“Of course, I’ll pay for any repairs,” she promises, ripping into the granola bar. “Just please don’t tell Cal, I’m too embarrassed.”
I make a zipping motion over my lips, deciding to let her discover the quail egg growing on her forehead on her own. “Not a word.”
“Gracie, you’re a—what’s the American term? A lifebuoy?”
I stand back up, suddenly concerned she might be concussed. “Do you mean a lifesaver?”
“Yes, exactly,” she says, eyes wide. “Alifesaver.”
“Just rest and don’t forget your Tylenol. I’m going to talk with the owner.”
I make my way over to where Maya and Jude are talking in hushed voices and stealing exasperated glances at Kaylie.
“Maya, hey. I amsosorry about all this,” I say in a low voice. “I never would have booked them with you if I had any idea they’d cause such a mess.”
She pulls me in for a tight hug. “It’s okay. I’m just so grateful you sent in the cavalry. Jude and I gowayback.”
“No way!” I say, wondering if I’ll ever stop being surprised by how small Rhode Island is. “How? When?” I ask, looking between them. But Jude only shifts uncomfortably, rubbing the side of his jaw. Immediately, I feel like an idiot. Is “go way back” code for “slept together”?
Maya rolls her eyes. “Do you remember that motherfucker I married right out of grad school? Bobby?”
I grimace at the unexpected turn of conversation, because it’s somehow worse. Maya was a grad student when I was just a sophomore, but we became friends while working part-time at the school café together. Bobby was our supervisor.
“Yeah, I remember him,” I say darkly.
She nods and takes a breath. “Long story short, things got rough. I didn’t have any money for a decent divorce lawyer, but a friend put me in touch with this amazing organization that helps women out of bad situations, and Jude took on my case, free of charge.”
She smiles up at him, emotion warming her gaze, and he returns it with a subdued nod. “It was my pleasure to help.”
She laughs. “You mean it was a pleasure to make that man shit bricks in court?”
His full lips tug up at one corner, and there’s a glint in his eye that almost looks predatory. “That, too.”
Maya lets out a big exhale and does a little shimmy of her muscled shoulders like she’s shaking off the mere mention of her ex. Meanwhile, pieces of a puzzle I’ve been trying to solve blindfolded don’t fall into place, but I start to feel their edges.Is this the kind of pro bono work he does?When Henry mentioned it, I imagined him helping low-income clients with basic divorce filings or offering free advice at legal clinics—not this.
“Anyway, thank you for everything. Helping me calm everyone down, organizing rides, playing doctor,” Maya says with a pointed glance at Brooke, who’s adjusting the ice pack on her forehead with a wince. “And for risking life and limb forthatone,” she mutters, jerking her head toward Kaylie as she burps in her sleep.
“It was nothing,” Jude says.
She rolls her eyes before giving me a flat look. “These women were mid–Coyote Uglyon top of my bar when he got here.Sherefused to get down,” Maya tells me, not knowing I just witnessed the whole debacle.
“It was my dishonor to catch her,” Jude says dryly, eyeing her rumpled sash.
Maya snorts while I send up another prayer of thanks for his willingness to help.
“Listen, I really need to get out front and help Eve—this class was supposed to end an hour ago.” She shakes her head and looks at me. “Would you two mind just staying here until they’re all in cars? I don’t trust them not to set something on fire.”
“Of course,” I say, feeling winded from this whole night, but maybe especially from the possible revelation about Jude and his work. “I’ll see if I can get a cleaner to come first thing tomorrow morning. If you could also let me know how much to charge Brooke for damages, I’ll get on that right away.”
“Thanks for everything, Gracie. Jude, we should catch up sometime. Free dance lessons whenever you want,” she says with a wink before hurrying out to help her wife.
After she’s gone, Jude and I look at each other fully for the first time all night. In his pristine joggers, soft black T-shirt, and damp waves, he’s completely out of place amongst the wreckage, and all I want to do is crush myself against him. He must have the same thought, because the next moment, I’m up against his warm chest, breathing in clean cotton and the faint scent of chlorine.
“Thank you,” I whisper, hardly able to get the words out around the swell of gratitude in my chest. “I’m so sorry I ruined your night.”
“Ruined? How many people can say that they’ve successfully re-created the flying leap scene fromDirty Dancingwith a wasted stranger?”
“I think calling that successful might be a stretch,” I say, a reluctant smile pulling at my lips.
