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“Well, that wouldn’t be quite so,” I corrected her gently. “As the original way coffee was consumed wasn’t by liquid at all! They used to fix the fruit and beans with animal fat, and roll it up to chew. Almost like an ancient protein bar!”

The woman seemed more bewildered than impressed by my knowledge. Humans these days; they weren’t impressed by personal knowledge anymore. Thanks, Google.

And now you have rambled on about your hyper fixations and lost her.

“I have disturbed your afternoon,” I offered. “My apologies.”

Again, this is why you don’t go out in public much.Consorting with humans and conforming to all the social niceties was trying and exhausting. Plus they changed too much...several times a century! How was anyone supposed to keep up?

“Oh, no! That is...sorry. I’m Juniper.”

I blinked as she didn’t take my easy excuse to cease communication, instead extending her hand and offering it, and her name.

The proper thing to do is give yours back,my manners whispered at me.

But I couldn’t. Humans didn’t understand–

If she’s the witch, then she already knows.

But if she wasn’t?

Who cares? Humans these days have all kinds of odd names.

“G,” I offered with distaste, using the nickname I knew my brothers used for me behind my back.

She drew her hand back a little, head tilting to the side. Her eyes narrowed.

“Charmed,” she said.

“I would hope so,” I tried to joke, pointing half-heartedly at the match-making studio across the street from us.

She rolled her eyes. “May I join you? Seems silly to talk to you with two tables between us, and you twisted around like that.”

“Yes,” I said, for some strange reason.

Her smile was genuine, lighting up her face as she picked up her cup and purse and sat down right next to me, rather than across from me as I expected.

The waitress spied the change in configuration, passing by the table with a bright smile. “Do you need–”

“Put his on this, and you know what, bring one of those enormous banana nut muffins.” She slapped down a twenty dollar bill on the table, and turned to me. “You want anything else?”

I shook my head curtly, lips thinning as I tried to keep my face neutral. I was as old-school as they came based on my age, and though I recognized the importance of female independence, it still rankled me when one tried to pay for anything in the company of a perfectly able gentleman.

“Oh, don’t give me that sour face. It isn’t even my money,” she huffed at me, crossing her arms across her chest as the waitress took the bill with a strained smile and walked away.

“Did Lust try to bribe you?” I guessed, unable to help myself.

Her fingers clutched the cup harder, the sudden tension in her shoulders so slight I almost missed it. Her head tilted up, brown hair falling across her eyes.

“And which one would that makeyou?” she asked, her voice deadpan.

I folded my hands neatly on the cold iron table, my beverage forgotten. “Guess.”

Juniper snorted. “That’s the only fun you get out of it, don’t you? Making people guess?” She took a long drink from her coffee, smacking her lips in relish. My eyes tracked the pink fullness of her bottom lip.

“Lust and Pride are in there.” She gestured haphazardly to theEternal Matchesbuilding. You’re not Envy. Lust made some...odd comments about Wrath.”

Something in me twitched at hearing her say the name of our missing sin. Her eyes took me in, judging me harshly. They flicked to the untouched coffee.