Trouble In Bloom by Heather Webber Page A

about it."
    "Why wouldn't you?" Nels asked.
    "I don't like coffee."
    They looked at each other, then looked at me, eyebrows all squiggled.
    "Long story," I said.
    Roxie looked over the rim of her blue glasses at me. "Just so long as there's a reason."
    "There is."
    "Good. I was afraid that hair dye steeped a little too long."
    I smiled. Roxie had moxie. I liked that about her.
    "You can do it," Nels urged.
    I could. The new me definitely could. I took a sip. The coffee burned a bitter path to my stomach. "Uck."
    "Well, first," Roxie said, "you probably should have blown on it before taking a big gulp like that. Second, did you add cream? Sugar?"
    I shook my head.
    Roxie elbowed Nels. "Go grab some. And check to see if there's any cinnamon out there too."
    For the first time, I wondered if they were related. They treated each other like beleaguered siblings.
    Nels came back and dumped sugar packets, little cream containers, a Kroger brand canister of cinnamon, and a stirrer on my desk.
    Roxie stepped up, ripped open two packets of sugar, dumped them into my mug, popped the tops of two creamers and poured those in as well. She stirred, then
    sprinkled a little cinnamon on top. "Try that."
    This time I blew across the top of the mug before taking a hesitant sip. My eyebrow arched. "Not bad!"
    She preened. "I was a barista at Starbucks during college. I can make any coffee taste better. Even the dreck you serve here."
    "Dreck?"
    "You should really be grinding your own beans."
    "Ah."
    Strains of "Like a Virgin" filled the office. Nels sang along. I flipped open my cell phone when I recognized Ana's number. "Hey," I said.
    "Why's your mother avoiding you?"
    "She's avoiding me?" This was news. Usually I avoided her.
    "I think so. She called me to find out why you need to talk to her."
    If my mother had resorted to calling Ana, then she was really avoiding me. "I'll never figure my mother out."
    "Your mother?" Roxie piped in. "She's worried you're mad about the construction being delayed because of the picketers." At my stunned look, she added, "I spoke with her this morning when we couldn't find you."
    "Who's that?" Ana asked.
    "Roxie," I said.
    "What?" Roxie answered.
    "Not you," I said to her. "Ana."
    "What?" Ana said.
    "Stop!" I cried. "I'm getting a headache." Not only that, but I was starting to ache all over from my morning with Duke. And I had it to look forward to again tomorrow morning.
    "Ana, Roxie says Mom's avoiding me because of the construction guys not being able to work."
    "Oh! I forgot about Roxie and Nels. Tell them I said hi!"
    I rolled my eyes. "Ana says hi."
    "She's nice," Roxie said, pulling out a Sudoko puzzle book.
    "Is she single?" Nels asked.
    "No," I lied. There was no way I was going there.
    "Ana, just tell my mom that I need to talk to her about Tam."
    "Is Tam okay?"
    I looked at the camera perched on Nels's shoulder. I'd yet to determine how he decided what to film. "She's good. Any word from, um . . . " The camera whirred. "You know."
    "No. We still have plans for tonight, though. I've got a late court case, so I'll meet you down there."
    "Do you really? Or do you just want your own car so you can leave separately?"
    She laughed—but didn't answer.
    "Oh, your mother is in love with your new look," she said. "I told her all about Perry, and I think she wants you to marry him."
    "Did you tell her about Mario?"
    "She didn't care. Oh! Look at the time. I've got to get to court—'bye!"
    As soon as I hung up, Roxie leaned forward on her seat. "I've noticed Bobby never calls. Is that normal? Don't you two talk during the day? Actually, he hasn't been around either. How do you maintain a relationship?"
    I looked into the camera, then glanced down into the murky coffee mug and focused on the flecks of cinnamon stuck to the ceramic. "We, ah, have a special relationship."
    "True love that doesn't need to be validated every two seconds?" Roxie asked.
    Forcing a smile, the coffee churning in my upset stomach, I