“Because, with great misfortune, us women folk have no control over who we are attracted to and go gaga over,” she said as she poured me another shot.

I slammed it back, trying not to grimace at the bitterness. “Fuck,” I said, unsure of whether I was reacting to the taste or the words that had been offered to me. (Not that it mattered; neither was particularly soothing.)

Suzanne reached across the counter. She placed her hand over mine. “It’s a pity, sweetie, but something that you’re going to need to learn to live with. You can’t hide in this coffee shop forever, you know.”

“Make the next a triple.”

Her eyes burned into my skin. I felt them before I saw them. The look was insistent, demanding.

“Please?”

It was simple, really. Caffeine was my drug of choice. My whole life was falling apart. Hell, I was falling apart. My heart hurt. I wasn’t the type to go for the depressants like alcohol. That never made sense to me. I needed a distraction and quick. Never mind that my hands were shaking already…