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“What gave it away?” I ask as I zip my purse closed.
“Just the whole job-hunting thing, I guess,” he says.
He noticed I didn’t know what I was doing. Anyone who lives here must use that local site for everything. There were a ton of different sections to it.
“It’s not my first time in the city,” I admit. “But I’m a small town girl at heart.”
“Me too,” he says. “Small town guy, I mean. I came out here for university, and I ended up staying, but I miss my hometown every day.” He sighs wistfully. “The air is so clean back in Emerald Valley, but I couldn’t get sushi after midnight back there, so I guess it kind of evens out.”
“You do a lot of sushi eating after midnight?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.
He laughs. “I have kind of a weird job. Sometimes that means eating at all hours.”
He puts his hand into his pocket and brings out a business card.
Passes it to me. “If you ever need an I.T. guy, I’ll be happy to help.”
“Ted Hoshi,” I read out his name on the card.
He doesn’t really look like a Ted. If I had to guess, I would have gone with something fresher or more exotic sounding. He has a small town guy name which is pretty normal for a Beta.
“Nice to meet you,” I tell him.
“I’m guessing you don’t have a business card?” he jokes.
“I left them in my business jacket pocket,” I joke back.
“Then, can I have your name? Just so I know who’s calling when you eventually phone me to hook you up with free cable?”
There’s something about the way he looks at me that tells me he’s really hoping I call.
I shouldn’t let this go any further, but for some reason, I blurt, “Leanne Leto. Clerical worker from Silver Lake, and brand new resident of Cressidan City.”
He beams back at me. “Leanne. Nice to meet you. I hope you find the job you’ve been looking for.”
“Thanks,” I tell him, feeling like I’m going to start blushing.
I slip his card into my pocket. “I kind of have to go now.”
He nods. I gather my things and haul my ass out of the coffee shop.
I walk a good way along the street before I let myself slow to a stop.
I have nowhere to go, and nothing to do.
That’s kind of going to be my life for a while until I get a job.
I decide to head to the mall. I’ll get interview clothes and avoid my apartment for a bit until Secret’s done with her college work for the day. Keeping myself busy is easy today. Keeping it up is going to be way harder.
Chapter Eight
Leanne
Wandering around the mall alone is kind of weird. It used to be a high school thing to hang around Silver Lake’s mall with my friends. Those friends grew up and got engaged while I was still going out to clubs in the city with older friends. They moved on while I stood still.
I couldn’t tell them about Secret. I couldn’t tell anyone.
I was out with mono while I was pregnant.
