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Lilac had gottenthrough all of Tuesday morning with little incident. Walking to that office made her physically sick—she’d had to run to the bathroom to make sure she wasn’t going to throw up—but she’d done it. Earl had been dismissive of her when she’d arrived, feigning being busy. Unlike during the previous week, he’d kept their office door open and was often either sending her out on errands or going himself—leaving them together as little as possible and never not within someone’searshot.
Good, thought Lilac.I hope I scared you intodecency.
She didn’t always feel as confident as that, though. She reached for paperwork with shaky hands, felt her throat dry up, always aware of who was to her side, aware of what had happened when she’d been in thatseat.
Once she’d gone for a walk, her phone clenched in her hand, ready to text Gavin, and hadn’t even told Earl what she was doing. He hadn’t even looked up from his work toask.
That was when she’d found the Silly Sandgrouse fanboy in the lobby and, remembering the shift schedule in the break room, had taken him over to see Nolan. He was their ice breaker, that eight-year-old.
They’d exchanged a few messages that night. Lilac had sent him the photo she’d had taken of them together, along with the message:Confession. I knew that wasyou.
By lunch time Wednesday, she’d gotten the message:I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m Silly Sandgrouse’s friend. When he’s out of this break room, I cease to exist. He did tell me about this hot girl who was getting all cozy with him at the buffet. Girl has a thing for birds, I’dwager.
She’d laughed then where she sat on the two-foot decorative concrete wall surrounding the bushes behind the Tent Tildy building, not caring that the few landscapers within earshot looked over to find her picking cilantro out of her sandwich and giggling to herself. She decided she liked being back there. No one bothered her back there. And it had given her plenty of time to text Gavin—and to think about what to say to Nolan next. Gavin had been determined to snap her out of her good mood,though.
If you don’t report him, Iwill.
Lilac wiped her fingers on a tissue she’d commandeered as a napkin.Don’t you dare, she typed.Drop it,okay?
DROP IT?? Are youcrazy?
Thanks, typed Lilac as she said the word aloud wryly. The landscapers would really think she was nuts now, which only proved Gavin’s point.Look. I’m doing okay today. I appreciate you being here for me, but you pressing this issue is just going to undo all the work I’ve put in to reach this point. I’m okay. You’ve kept your promise and haven’t told ANYONE,right?
Yes! It’s the wrong thing to do, but I’ve kept my word. And you’re not okay—don’t tell me otherwise—and someone deserves a big, fat lip, but… okay. I’ll drop it… Fornow.
Thank you, wrote Lilac. She checked the time. She still had twenty minutes. Gavin was on lunch, too—apparently he could take it early. Hell, since they didn’t pay him for his labor, they ought not to complain when he took hisbreaks.
Lilac decided to lighten the mood and sent him the picture of her and Silly.Here’s the hot guy you talked to onSunday.
Gavin sent an emoji of a laughing face.He’s more handsome than Iimagined.
Isn’t he, though? He’s so in demand that I worry he just wanted me there as some arm candy for his glamourshot.
Tonight’s entertainment headline: Silly Sandgrouse, long-time friend and sidekick of Tildy Tapir, has a hot, blonde piece of ass on the side. What will Queen Animaliasay?
Lilac laughed aloud again.It’s Queen AnimaLIAO. And she’s not dating SillySandgrouse.
Thank the gods,wrote Gavin. He paused for a moment.Hey, isn’t Silly Sandgrouse like sixty years old? And still a bachelor, eh? That’s right in yourwheelhouse.
That deserved an emoji with its tongue stuck out.I’ll have you know that under all those feathers, he’s a baby-faced boy whom I suppose must be at least 21 since he was in that bar. SO cute, I’ll admit that. Not what I hoped for, but more than fuckable, believe you me.A flash of Earl’s hands on her shoulders, his hand traveling down her skin, shot through her. This, while he was married. If that’s what older men had to offer her, then the hell with thatanyway.
Happy to hear, wrote Gavin.But I’m more concerned that when you skin a giant bird, he turns into a hot baby-facedboy.
Lilac crumpled up her sandwich paper, shuddering at the sight of the cilantro as she squeezed it all into a ball in herfist.
Gavin sent a photo of a man with short, messy brown hair in a dark business suit in profile, his mouth in a thin line. At first glance, he seemed mature and he made Lilac’s heart race just a little, but the closer she looked, the more she was certain he was no older than thirty or so.How fuckable is he?textedGavin.
Laughing, Lilac let go of her trash.Who is this??sheasked.
Answer the questionfirst.
Lilac groaned.Very, supremely fuckable. You happy? Nowspill.
That’sGabriel.
THAT’sGabriel??
I actually thought you might have recognizedhim.
