The waitress at the restaurant needed to brew another pot of coffee, and by the time Mia returned to her car with the steaming to-go coffee cup, the man had nearly finished changing the tire.
Snow was already two inches deep on the ground and the biting wind was gathering force, whipping the sides of her coat open and making her eyes water. She saw him rub his bare hands together and thought of the new job he said was waiting for him tomorrow. She knew jobs these days were scarce, and based on his lack of a car, he was probably badly in need of money.
His trousers were new, she realized, noticing for the first time the telltale vertical crease down the front of the legs when he stood up. He had probably bought new expensive clothes in order to make a good impression on his future employer, she mused, and the thought of him doing that sent sympathy pouring through her.
