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“You’re an idiot for trying to wander around town without getting mobbed,” she replies bluntly. “What did you think might happen? I saw you out of the window of the coffee shop getting caught up in all of that. I thought you would be smarter than to drop yourself in that situation.”
“Look, I did grow up in Crystal River,” I explain. “I know this town. I would’ve thought I could wander around here without getting harassed.”
“Yeah, I know,” she retorts, “but now you’re a movie star, remember? Everyone knows you, as you have pointed out.”
I smirk at her judgment. This Josie Gunn has a little spark to her. A little zest. She’s not at all reverential to the tall, good-looking movie star who’s stumbled into her life - she’s prepared to give me some pushback, and that is interesting. She’s certainly ignited my curiosity.
“I’m assuming you work here,” I say, nodding at the building towering over us.
Josie looks down at her uniform and her name badge, and then back at me with a blank, no-nonsense expression.
“Yes,” she replies. “I do work here. Well done for that insightful detective work.”
Ah. More of that zest, please.
“My brother Spencer says you guys have the best almond croissants in the country,” I remark, resisting to acknowledging her snark.
“Your brother is correct.”
“He says they’re the best in the world. I came today to see if his claims are true. I hold almond croissants in good esteem. I’ve had the best in Paris and Brussels, so I want to test if our homegrown ones are better.”
“They are the best,” Josie replies. “Screw Paris or Brussels.”
“I hope so. I hope that being nearly crushed to death out there was worth it.”
“So, you’ve never been to The Oak before?” she asks me suspiciously.
“Never.”
“It’s very strange for a boy to have grown up in Crystal River and never to have come to its most famous coffee shop,” Josie remarks.
“Well,” I say, gesturing out with my hands, “here I finally am. Now you can serve me.”
“Wait a minute,” she replies with a cheeky smirk. Before I can reply, she dashes off inside the building, leaving me out here stranded amongst the trash cans and cigarette butts.
Well, it’s certainly not very Hollywood here...
“Of course I’ll wait,” I mumble under my breath. “It’s not like I can actually go anywhere.”
I pull out my phone and message my driver to say that I’m stuck here in this random alleyway and that he should come and find me. I also tell him it’s mayhem out there. He replies swiftly. He’s on his way.
Good.
I really want to get the hell outta this dumpster.
Josie quickly returns with a brown paper bag.
“Here,” she says, handing it to me.
A fresh almond croissant.
“Very nice,” I say before I dive in and take a bite.
“You’re gonna love it,” she warns.
And when I do taste the croissant, it’s like I’m teleported far away from this crappy alley. Miles and miles away from here to a world of delight.
She’s damn right.
