"Hey, it's better to start slow and do things right, isn't it?"

And he's overdue for a vacation, anyway. He winks, teasing, and blots his shirtfront with a little more of the club soda. The purple wine stains are starting to spread out and fade to pink, which is going to make them way easier to bleach out even if they don't come out all the way just with soda.

"I bet you'll get plenty of students. I might get bakery owners, I guess. Too bad it's past Valentine's Day, right?"