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I chuckle. “I should get that.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Fine,” he says with a heavy, amused sigh. “But this doesn’t count in my five minutes.”
I roll off his lap and straighten my T-shirt as I walk across my apartment.
I open the door and instinctively stand a little taller. I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose. I bask in the eternal glow and grace and elegance as I try not to freak out.
Fiona Botsford stands in the hallway. She wears a black dress with long sleeves and a bright pink sash around her tiny waist, the same color as her handbag and shoes.
I learned from the best, after all.
“Fiona,” I say, surprised to see him. “Hello.”
“Hello, Paige,” she greets with a warm smile. “May I come in?”
“Uh...” I slide backward. “Of course. Please.”
She glides inside, her sharp eyes instantly targeting Oliver as he sits up on the chair.
“Oliver,” she says. “How are you?”
He stands up quickly, looking as confused as I am. “I’m great, Fiona. How are you?”
“I’m doing just fine,” she says. “Thank you.”
“Good.” He shifts uncomfortably. “Good.”
Fiona stands tall, as always. “Would you mind giving us a minute?” she asks him. “If you don’t mind. I’d like to talk to Paige alone.”
“I don’t mind at all,” he says as he picks up his book. “I’ll just...” he glances around my cramped studio apartment, “go read in the bathroom,” he says.
She smiles. “Thank you, Oliver.”
He bows and bolts into the bathroom.
I swallow hard. “Can I get you something, Fiona?” I ask with a shuffle toward the kitchenette.
She sets her handbag on the counter. “Oh, no,” she says. “No, thank you. I won’t be here long.”
I pause. I nod. I nod again. “It’s good to see you,” I say.
“You, too.” She glances around. “You have an adorable place.”
“Oh.” My cheeks burn. “It’s nothing.”
“Sharp sense of style, I like that.”
“Thank you.” I clear my throat. “So, is everything okay?”
“Oh, everything is fine!” she says. “I actually stopped by to check on you. I... well, I heard about what happened at the convention.”
“Yeah, it...” I pause, embarrassed. “It wasn’t my finest hour.”
“I can imagine,” she says, her face lacking any harsh judgment.
