Page 51 of All The Ways to Miss You

She peers in his direction but snaps her attention back. Her eyes grow wide. “He’s talking to Lou.”

I cringe. Great. Just what I needed, my hookup and my fake ex chatting it up and becoming friends.

“You aren’t talking now?” she whispers back.

I shake my head. It’s too long a story to explain. “Can you get my purse?” I point toward my office, which is behind her.

As if on a covert mission, Aggie pushes away from her desk, stands, and struts into my office. She opens my desk drawer, tugs out my purse, and rushes to exit. As soon as she steps over the threshold, Evan walks in. They collide, all arms and awkwardness. My purse launches from Aggie’s grip, tumbling through the air, and lands at her feet. The contents spill everywhere.

I wince and press myself against the wall to hide.

“Sorry about that. Let me help you,” Evan says.

On tiptoe, I creep to a new vantage point. He’s squatting to help her collect the items—compact, sunglass case, tampons, and all.

“Aren’t you Aggie, Cait’s friend?” he asks.

“No. I mean, yes. Of course. Best friends . . . sometimes.” Aggie releases a manic giggle.

“Confusing, but I get it. So, is she here?” He dumps the items he collected from the floor into my purse, and then glances beyond her shoulder, scanning my office.

They stand. Aggie loops the bag over her shoulder like it belongs to her. She grips it tightly and steps back, frowning. “No, she left, like, hours ago. She went home? A run? A meeting? She could be anywhere? Florida?”

I roll my eyes. The longer she talks, the worse she babbles. This is how you know she’s lying. It’s her tell.

“Don’t these belong to her?” Evan dangles my keys.

“Nope, they’re mine.” She swipes at them, but he jerks them beyond her reach. She tries again to no avail. Evan is over a foot taller.

“You see this key chain?” He points. “It says Rush Street Apartments. And this key attached? It’s the one I gave her when she moved in, which means she’s here somewhere.”

Aggie’s gaze darts to mine and back to his. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other and flaps her arms, slapping them at her sides. “Okay, fine. You caught me. I lied. She’s avoiding you.”

I grit my teeth and shrink into my spot, praying she won’t rat me out. I should have known she’d give in.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Evan sounds exhausted.

A new voice chimes in. “Becky from accounting said she took off like a bat out of hell when she saw you.”

I glance around the door frame to find Lou pointing to the other end of the office. “If you run, you may catch her on the fire stairs,” he says.

Evan hurries in that direction, his arms swinging with determination. After he passes a few of my coworkers, he breaks out into a jog. From over his shoulder, he says, “Thanks, Lou.”

As soon as he’s out of sight, I emerge from the copy room, grab my handbag from Aggie, and sling it over my shoulder.

Lou gives Aggie a smug look. “And that’s how you do it, ladies.”

“You’re the king of deception,” I tell him, then hold out my hand to Aggie. “My keys?”

She frowns. “Evan took them.”

My head tips back and I groan.

“But I have a copy,” she sings.

My attention swings back. Aggie drags a long yarn necklace from beneath her sweater. At the end, a silver key pops out, swinging.

“You crazy, wonderful woman.” I beam.