Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"What can you do in ten minutes?" The girl asked.

Corley's face was expressionless as he said, "Ever heard how curiosity killed the cat?"

"Sorry."

"Once the money's in your pocket, keep your mouth shut." Corley threatened.

After getting home and showering, Roseanne planned to review a few papers before hitting the sack.

Just as she sat down, she received a message from Corley.

[You left your gloves in my car.]

He attached a photo of the gloves. They were indeed the ones Roseanne wore that day.

It then dawned on Roseanne that she had taken them off after getting into the car because the heating was high. Corley had kindly taken them from her and set them aside.

She had forgotten them when she left.

[Can I drop by to pick them up sometime?]

house has

University. Since you're an alum, if it's not too much trouble, maybe you could show me around and help me get familiar

familiarity yet. But with him asking for a favor, and considering she had

texted, [I'm free next Friday at 11 a.m. Does that work for

sent an OK gesture

...

they had agreed, Corley parked his car and walked to the

was on a quaint street not far from

for decoration that appealed to the younger crowd, making it

arrived a few minutes later, and a waitress

record

soothing, foreign song, exuding a bohemian charm. Corley ordered an iced Americano

gloves." He had packed the gloves in

reached out to

rich with the aroma of coffee beans, the ambiance neither too

a river, completely frozen over in the dead of winter. Bare willow

its

in a

layer of snow from the previous