From Blue to Grey/ 当芝士弹遇上黑比诺
Krista had been staring at her blank laptop screen for 30 minutes when she flipped open her phone and speed-dialed for help.
Her best friend Dawn giggled on the other end.“What，s the matter，Sweetie？ Writer，s block again？”Dawn had always been the nurturing one，while Krista was more reserved，more introverted ，preferring to sink into her work rather than into meaningful human connections. This was probably why Krista was cradling a file folder while her closest friend was cradling a child.
“This new project is driving me insane. I have to come up with a slogan for Chezzmo，s Cheese Bombs，a processed snack food that stains your lips the color of dandelions .”Krista frowned.
“Make nice with the Cheese Bombs，Honey，and they，ll make nice with you.”
After her goodbyes to Dawn，Krista walked alone quickly through a small park with bare and sparkling frost-covered trees. The quiet of winter was so calming，but today she was too wired to be aware of it. Today it just felt lonely to be hurrying through the softly falling snow.
At the other end of the park near her apartment building，Krista spotted a small food market and dashed inside. She，d never crossed this quaint store，s threshold before，preferring to order her groceries online for delivery after her frequent long work days. She marveled at the fresh greens and bright red radishes. Did people really eat vegetables anymore？ She giggled out loud and headed for the snack food aisle to make nice with the latest challenge in her crazy advertising career.
There wasn，t a single bag of Chezzmo，s Cheese Bombs to be found among the baked-not-fried corn chips and organic blue potato crisps. Krista sighed. It looked like her research wouldn，t be as easy as she，d thought.
“You need some help？”asked a gentle male voice from behind her left ear.
Krista whirled around，startled by the sudden sound and the stunning apron-clad man who，d made it.
“Uh，excuse me？”Krista stammered，while quickly scanning her tall，new companion standing near the rice cakes. Lovely，smiling wrinkles around big brown eyes. Dark，wavy shoulder-length hair. A charcoal-colored apron with“Grey”written across the chest.
“I，m sorry，did I scare you？ You looked lost in the snack food sea. I recommend the blue crisps. Great with salsa.”
Krista grinned.“Oh，hey thanks. No，I，m afraid that Chezzmo，s Cheese Bombs are the actual snack I seek.”She grinned again and felt her cheeks turn bright pink. She was certainly too wise and experienced to be instantly attracted to an over-aged boy. Wasn，t she？
The Mediterranean-looking stranger grinned right back，leaned against the wall of snacks and crossed his arms.“You really are lost，aren，t you？”he said. He reached into his apron pocket and slipped a business card the shape of a tomato into Krista，s hand.
Grey，s Organic Market. We，re not just good to you，we，re good for you.
Krista read the card and laughed，rolling her eyes playfully.“Wow，how embarrassing. I，m sorry. I，ve never been in here before. Guess that，s pretty obvious.”
“No problem.”the handsome stranger said，still grinning.“And I would have remembered you.”
Krista looked up with her own big brown eyes open wide in delight，suddenly feeling like a 14- year-old girl. Is he flirting with me？ Wow，he，s adorable.
“So you，re Grey，right？ Did you write that clever little slogan for your shop？ It，s pretty good. I，m Krista. I，m working on an ad campaign for Chezzmo，s. I，m in a Cheese Bomb nightmare.”
Grey offered his warm handshake to the beautiful woman holding his card.“Yes，I，m Grey and， yes，I wrote that. I，m glad you like it.”Grey，s mouth spread into a full，friendly smile. “Your Cheese Bomb challenge is one I don，t envy. So they make you eat them，too？”
Krista nervously tucked one of her shiny black braids into her red velvet coat.“No，but if I convince other folks to eat them，I better be willing to eat them，too.”
His hand had lingered in hers long enough to make her blush.
Grey stood up straight，a look of mischievous excitement crossing his face.“Hey，I have an idea.“He said.“Follow me.”
They walked together to the back of the market，where bottles of wine rested in crates against the wall. Grey pulled one free and said，“What goes better with Cheese Bombs？ White or red？”
Laughing again at this man，s sweet way，Krista replied“I，m not buying wine for my snack homework. Though I might need some afterwards.”
Grey touched her shoulder lightly and grinned.“Who said you were buying the wine？ I bring the bottle. You bring the bag of Bombs from the gas station a few doors down. We meet at that park over there，in the gazebo by the fountain，and we write you a slick snack food slogan that will surely put me out of business. Then maybe we，ll make a snowman to celebrate.”
Krista had never wanted to hug a stranger so much in her life. This time it was she who stuck out a hand and said，“You，re on！ I，ll be the shivering girl with cheesy fingers.”
And with a crush on the stranger carrying the Pinot Noir through the snow.
Krista was still giggling when she stepped back out under the white winter sky and suddenly noticed how pretty and peaceful the world was around her.
She couldn，t wait to call Dawn. Make nice with the Cheese Bombs，indeed.
克丽丝塔盯着空白的电脑屏幕三十分钟后，她一把掀开手机盖，按下快速拨号键寻求帮助。
在电话另一头，她最要好的朋友道恩咯咯地笑了起来。“怎么了，亲爱的？文思又阻塞了？”道恩总是那样温 柔体贴，而克丽丝塔就稍加沉默内向了，相比更有意义的人际交往，她更愿意沉浸在自己的工作中。这大概就 是为什么克丽丝塔正抱着一个文件夹，而她的闺密正抱着一个孩子。
“这个新项目快要把我逼疯了。我得为ChezzMo，s的芝士弹想出一个标语，这种加工小零食能让嘴唇染上蒲公 英颜色。”克丽丝塔眉头紧锁。
“亲爱的，和芝士弹搞好关系，吧，它们也会善待你的。”
跟道恩道别后，克丽丝塔独自一人疾步穿过一个小花园，里面的树木光秃秃的，枝条上挂满冰霜，闪闪发光。冬日的宁静让人静心怡神，但是奇怪的是，她今天才感受到。此时，在这样轻柔飘落的雪花中匆匆穿行竟让人 感到一丝丝落寞。
在公园的另一头，离她住的公寓不远的地方，克丽丝塔发现了一个小食品店，便一头冲了进去。她以前从没踏 进过这个古怪的小店。每天忙碌的工作结束后，她更喜欢在网上购买各种生活用品和食物。看到店里这些新鲜 的绿叶菜和亮红色的萝卜，她无比惊讶：现在真的还有人吃蔬菜吗？她忍不住笑出了声，然后径直来到买小食 品的过道中打算和芝士弹“搞好关系”，这毕竟是她为之疯狂的广告职业生涯中的最新挑战。
在一包包烘焙非油炸的玉米片、有机蓝色薯片中，克丽丝塔居然没有找到一包Chezzmo，s的芝士弹，她无奈地 叹了口气，看来她的调查研究没有她想象得那么轻松。
“需要帮助吗？”她的左耳边响起了一个温柔的男性声音。
克丽丝塔被这个突如其来的声音吓了一跳。她转过身子，惊讶地看到这个声音洪亮、穿着围裙的男人。
“嗯，你说什么？”克丽丝支支吾吾地说，并迅速打量着这个站在米糕旁高大的新朋友：棕色的大眼睛，可爱 亲切的笑容，齐肩的黑色卷发，炭黑色的围裙上胸前写着“格雷”两字。
“对不起，我是不是吓着你了？你好像迷失在这零食的海洋了。我跟你推荐这个蓝色薯片吧，配上辣酱味道好 极了。”
克丽丝塔笑了起来：“哦，谢谢。可是我真正想找的小零食是Chezzmo，s芝士弹。”说完她又笑了笑，感觉自 己的脸变得绯红。她自诩还是足够明智且阅历丰富，不可能这么容易被一个大男孩吸引住，不是吗？