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“I will give you four dollars and a really good croissant if you let me hide in here.”

Devin blinked in confusion at the cherubic, wind-flushed hobbit who’d just entered his store, who was currently glancing nervously over his shoulder and looking like he was on the run from a pack of wolves.

Making a split second decision, he gestured firmly for the hobbit to come behind the counter  (he didn’t think he had time to explain the curse, so talking wasn’t going to be helpful at the moment), earning a relieved smile. The hobbit darted behind Devin, who turned back to the dried and powdered flowers display next to the register, looking surreptitiously out of the corner of his eyes at the door.

A man walked past, looking searchingly around him, even going so far as to cup his hands to the glass front windows and scowl inside. He didn’t see Devin’s hidden charge, visibly slumping in frustration, and huffed out what was most likely an inaudible curse word before stalking further down the street.

“Ex?” he said, not looking up (just in case the searcher suddenly came back).

“Blind date,” said the hobbit.

“That bad?”

“Worse.”

“Condolences.”

“Is he gone?”

“I’m surely going to have an easy time answering that before you’ve looked at my curse bracelet.”

The hobbit visitor simply appeared next to him in that startling way hobbits often did, as if he’d materialized from nothing. He peered around Devin’s shoulder, and Devin helpfully raised his wrist so the bracelet could be read.

“Okay, I’m up to date!”

“In that case, no, he’s right outside the door.”

The hobbit giggled, before offering a hand for a shake.

“Thanks so much!” he said cheerfully. “I’m Patton. What’s your name?”

“It’s not Devin. And I’m certainly not at all curious as to what your blind date could have done to make himself so distasteful you hid from him that quickly.”

“The date was actually last night,” said Patton. “And it wasn’t that bad, we just didn’t hit it off, and I said so in the text I sent him after. But he showed up to my work today and bothered me through my whole shift, and then he tried to follow me home after I got off.”

“Totally not completely terrifying.”

“I know right?” said Patton. “He’s lucky my brother wasn’t working today, Virgil might have literally stabbed him.”

“Doesn’t sound like my kind of solution.”

“Thank you so much for letting me hide!” said Patton, pulling out a lunch box from seemingly nowhere.

“It was very troubling,” said Devin, waving a hand dismissively.

“Here’s your croissant!”

“I want it,” said Devin. “It was a huge inconvenience to let you duck behind my counter for three minutes. I’ll be taking your lunch.”

“I have two!” Patton chirped, holding out the napkin-wrapped croissant insistently. Devin was surprised – normally the longer he spoke, the more trouble people had parsing what he was trying to say, but Patton didn’t seem confused or put out by having to decipher it. He hadn’t even mentioned Devin’s curse since he read the bracelet.

“Fine,” said Devin, taking the pastry and nibbling on the corner. “... Unholy shit.”

“I know, right?” said Patton smugly. “Me and my brother are so good.”

“You didn’t make this,” said Devin incredulously.

“Sure did! Apothecafe, down the street, it’s me and my brother’s coffee shop and bakery. Patton Cottonwood, at your service.”

“I’ve had a chance to try it out.”

“Well, that won’t do!” exclaimed Patton. “All my friends get half off treats!”

“Oh, really?” laughed Devin’s, “Is this how you normally make friends?”

“Oh definitely not, normally I’m the one doing the rescuing,” said Patton, in a very over-the-top way and a twinkle in his eye that made Devin think he was being sarcastic in a strangely saccharine way. “I’m a regular superhero, just look at me. Can’t you tell?”

Devin looked him up and down, all four-feet-something of him, springy brown curls and golden skin with pink-apple cheeks and a smile like a storybook character.

“Oh, definitely,” he deadpanned.

Patton let out a trill of a giggle.

“Gimme your phone,” he said, shaking his hand insistently. “I’ll put my number in and you can text me when you’re coming into the bakery! I’ll be sure to find something you like on the menu.”

“You’re not at all presumptuous you know,” said Devin, even as he did capitulate by unlocking and handing over his phone.

“I’ve been told I make friends like a steamroller!”

“An inaccurate comparison.”

Patton handed Devin’s phone back and trotted toward the door.

“I gotta head home, chores to do, but text me!” said Patton. “Treats! Half off! I am not above bribing you to be my friend!”

“You’re not very strange, Patton Cottonwood.”

“You’re stuck with me now so you better get used to iiiiit!” sing-songed Patton, darting out the door with a jingle of the bell and half-jogging down the street in the direction he’d come from.

“What a normal little creature,” Devin muttered to himself.

He glanced down at the contact in his phone.

‘Your New Best Friend Patton.’

Rolling his eyes, Devin changed it and texted a screenshot to him, getting a long string of laughter emojis in response.

‘Patton (Nuisance)’

Patton replied with another screenshot, and Devin couldn’t help but laugh.