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She had taken a while to warh, and now I could see why I annoyed her

I tried to squelch the flustered feeling and h ot flustered I h too much recently to panic over coffee

I handed Larry the right (and terribly convoluted) version, and apologized profusely He raised his chin and set out of the store That was usual y the sign that things were OK

"Daydreaain?" Mikeala asked under her breath as she brushed past

Actual y, I hadn’t been I’d just been asleep on ether I could stil feel the sickness of last night and it only greorse with each waking hour I’d spent in the shop You guessed it, that bathrooain, and since it always rein with it didn’t bode ith ht raw steak endeavor Also, I was fairly certain I’d only gotten two hours of sleep since I weaned litter and false eyelashes

"Hey, she’s back, that’s all thatof fresh java for someone

Mikeala didn’t look too pleased at that, which only solidifiedchick at allShe was tal and flat-chested but had a delicate porcelain face - when she wasn’t giving me the stinkeye

She was funny, too, and someone I hoped to win over one day, whenever that was The way I was acting, I started to doubt having rateful smile I’d make it up to him one day I didn’t want to lead him on – my acquired hatred for men didn’t extend to hi with Ada

"Tal , extra hot, no whip, sugar-free caramel latte,"

Mikeala barked as she scribbled down another order and plunked the cup in line I quickly noted the person who had been at the register, a ot started on the drink

I moved over to the syrup dispenser but for the life of ar-free caramel one, which eird since I had to use it at least three times in the last half hour

I leaned over and concentrated, careful y exaar-free vanil a, ar-free alar-free caraer at the man and ducked down to raid the cupboards by the sink Ash was standing beside

"What are you looking for?" he asked

"The sugar-free caraone," I said, straining as I reached to the back of the cupboard I pul ed out a bottle but it was vanil a like all the rest of them were

I looked up at Ash "Did we run out?"

He looked over at the syrup dispensers by the ht there?"

I turned ht beside the machine, in plain view and separate from the others, was a bottle of syrup with a sienna-shaded label

I walked back to ar-free caramel It would have been in front of me the whole time; how the hel did I not see it?

"Perry," Mikeala growled softly as she plunked doo rowling with impatience "What is the holdup?"

I couldn’t answer her I looked up at the hipster business through a newspaper

"Excuse me," I asked him He looked around and then came forward

"Yes?"

I pointed at the syrup "Was this always here? I mean, did you put this here? Or was it here all this time?"

His head lurched back on his neck and he eyedyour pardon?"

"I just want to know if I’ crazy or not," I blurted out

"Because this wasn’t here a second ago and yet now it is

Explain that"

I heard Mikeala inhale sharply

"Are you accusingthe syrup?" the man asked incredulously And loudly I think the entire shop turned its head to look our way

"No," I said,was, I did feel like he hid it on me I could see his beady little face as he came up to the line to place his order, like he had this whole thing plotted out When I wasn’t looking, he’d take the syrup to mess me up, and then put it back Make me waste my time Make me look crazy