The man at the counter wasn’t the only one. Two women stopped outside the window, pointing inside. Spencer turned back around and put on his most innocent smile, waving at the women.

The man got his box of doughnuts and drink and paid, and only then did he ask, “Aren’t you that punk from Crime and Punishment?” “Yeah,” Spencer said, slipping the man a sideways smile.

“I thought so.”

He made a low sound, not unlike the first, tentative whir of a blender, and stood off to the side while Spencer ordered the iced coffees. While Spencer paid and batted his eyelashes at the woman behind the counter, Scarlett watched the man. There was something in his aspect that suggested that maybe some medication had been forgotten. He didn’t eat a doughnut or drink his iced coffee. He just stared at Spencer.

“Here,” Spencer said, pressing a massive iced coffee with whipped cream into Scarlett’s hand. “Healthy breakfast.”

He grabbed his own drink and shoved five dollars into the tip cup. They were just passing the man, and Spencer was just giving him a friendly nod of good-bye, when it started.

“You son of a bitch!” he said in an even, angry voice.

The smile dropped from Spencer’s face in an instant.

“Sorry?” he asked.

“You heard me, you son of a bitch.”

“Okay,” Spencer said, quickly giving Scarlett a shove in the direction of the door. “Nice meeting you. Stay classy.”

“What is wrong with that guy?” Scarlett asked as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Don’t people know the difference between fantasy and reality?”

“He’s just a weirdo,” Spencer said, pulling the straw out of his cup and using it to scoop up some whipped cream. “Dime a dozen. You grew up here, you know that.”

“I know, but…”

Scarlett felt something smack the middle of her back. It wasn’t hard, but it was definitely solid. She turned just in time to see the man who had just yelled at them. He was following them with his box of doughnuts in his hand. He removed another one.

“That’s the son of a bitch!” he yelled as he got closer. “That’s the son of a bitch!”

Spencer turned in time to catch a cream one midchest. He looked down at his shirtfront, where he’d been struck.

“Is he really throwing doughnuts at me?” he asked.

“At us,” Scarlett said. “He got me, too.”

“What?”

Spencer stopped and changed position just enough to block Scarlett.

“What the hell are you doing?” he yelled at their attacker. “You hit my sister with a doughnut!”