Fred parked her car around the corner from the Starbucks, lucking out with a long running meter. She paid for the full three hours, using all the quarters from her dash, and stepped out fully into the sticky sun. The heat in Texas was different. As how as it got, some of it still seemed to seep back into the earth. Everything was all so, around here, and in LA too. So now, so bright, ...so much cement. And all that cement bounced the sun right back up to calves, and arms, and napes and necks. Cloying, sticky heat.

It's been interesting to see Devin again. Fred kept using that word in her head, interesting. Because if it was interesting it couldn't be other things. Nervous. Guilty. Anxious. Anxious was a really, really good one.

But not allowed. Interesting it was, then. The last time she'd seen him, he'd been well past half out of it, to the point of not remembering. And the first time was the --first time. Fred had a pretty good feeling whatever happened over coffee today would estabnlish the rest of their relationship. If they could be something like friends, or if they would...well, she would just start avoiding him.

Fred was sort of hoping for friends.

Fred caught sight of Devin outside, and smiled. Fidgeting so, he looking just as anxious as...

"Hi," she announced herself, scooting forward.