the door, there was a big hairy man, wearing nothing but tennis shoes and a sign around his neck saying, ‘If I catch you, I can do anything I want…’”
The room erupted in laughter so loud no one noticed me standing in the corner, balancing my drink, the guys’ coffee, bags of treats, my just-in-case makeup bag, and purse.
Joe stood up so fast he looked like a giant wasp had stung his backside. He knocked over a bag of pork rinds, which scattered across the floor like pieces of Styrofoam. The look on everyone’s face was identical, sheepish, and a little shocked, like they’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar—or better yet, dirty magazines.
“Hey there,” I said to break the silence, and laid the bags and coffee cups on the desk.
“Hey,” they chorused. Joe bent his mammoth body to pick up a few stray pork rinds. I sank to my knees to help.
“How can you guys eat this stuff?” I teased, eyeballing the bag of boiled peanuts on the counter. “Do your wives know?” My eyes narrowed in a mock look of concern.
“Aw, Melissa,” one of the guys started to explain.
I waved for him to stop. “Just kidding. Here’s some more junk food so we don’t run out.
And what’s the deal with Drew’s door being locked?”
“Um, Alyssa-alert,” Joe rolled his eyes. “Someone said they saw her outside the building yesterday.
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