“You can also get one yourself.”

He gave me a bored look. “You asked me. That means you pay. Besides, you’re not going to pay. LAPD is going to pay. So let’s stop the pretense and just get on with it.”

I let out a chuckle. “Plain or cinnamon?”

“I get a choice?”

“I’m full service, guy.”

For the first time, I saw that he was actually registering my presence, his eyes skimming up and down my body. I was wearing a sleeveless sundress that showed some cleavage and lots of leg. His cheeks took on a rosy glow. He hid his face with the front page of the newspaper.

“Plain’s fine. Two cream cheese.” He finished his Ice-Blended. “And something else to drink.” He held up the empty cup. “I’m dehydrated from my workout.”

I couldn’t believe my luck. “What else?”

“Oh … I don’t know. How about a decaf soy latte?”

“How about it?” I stood, looped my purse around my shoulder, and picked up his cup. “I’ll take care of this for you. Be back in a sec.”

I went to the trash can, opened the swing door, but placed his cup in the evidence bag that was hanging off the back of Justice Brill’s chair, hiding the drop with my body. I had been practicing this step with Brill and had become smooth at the hidden maneuver. In this case, I didn’t have to bother. Buck was intentionally ignoring me.

I went up to the counter and ordered. Ten minutes later, I was carrying a paper tray with two bagels, four cream cheeses, a soy latte for him, and a regular latte for me. He made no effort to help me, still buried in the paper. I sat back down and distributed the food. He picked up his latte and continued to read as he sipped coffee. “Cream cheese my bagel for me, will you?”

“No way,” I told him.

He peered out over the top. “That was rude.”

“So is asking me to cream cheese your bagel.” I sipped my own latte. “Anything I cream cheese, I eat myself.”

Lazily, he turned the paper. “How about you cream cheese the bagel and I’ll give you a bite?”

I knocked the paper out of his hands. “How about if you cream cheese your own bagel and look at me when I talk to you?”

Buck folded the paper. “Now I remember you, the one with the nasty temper.”

“Well, Buck, people don’t change that much in three months.”

“Has it been that long? I wish it were six.”

“You know, you could have said no when I asked you to meet me.”

“And miss out on the wit and wisdom of LAPD’s finest? Tell me, Officer, just what little ditties do our public servants in blue have up their sleeves?”

“Meaning?”

“You didn’t ask me out for my charming company. So what gives?”

“Ah, Buck, you cut me to the quick.” I smeared cream cheese on my bagel and took a bite. “Good stuff.”