"I have no idea. She left a one-star review saying we 'misrepresented the product.'"
"That's insane."
"Welcome to small business ownership."
When we finally get our coffee, we wander through the market. Asher buys me a bouquet of dahlias from one of the flower stalls, and I tuck them into the crook of my arm, breathing in their faint sweetness.
"You didn't have to do that," I say.
"I wanted to."
"They're beautiful."
"So are you."
I roll my eyes, but I'm smiling. "You're laying it on thick today."
"Is it working?"
"Outlook uncertain, try again later."
He cocks his head. "Huh?"
"Like a Magic 8 Ball."
When he still looks confused, I pull up my phone to show him a video. He recognizes the novelty toy, but says he never shook one for answers. Rich people are a whole different breed I guess. How sad. As I slide my phone back into my purse, he clears his throat.
"2284," he says.
I jolt. "What?"
"Your password. 2284. It spells 'bath' on the number keyboard."
My stomach drops.
"You own a bath and body shop," he continues. "Anyone with observational skill and a desire to steal could crack your phone in under ninety seconds."
I stare at him, feeling like I've been cataloged. "But how—" I start, then stop. "You weren't even looking at my screen when I entered it."
"Even when I'm not trying to, I'm always looking. It's what I do."
Hot Porsche guy might be a little too intense. "That's…" I trail off, unsure what to call it.
"My weird superpower," he laughs. "It's an occupational hazard. I notice vulnerabilities like some people notice changes in temperature. It's nothing to panic about. But it is something to pay attention to if I make a suggestion."
That makes sense. I mean, I notice how people smell and what their skin looks like. Whether it's dry or oily. My job doesn't stop just because I'm not at the store. We walk down to the waterfront, coffee in hand, flowers tucked under my arm. The sun is out, which can feel like a real gift in Seattle. We find a bench overlooking the Sound and sit.
"So," Asher says, stretching his arm along the back of the bench behind me. "Tell me something I don't know about you."
"Like what?"
"Anything. Something weird. Something you wouldn't normally tell someone on a second date."
I think about it. "I'm terrified of birds."
He blinks. "Birds?"
"Yes. Birds."
