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A look of relief crossed his face. “Are you free this Friday?”

“I am,” I said. To be honest, I’d have canceled any plans just to be able to eat at Lewis’s place.

“Great, I’ll see you around seven then?” he asked.

“I’ll be there.”

He got up and called Archie. “I have to get going. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

“I will. See you later, Lewis.”

He walked away, giving me ample opportunity to check him out without him noticing. His well-formed back, his strong hands, his legs… Plus, his hair looked like something I’d love to get my fingers lost in. Stefano didn’t have any of those things. Not that I cared about looks that much, but still, I’d never been as attracted to him as I was to Lewis now. And Stefano had never cooked for me unless you consider ordering a pizza and shoving a piece on a plastic plate cooking.

I blew out a breath. Why was I comparing Lewis to Stefano? It was no use. The more I focused on all the qualities Lewis possessed, the more obsessed I’d get, and the more likely it was I’d get my heart broken again. A successful guy like him was never going to fall for a girl like me.

I called Ginger and clipped her leash back on. “We have to head home,” I told the dog. “We might make a detour to the supermarket, though.”

My thoughts wandered back to the burnt-down coffee shop, making me crave something sweet like chocolate chip cookies. It was a universal fact that chocolate never failed to help anyone who felt bad.

The dog and I crossed the street, but we didn’t make it far. Gaby, who owned Wondrous Hair Affair, waved at me from behind her giant window, motioning for me to come in.

I popped my head in, thinking I’d be in and out in a jiffy. I hadn’t counted on Mom being there, though.

“Your mother wanted to talk to you,” Gaby confided in me. “She told me to keep an eye out for you, and then you passed by. What a fantastic coincidence.”

Oh, great. Everyone seemed to have eyes everywhere in this town.

“Take a seat,” Mom said, pointing to a chair close to her as if she owned the place. “I’m getting my hair colored. Honestly, all this stress is turning my hair gray.”

“What stress?” I asked.

“You,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “What else?”

“Why would you say that?”

“Sip’nBean. I heard what happened.”

“And your hair has turned gray in the two hours you’ve known about the fire?”

She pressed a finger against her temple. “You know how sensitive I am, honey. Now, what are you going to do without a job?”

“I don’t know. Honestly, I only found out this morning. I haven’t even had time to see who’s hiring.”

Gaby’s gaze went from me to Mom, almost as if she was watching an enthralling Ping-Pong contest. I felt awkward talking about personal stuff while she was busy flipping my mother’s hair around and smearing coloring paste on it.

“I should really get going,” I said. “Ginger is growing restless.”

Gaby and Mom turned toward the dog, who had lain down and was snoring lightly. “She seems to be doing fine to me,” Gaby said.

Mom nodded in agreement. “She’s obviously comfortable. It would be a shame to leave now.”

I rolled my eyes.

“What if you don’t find a good job?” Mom asked, a concerned look on her face. “You’re not moving back home, are you?”

I lifted an eyebrow. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

She laughed nervously. “No, of course not. It’s just that you’re finally on your own now, and the hamster hotel is doing great. It’s just not convenient, that’s all.”