Chapter 14: Prizes

On Saturday morning, I caught myself heating a mug of water to one hundred and four degrees.

It was for a man who no longer wanted it.

I stood in my kitchen holding the thermometer for a long time.

Then I drank the water myself, and it was perfect, and that made it worse.

By nine I was at the café, because it has the most beautiful people per square foot in the city.

A girl needs a project.

A man at the next table had cheekbones you could have used to open mail.

He caught me looking and said, "Sorry, is there any salt over there?"

I gave him the salt.

"Thanks. They're out of everything." He looked at the empty plate in front of him. "I haven't eaten since yesterday."

I gave him my croissant.

"You're an angel," he said. "I'm freezing, too."

I gave him my scarf, the long green one my grandmother knitted, and I tucked it around his neck myself.

"I have a bus in ten minutes," he said, "and my feet are killing me."

I had my hand on my bike's lock key before Valerie put her tray down.

"Stop," Valerie said.

The man looked at her, then at the scarf, and left the café very fast with both.

I watched him go, and I wasn't even sad about the croissant.

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