The sandwich shop is closer to a deli than a Subway. It even smells better. Chase opens the door and I hold it so we can both enter, the wind blowing us both in. I’m taller than him by a few inches, blocking the wind from annoying him too much, even though it doesn’t do much for myself. That’s what I get for being so tall, I guess.

The place is warm and I shudder involuntarily when the door closes behind me. Chase sighs in relief, breathing in the scent of freshly baked bread and pastries. I look around, taking in the L-shaped counter displaying everything they use to make a fresh sandwich, plus all the other tasty looking items for sale. Muffins, cookies, danishes, even pies. Behind the counter is a giant blackboard with the menu written in colorful chalk.

“They have coffee,” Chase murmurs. I sigh with longing. 

“Coffee,” I breathe and he snorts.

“Hi, welcome in!” calls a pleasant female voice. One I’m sure I recognize. The second the owner of the voice comes into view, I know exactly who the speaker is. “What can I get…for you?” her voice trails off as our eyes meet.

Deer brown eyes, long brown hair tied up in a ponytail, ivory skin with a trail of freckles over her small nose. She’s short and slim with curvy hips and a small chest. I knew her for an hour, and I was wasted when I left her standing on the sidewalk.

Windy.

I raise my hand about chest-high and give her a small, empty smile. It’s the only one I know how to give. “Hey,” I say. 

She stares at me, her eyes fixed on my face, expression inscrutable. She knows who I am, the memory and regret for her actions dancing through her eyes. 

“Hey,” she responds slowly. 

Chase looks between the two of us, trying to connect the dots. When he does, his brow furrows. “You two know each other?”

“Kinda,” I say softly. “She’s the girl I told you about.”

“From Jackie’s?” 

She winces and looks away, a flush filling her face.

His eyes widen. “Ohhhh!” he says, his face breaking into a grin. “You’re Windy!”

Her hands begin to fidget. It’s obvious she’s worried about whatever I told Chase. I don’t blame her; I don’t like being the center of anyone’s conversations, either.

Chase laughs. “Don’t worry, he didn’t say anything bad about you.”

She doesn’t look convinced. I sigh, my lips turned down in a frown. “I just told him how Nikki used you to get to me, that’s all,” I say quickly. 

“Mhm,” she responds. “She said she’s sorry, by the way.”

I stiffen. Just as I thought…she didn’t quit the bitch. Go figure…

“I don’t care,” I say, probably a little harsher than I intended.

She swallows. She’s about to say something else when another woman comes around the corner.

“Everything okay out here, Windy?” she asks, looking between me and Chase.

Suddenly, Windy’s entire demeanor changes. She brightens, her biggest smile in place as she chuckles. “Yeah, I was just surprised to see someone I know come in, that’s all.”

The woman nods. “Sure,” she says. “Do you want me to help you?”

“Nah, I got it, Brit, thanks.” She levels her gaze at us. “What can I get started for you?” She moves to the start of the counter where the bread is and puts on a pair of disposable plastic gloves. 

It’s Chase that goes first, which is fine since I’m more concerned with keeping my irritation under control. Why I’m irritated at all is a mystery to me. I don’t know this girl, so who she’s friends with shouldn’t be my problem. 

Except, I know Nikki Halsey. I know exactly the kind of person she is and the shit she’s pulled to get what she wants. I don’t know how long she’s known Windy, but I’ve known her a long time and I’ve never, not for one second, liked that woman. Especially after she tried to have you jumped outside of a club once because you wouldn’t take her picture.

Yeah. She’s that fucking petty.

The guys she tried to use to beat you up ended up in the hospital. 

I put them there.

Wisely, they didn’t press charges, and even wiser, they stopped talking to Nikki. 

I suppose my irritation at Windy choosing to remain her friend really is justified given all of that and more. 

“And for you?” Windy’s voice breaks me out of my thoughts, her eyes focused on my face, her lips unsmiling, betraying her practiced customer service voice. 

“Oh, uh…” Realizing I hadn’t given the sandwich any consideration, I look dumbly up at the menu board then back to the array of fresh meats, cheeses, and veggies spread out between us. Even the bread looks good. My brain is still soaking up the remains of the Coors and I’m sure she can smell it on me because she takes an impreceiptable step back and her nose wrinkles. I rub the back of my neck, suddenly self-conscious.

“What…do you recommend?” I finally ask lamely.

“Well, to start, do you have an allergy or intolerance to gluten or dairy or anything?”

I shake my head.

Her smile appears, bringing a shine to her eyes. It takes me aback slightly. I didn’t expect such a drastic change. Maybe she really likes this part of the job regardless of the customer. Good for me, I guess.

She begins pointing out the various breads, making a point to tell me that they’re all freshly baked in-store, and even if I don’t have any allergies, there are some gluten-free and even vegan breads that are really good. I decide on the herb-infused challah bread.

“Excellent choice,” she says with a wink. “It’s one of my favorites, actually. It’s really great warmed up before we add anything. Wanna try?”

I nod and give a small shrug. “Sure, you’re the expert.”

She giggles and I swear she gives a little hop as she transfers the bread to the toaster-warmer thing, her hair bouncing around her shoulder blades. It’s the first time I notice how straight it is. The lighting in Jackie’s made it look a bit more wavy. Or maybe it became wavy-like when she got put on the spot. 

Once it’s warmed, she brings it back to the counter, and the process continues. I go with her suggestion of buffalo style ham and swiss, melted, and all the veggies she likes which, thankfully, isn’t much. She adds the sauce, closes it up, wraps it, and moves to the register.

“Did you want to make this a meal today?” She asks.

“Yes, we do,” Chase says, pulling out his wallet. “With coffee, if that’s cool.”

“Totally cool,” she grins. He grins back. I swear, if he tries to hit on her, I’ll…

Inwardly I freeze. I’ll do what? I have no reason to protect her, she’s not important to me.

She takes his payment, hands us our baskets, but keeps a grip on mine, her eyes watching Chase as he walks away to find a table. I arch my brow.

“Something wrong?” I ask quietly.

Her eyes slide down to the counter and she becomes despondent once again. “My break is in twenty minutes,” she mutters. 

I pause. “O-kay?”

She swallows. “Can we talk?” She glances back at Chase briefly before turning her eyes back to me. “Alone?”

I sigh, my lips turning down. This is going to put a kink in my alcohol-drenched Thursday. I want to say no, that I have nothing to say to her. I have spent no more than an hour with this girl, nor have I seen her up until now. I don’t know her, I shouldn’t care about her, or her problems, or what Nikki Halsey does with her.

“Yes you do, Lee. You care very much, and you know why you do.”

I drop my gaze, hoping she doesn’t see the flash of pain in my eyes as your voice rings in my head. Goddammit, Robin…

“Sure,” I relent. “I can send him on a beer and snack run on the way back to my place.”

She gives a small, grateful smile and releases my food to me. “Thanks,” she says and turns away just as another customer walks in the door. I watch her for a second, once again impressed by her switch in attitudes. I turn and head to the table Chase has secured for us, drop my food down and sit across from him. He slides me my coffee, black, and I take a good gulp of it. It’s bitter, hot, and tastes fantastic.

I sigh, my eyelids fluttering closed as the brew trails down to my stomach. Chase laughs at me.

“That good, huh?” he says, his mouth full of roast beef and god only knows what else.

“Fuckin’ amazing,” I concur, and proceed to dig into my own custom made sandwich. Just as Windy said, it really is delicious. I’ll have to come back in and have her make it for me again.