Stepping through the bakery door, Lily was struck by the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread. The sweet smells seemed to beckon her deep into the shop. Two women stood at the counter, the one closest to Lily busy ringing up a sale while the other hovered impatiently behind. *Just a minute,* she told the customer. *I'll have your order ready in a moment.* She checked over her shoulder, where the other woman had moved aside to allow a freshly baked tray to pass. *I've been waiting here for my muffins,* the customer said, glancing down the counter. *I'd like to be told before I'm stood up like this.* Lily almost winced at the comment. Her ears had been buzzing all day with the latest gossip. *Sorry!* the woman at the register said emphatically. *I'll get you that order right away. Now let me see what I can do about some more of those blueberry muffins for you.* She glanced over the register, where a second bakery bag waited untouched. A thermos sat just out of reach in the pad of bakery utensils. She couldn't see who the thermos belonged to, but she knew its owner as well as any other customer at the bakery. *Excuse me,* the bell above the door chimed softly, the older woman clapped her hands to cover her sensitive ears. *I'll try to be quick.* Lily glanced over the counter service line as the doors shut behind the new couple who had entered. They were intimately huddled together, sharing stolen glances in conversation. It was difficult to make out whose heat Lily felt on her neck with the warm ventilation system combining with the real thing.