Coffeehouse Angel Read Online Free PDF

wary, for the bestower, being neither of selfish nor greedy disposition, may attempt to persuade you that a token or bauble would suffice.' " He cocked his head. "A pencil? I think not. Pencils are quite common in this century."
    A young Hispanic woman strolled up the hill and sat between the man with the newspaper and the guy from the alley. I recognized her from the drugstore where she worked as a cashier. She set a bag of groceries on her lap. Peering over a stalk of celery, she stared at alley guy with a shy smile.
    He returned the smile, then turned his attention back to me. "Well, what will it be?
    What do you most desire?"
    I wasn't about to tell a complete stranger that what I most desired was to not feel like a loser all the time. What I wanted was to be good at something, like Elizabeth with her art, or Vincent with his swimming. Forget good--how about exceptional?
    "I want that pencil."
    "I don't believe you. You're being dishonest."
    "Fine. Then how about that book?"
    He hugged the book to his chest. "You can't have this book. It's only for messengers."
    "Look, I don't have time for this game." I pointed to my watch. "I'm going to be late.
    Why don't you just give me whatever you want to give me so we can both get to work?"
    He shrugged. "If I knew what you most desired, I would have given it to you already."
    I felt like a swimmer with one fin, going round and round and round. I'm outta here.
    "Good-bye."
    But just as I took a step, he jumped to his feet. This was it, the moment between life and death. The flash of a knife blade, the click of a trigger. I opened my mouth to scream.
    If Elizabeth were here she'd kick him right in the balls. Should I kick him in the balls?
    Is it easier to kick a guy in the balls if he's wearing a kilt? The man with the newspaper tensed. The woman with the groceries clutched her bag tightly.
    But he didn't attack. He just scratched his head. "All right then. If you won't tell me, I'll figure it out myself." His gaze swept my body. "You appear to be dressed in the same fashion as the other students whom I observed at your school. Nothing out of the ordinary, so I'm guessing that you consider yourself to be an average sort of person."
    He was getting on my nerves. "Please hurry up."
    "Being an average sort of person, you probably desire the same thing that other average people desire."
    "Whatever." Grandma Anna would start to worry. She'd probably call Officer Larsen, which might be a good thing, considering the circumstances.
    He fanned the pages of his book, looking for something. "Now, what does the average person desire? That is the question."
    The Hispanic woman spoke. "I think that it is peace for the world."
    Alley Guy shook his head. "Only a few ask for world peace. And they are as rare as a sunny day in Nordby. There's a chart in here somewhere. Here it is." He ran his finger down a page. "I should have known. Fortune is what most people desire." He returned the book to his satchel and looked at me, his eyes widening hopefully. "Is that what you most desire, Katrina? Do you want fortune?"
    Play the game, get rid of the crazy guy. "Fine. I'll take it."
    I stepped away as he fumbled in his pockets. "Now to find the perfect object in which to contain the desire." He pulled out a roll of twine, a handful of bottle caps, all sorts of junk. Then he pulled out the packet of chocolate-covered coffee beans. "A wee bean will do. That's how they say it in Scotland, you know. Wee this and wee that.
    Wid ya be likin' a wee bit a magic wit yir coffee bean, lassie?" Smiling, he shook a single bean onto his open palm.
    The woman leaned close. "A coffee bean? I love coffee, but so expensive. I do not buy."
    "I'm sorry to hear that," he told her. Then he pinched the bean between his fingers and held it at arm's length, way too close to my face. "I contained your desire in this coffee bean. Clever of me, don't you think?"
    I raised my eyebrows, feigning amazement.
    "Go on. Take it."
    "If I take