The Ex by Freida McFadden(59)

“Repeat it back to me,” Lydia demands.

“One cappuccino to-go and—”

“One cappuccino filled all the way to the brim. With good foam.”

“Filled all the way to the brim,” the cashier says dutifully. “And a raisin bran muffin.”

“Microwaved for fifteen seconds.”

The cashier bows her head. It’s clear her patience is running thin. “Microwaved for fifteen seconds.”

Lydia is lucky they prepare the drink in front of her. Or else there would definitely be spit in it.

She’s standing right by the counter when Cassie orders her drink. Cassie is certain Lydia will notice her and say something, but Lydia is doing something on her phone that completely absorbs her. Cassie is no more than an ant on the pavement to her.

Cassie watches her for a moment, safe in the knowledge that Lydia doesn’t notice her. She’s wearing a dress suit that looks achingly expensive, even from across the room. Her blond hair is pulled back into a severe French knot, and her keen eyes scan the contents of the screen of her phone. Lydia is very beautiful, although not as beautiful as Francesca. But apparently, that was never a source of resentment. Lydia has never seemed one to be obsessed with her looks, but Cassie gets a vibe that Francesca spent a lot of time maximizing her appearance.

Francesca. Why does that woman keep invading her thoughts?

“Lydia?”

Lydia jerks her head up at the sound of her name being called. She sees her drink on the counter along with her muffin. She touches the muffin with the tip of her finger. “It’s still cold,” she says impatiently.

The girl who brought out her order frowns. “We microwaved it for fifteen seconds.”

“Then you did it incorrectly because it’s still cold.”

The girl shakes her head. “I don’t know if it’s possible to microwave incorrectly.”

“Yet somehow you still did.” Lydia slides the plate back across the counter. “Please microwave it for another fifteen seconds.”

The girl would have, in Cassie’s opinion, every right to throw the muffin back across the counter at Lydia. But instead she dutifully goes back to the microwave and heats up the muffin a second time. She brings it to Lydia.

“Better?” she asks.

Lydia touches the muffin with her fingertip. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

Lydia shrugs. “That’s why you’re the one wearing the apron, isn’t it?”

The girl’s mouth drops open. At first, Cassie is certain she’s just going to take it, but it seems like the girl’s had a rough morning with one too many picky customers, because she pulls the muffin off the counter, throws it on the floor, and says to Lydia, “Get out.”

Lydia stares at her. “Excuse me?”

“You’ve been nothing but rude since you walked in here and we don’t want your business,” the girl says. She opens up a cash register and hands over a few dollars. “Here’s a refund on your muffin.”

Lydia’s pale eyelashes flutter. “I’d like to speak with the manager.”

“I’m the manager,” the girl says. “And I want you out.”

“Fine,” Lydia hisses. “The owner will hear about this. Believe me.”

She yanks her cappuccino off the counter and walks out so abruptly that she knocks down a chair with her giant purse. Cassie watches her go, unable to believe her eyes. Surely that’s not the worst thing a customer has ever done at Starbucks. There’s just something about Lydia that rubs people the wrong way.

She sure rubs me the wrong way.

Cassie retrieves her own latte from the counter, and then leaves to head back to the bookstore. Too late, she wonders if she should have offered to get Zoe a drink too. Oh well.

She’s barely rounded the corner when she nearly collides with a woman absorbed by her phone. Once again, Cassie lifts her eyes to discover the woman is Lydia. This time Lydia notices Cassie though. She has no choice.

“Oh,” she finally mutters. “It’s you. Hello, Cathy.”

Cathy. Lydia has shared meals with Cassie, she’s humiliated her at a Halloween party, and she’s fought with her husband in front of her. Yet Lydia still hasn’t bothered to remember her name.

“Cassie,” Cassie says, although she’s not sure why she cares. Cathy is close enough.

“Right.” Lydia lowers her eyes and that’s when Cassie notices her eyes are rimmed with red. Like she’s been crying. “How are you?”

Cassie feels some of her irritation with Lydia fade away. “Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m okay,” Lydia snips at her.

“They’re very high strung at that Starbucks,” Cassie says in her most gentle voice.

Lydia rolls her eyes. “You think I’m upset about that?”

“Well, I would be. In the same situation, I mean.”

Not that Cassie would ever be in a situation where she belittled the Starbucks barista until she got kicked out. But still.

“I couldn’t care less about that.” Lydia swipes at her eyes briefly. “Trust me.”

“Oh.” Cassie chews on her lip. “Well, in that case… is there anything… I mean, do you want to talk?”