“Good news, they have rooms. Bad news, they only had two left,” she announces, shaking water from her hair.
Lucas claps his hands together. “Slumber party!”
I close my eyes briefly, wondering what cosmic force I’ve offended to deserve this. “Fine. That’s…fine.”
“Room 14 for you two,” Lila adds, nodding toward a door halfway down the building. “I’m in 8, on the other end.”
We all climb out of the truck, the rain now down to a light drizzle. I stretch, wincing as feeling returns to limbs that wentnumb during the drive. Lucas immediately starts unloading his camera gear, handling each piece like it’s priceless.
“You guys go ahead,” he adds, cradling a waterproof case. “I need to back up this footage before I do anything else. Emmy Awards wait for no one.”
Lila rolls her eyes but doesn’t comment, slinging her duffel over her shoulder. I grab my backpack, relieved to find my laptop intact thanks to its waterproof case.
We walk toward the motel in awkward silence, our shoes squelching on the wet pavement. The neon sign buzzes overhead, casting everything in an eerie blue glow that makes Lila's damp skin look almost otherworldly.
“Thank you,” I stutter. “For saving me from my own stupidity.”
“Let’s not make that habit, okay? I can’t have a liability riding with me. My insurance barely covers me and the truck.”
“I know.” I realize I'm fidgeting with my backpack strap, a nervous habit I can't seem to break. “I appreciate you taking a chance on this collaboration. I promise my models are worth it.”
She studies me for a moment, her expression unreadable in the blue neon light. “We'll see tomorrow, won't we? I’ll meet you in the lobby at seven tomorrow morning. If your algorithms impress me, we’ll hit the road.”
We reach the point where we need to head in different directions. I hesitate, not quite ready to end our conversation despite the exhaustion settling into my bones.
“For what it's worth,” I say, “I really was going to do field research today. Not that I wasn't hoping to run into you,” I admit, immediately regretting my honesty. “But the primary purpose was data collection.”
Lila tilts her head slightly. “You know what's funny? I actually believe you. You're too earnest to be a good liar.”
I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult, so I just nod awkwardly.
“Get some sleep, Dr. Reed,” she says, already turning toward her room. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day, and I need you to be sharp.”
There’s the faintest trace of amusement in her voice when she says it, like she knows exactly what that sentence does to me.
I watch her walk away down the motel walkway, boots echoing softly against the concrete. Her damp hair hangs loose down her back now, and she glances over her shoulder once before reaching her door.
Then she disappears inside. The door clicks shut. I stand there in the drizzle for a moment too long, my shoes squelching.
Lucas materializes beside me with a low whistle. “Buddy.”
“Don't.”
“I have never seen you this gone over someone.” He gestures broadly at my face, as if it is self-evident.
I turn and find our room, shoving the key card into the slot until the little light blinks green. Inside: two narrow beds with quilts in a faded southwestern pattern, a bolted-down TV, a bathroom with a flickering light. I drop my backpack on the nearest bed and round on him. “I am not 'gone over' anyone.”
Lucas peels off his ruined jacket and drapes it over the back of the desk chair, where it immediately begins to drip onto the carpet. “You accidentally touched her boob and stopped breathing for ten full seconds. Didn't think I saw that, did you?”
“I hate you so much right now. It was an accident.”
He stares at me for a beat, head tilted. “You genuinely sound like a scientist testifying before Congress after a sex scandal.”
I point at him. “I am one comment away from shoving you out that door and making you sleep in the rain.”
Lucas drops onto his bed, bouncing once, grinning at the ceiling. “Worth it. Besides, I'm sure Lila would share her bed with me.”
I do not like that idea. Not at all. The thought of Lucas and Lila in the same bed sends a jolt of possessiveness through me so visceral I nearly drop my bag.
