Facade of Love

Chapter 306 The Warmth of Ordinary Life

For someone stuck in a hospital room, the idea of getting out for a walk was something to really look forward to.

As for taking Charlie out to eat, I could not think of anywhere special off the top of my head, so I picked a place I liked to go on any given day.

Charlie had insisted on ditching Inch and the bodyguard for the day inside the restaurant, so we snagged a table by the window. The view was killer–Polaris River sliced right through Lake City, with people kayaking and the sidewalks bustling with life under the bright lights.

As we browsed the menu, Charlie finally tore his eyes away from the scene and asked, “Do you like this?”

I nodded, watching the street vendors and the chill crowd wandering by. “It’s so lively,” I said.

He flashed a quick grin and agreed, “Yeah, it’s got that special buzz.”

Mid–conversation, Charlie’s attention drifted to a mom and her kid at the cotton candy stand below. The little guy, who was maybe five or six, was totally spellbound by the rainbow of sugary fluff and glued to the spot.

“That stuff will glue your teeth together. We’ll have something way better at home,” the mom probably said, trying to pry her kid away, thinking about the impending sugar rush.

The kid, however, was having none of it, his eyes glued to the cotton candy. He begged, “It won’t stick. Let’s just get one!”

was real: the kid wanted it bad, and mom was not budging. She tried to haul him off,

crash, the table toppled over

the mother–son pair who had been on the fence about the cotton candy. “What is

little boy plopped down on the pavement and

mom, too frazzled to soothe him, scrambled

be hard on you. My cotton candy costs two bucks a stick, and I can’t sell the ones you guys knocked to the floor now. Pay

started bringing out our food, Charlie and I both looked away from the drama and checked out the dishes on the table. Before we could dig in, this ear–splitting yell came from downstairs, “Fifteen? Are you kidding me? Do you think you can scam over a few sticks of cotton candy? Dream

wait for the boss to respond. She just

tumbling as he tried to keep

not making any sense. I’m trying to be

junk food. I haven’t even reported you for selling bad food, which is me being nice. Now you want me to pay up? As if!” She went off like

But you’ll wait here while I call the cops,

his phone,

started wailing like her heart was being torn out, accusing the boss of trying to rip her off.

did not take long for a crowd of onlookers, who had been casually strolling by, to stop and gather around. With more and more people showing up, Charlie

sorts of delicious dishes, and I slid the window shut to