Page 53 of No Limos Allowed


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I was still waiting for the catch. "A ride."

"Yeah, except I'm done with chips." He grinned. "You'll have to settle for steak."

20

Bagels of Wrath

Maisie

I returned from work at half past seven – the earliest I'd gotten home in days. I still had a full hour of sunlight left, and I felt nearly giddy – until I opened the front door and spotted Tessa sitting on the couch.

Correction. Stewing on the couch.

She didn't even look up when I walked in. She just sat there rigid and upright, with her arms crossed and a throw pillow jammed against her stomach like it was the only thing keeping her from flipping the coffee table.

I edged forward, speaking softly to avoid startling her. "Hey."

She gave me only the briefest glance. "Hey."

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

It was a blatant lie. Or maybe she didn't want to talk. I'd learned something during the past few weeks.Tessa had a lot of secrets. And she didn't like it when people pried.

I didn't want to be nosy, honest. But I couldn't help but recall how she'd listened to me go on and on about my troubles with the shop and how she'd insisted on making that homemade bread while I sat and watched.

For all she'd done over the past few days, the least I could do was remind her that she wasn't alone.

Today, timing was on my side. Having finished work earlier than expected, I'd stopped by the store for something in particular. As Tessa continued to stare ahead, I shrugged off mysling backpack and dug inside, finding the paper sack filled with something she might enjoy.

Bag in hand, I moved forward until I reached the couch. And then, I started pulling out tiny bottles of booze and setting them in a line on the coffee table in front of her. They were the same sort of single-serve varieties that Tessa had been givingme.

Tessa's mouth twitched. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

A corner of her mouth lifted. "Liar."

I grinned. "I know, right?" I gestured toward the bottles. "These are for you. I figured your supply had to be running low with how manyI'vebeen chugging."

Tessa reached for a little pink bottle and twisted it open. "Want to hear something funny?"

"Sure, what?"

She gave a weak laugh. "I've got like a million bottles left."

I couldn't help but stare. "No."

"Yes." But then she paused. "Okay, maybe not a million, but I've got a bunch."

My gaze strayed to the coffee table, where my small offering seemed kind of pathetic compared to a million. "Oh." I tried for a laugh. "I guess the last thing you need is more."

Her expression warmed. "Actually, I do – need them, I mean." She glanced toward the bottles. "Especially if I'm not drinking alone." Her voice turned hopeful. "You wanna join me?"

I smiled with relief. "Definitely." I sat down beside her. "Does this mean you want to talk about it?"

She hesitated. "I do, and I don't."