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?]

[My house has a strict no-delivery

University. Since you're an alum, if it's not too much trouble, maybe you

with him asking for a favor, and considering she had forgotten her gloves, making it her oversight, she felt even more obligated. Given that Corley needed help with something she could easily offer. [Alright

texted, [I'm free next Friday at 11

objections and sent an OK gesture

...

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

was on a quaint

for decoration that appealed to the younger crowd, making it popular even on a

arrived a few minutes later, and a waitress

vintage record player

a bohemian charm. Corley ordered

the gloves in a brown paper

reached out to take

the air rich with the aroma of coffee beans, the ambiance neither too cold nor too dry, utterly

floor-to-ceiling window, lay a river, completely frozen over in the dead of winter.

its

in a

layer of snow from