I couldn’t help but let out a raspy, sad giggle. “What in the world is that?”
John huffed, his warm breath brushing the shell of my ear. “That’s Queequeg. My cat.”
“Oh,” I said, a little numb. I suddenly felt stupid. Accusing him of stealing my laptop. “Like, fromMoby Dick?”
“Yes and no.The X-Files. Scully’s?—”
“Scully’s dog. The one that got eaten by an alligator in the episode by the lake.” I nodded, as if this was common knowledge and not some weird fandom inside joke. But I would have to mull over the sudden realization that John and I had things in common later. Right now, I was on the train to mental breakdown town.
Charlene patted my leg. I peeked at her through my fingers. “Are you sure you didn’t leave it anywhere else?”
“I shook my head. I was gone for maybe a minute.”
“That’s… unfortunate.” She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the contestants cramming themselves into the doorway. As if to underline the time crunch we were in, the wind howled.
She grimaced. “We really gotta leave.”
“I can’t leave now,” I said, the panic already rising in me again. “I left it right there on the desk and when I came back, it had disappeared. Someone must have taken it.”
“Are you sure?” said Elaine from the doorway. “You did drink quite a bit. Maybe you just forgot where you put it.” I wanted to hurl my entire collector’s edition of Lew Elliot’s hardcovers at her face.
A tree branch snapped against the window.
Charlene flinched. Then stood. “I’m sorry, Nora. We really gotta go.” Her usually healthy complexion had gone pale at the sight of the trees lashing outside.
John was quiet, watching me. His emotions unreadable.
“Well, I’m heading out.” Elaine straightened. “Looking forward to seeing some of you again.”
I shot her a glare filled with daggers.
John turned to Charlene. “I’ll stay with Nora. Help her find the missing laptop and make sure she sends the file as soon as possible.”
“What? No!” I said, standing, looking at him like he had grown an extra head.
But Charlene nodded absent-mindedly. “Okay. Yes. Fine. I’ll let the board know. But Nora—” She waved a finger in my direction. “No more edits. Send it straight away.”
Charlene was watching me with an air of distrust, like she was equally sorry for me while also blaming me for this clusterfuck. Did she really believe Elaine? That I’d drunk too much and lost my laptop?
“As soon as we find it, I’ll drive you home,” John said calmly, handing over his laptop to Charlene.
I bit my nails, thoughts tumbling over one another. I had no choice, did I? Just then, the lights flickered.
“Blimey,” Jeremy said, looking a little pale himself. “I sure hope I’ll see you again, Nora, but not enough for me to stay and possibly get killed in a snowstorm, so…tata.” He stepped across the room in two long strides and gave me a brisk hug. “Best of luck.”
“You got this, girl,” May waved from the doorframe.
“Get home safely, and text me when it’s through,” Charlene said before shouldering her bag.
Then it was just the two of us.
I watched John suspiciously as he slid his hands into his pockets. No one spoke. The front door shut. I tried to hide my flinch.
“Don’t worry,” he said finally, in that dark tone of his. This man could narrate a phone book and people would buy the shit out of it. “I’m not going to ravish you.” Then he winked. Instead of the panic I’d just felt, a flicker of anger licked my belly. Like this was some sort of joke to him. Like all of this was a joke to him. Then his words sunk in. Something warm spread in my stomach and probably also my face. Annoyance, yes, but also…disappointment? WTF Nora?
The lights flickered again.
The tension broke. “Right.” I turned on the spot. “Let’s find that mysterious laptop that seems to have grown legs.” As I stepped through my bedroom door and into a cold puddle, I texted Otis.
