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“Right?” Charlie nodded in approval, her grin returning. “Iconic.”

Mack stabbed at the ice cubes with her straw and took a final sip. “The tea was so good. There isn’t a boba place near my apartment in Manhattan, so I never get one.”

“But apparently, there’s world-class bagels,” Charlie cracked.

“Hey!”

Being with Mack shouldn’t feel this good. She should leave but wanted to stay. Mack had a pull, something undefinable. An intoxicating mixture of fun and scary, and as much as Charlie wanted it to stop, she wanted it to continue.

Mack’s dad slurped the last remnants of sweetness and stood. “Well, I’m gonna make like a baby and head out.”

“Worst joke of all time,” Mack groaned.

“I know.” He clapped his hands together. “This’ll give you girls the chance to walk around without me screwin’ up your vibe.”

“Oh, no. You don’t have to do that.” Charlie immediately regretted overstaying her welcome. She did not set out today to encroach on their family time. “You’re probably having some great father-daughter quality time and didn’t expect a chatty barista to hijack your conversation.”

“Nah. I’ll start getting on her nerves soon enough.” He flicked his wrist to check his watch, then turned to Mack. “You good?”

“I’m good if Charlie is. Are you?” Mack’s hopeful eyes directed towards Charlie.

Alone time with Mack? Outside of the coffee shop? Charlie nodded hesitantly.

“Yeah, thanks, Dad. I’ll see you tonight.”

Tonight?Charlie exhaled through her nose.I can do this… I think.

EIGHT

MACK’S DRINK SPECIAL: SUGAR-CRUSTED BEGINNINGS BREVE

“We need to readjust our ranking, right? She’s definitely the new number one.” Mack flicked sugar remnants off her hand and held the bag of mini doughnuts in her palm for Charlie as they strolled through the Solstice Parade crowd.

“The Wonder Woman one?” Charlie popped the doughnut in her mouth and licked her index finger.

Mack tore her eyes away from the unintended sensual motion and stepped behind Charlie as a woman with unicorn pasties and denim overalls headed directly towards them on roller skates. “Yeah. That body paint was so detailed. I couldn’t sit for that long. What do they do when they have to go to the bathroom?”

“I’ll give you free coffee next week if you ask that woman over there.” Charlie pointed to a woman covered head to toe inAvatarblue.

“Nope. No chance. I love my safe little mental place where I interact with as few humans as possible.” Mack laughed when Charlie fake frowned. “Except you. You’ve been a beautiful distraction.”

Oops.She hadn’t meant to come on so heavily.

A few hours ago, she begrudgingly agreed to go to the parade with her whiny dad after he threatened to sing Lady Gaga while they were at Target. Festivals were noisy, crowded, and a cesspool of germs.But they were also a human-behavior science lab—perfect for character study. She didn’t think she’d run into Charlie. Lookingfreaking beautiful. Like a human bag of Skittles with her rainbow fairy wings and sparkly dress that hugged every voluptuous curve,justdaringpeople not to stare.

She needed to change her thought track to something neutral and nonsexual. She wouldn’t typically hook up with women like Charlie—someone so sweet, kind, and generous with her smiles. Even if the thought crossed Mack’s mind more than once, she wasn’t going to screw up this opportunity.

Mack knew she had the intimacy intelligence of a pineapple. Sex would ruin their conversations. And sheneededthose conversations. Charlie was a golden muse. After spending every day the last two weeks at the coffee shop, she wrote nearly twenty thousand words.In two flipping weeks. No way would she give that up. No matter how enticing Charlie was.

“Do your parents live around here?” Mack twisted the cap to her water bottle and washed down the powdered sugar.

Charlie crinkled the doughnut bag and tossed it into the trash. “Not sure. Haven’t spoken to my mom since I was a kid. And last I heard, my dad lives in the city.”

Hmmm. Charlie rattled off that statement with the same emotion as if she recited what she ate for breakfast that morning. She didn’t know where her parents lived? And hadn’t spoken to her mom since she was a kid? As much as Mack’s mom smothered her, she talked to her weekly.

“Wow, I’m sorry,” Mack said quietly. “I didn’t mean to touch on something so personal.”

Charlie grinned and jutted her chin toward a wood jewelry vendor. “It’s just facts about where they live. Doesn’t bother me at all to talk about their potential location.”