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“Always. I spoiled them those few years I did four, but three is all I can handle.” She pointed toward the dip. “I added a little more cumin. What do you think?”
“Better than the store bought,” I answered honestly.
She chewed thoughtfully, considering, before her expression turned serious. “Come back home with me. I don’t like you in that old apartment by yourself.”
“I’m perfectly safe.”
She cut her eyes over to mine. “You shouldn’t be alone. Not right now.”
“I’m not. I’m with you.”
“Smarty pants.” She wiped away a crumb that fell on my sleeve. “Besides, being close, Daniel couldn’t avoid you.”
My stomach turned sour, and I set down my half-eaten pita chip. “Did she stay last night?” I held my breath, even though deep in my gut I already knew the answer.
Muriella’s eyes turned sympathetic. “When I went up to take him breakfast, the apartment was empty. I checked the bedroom.” She shrugged unapologetically. “Only one side of the bed was unmade. There was a picture of the two of you on the nightstand.”
I smiled to myself, knowing it was the one I’d put in his pillow case. This news made me feel marginally better.
“I don’t want you to spy for me. I’m not going to pump you for information or put you in the middle. I just—I needed to know about her.” Unwelcome jealousy seared through me as I thought about Daniel taking that beautiful woman to our bed.
“If it helps get you home, I’ll put a bugging device in his clothes. Now eat.” She picked up my abandoned pita chip and held it to my lips.
I accepted, chewing slowly.
Triumphant cheers came from the direction of the playground. The kids had their teacher surrounded in the sand. She laughed as a little girl dumped a bucket of soft balls on top of her head.
“Do they vacuum everybody off before they head back inside?” I pointed toward the scene, only imagining the mess all that sand would make.
Muriella snorted. “They should. There’ll be a trail of sand through the school.” She smiled fondly at the children. “But they love that pit.”
“Yeah, they do.”
I pushed my plate away and patted my stomach. “I’m done. I can’t eat any more.”
She eyed my empty paper plate and made a noise of satisfaction. “What time’s your meeting?”
“Two.” I piled up the glass containers that held the remnants of our lunch and put them in the insulated bag I’d brought it in. “You have any mints?”
M looked at me like I’d asked a silly question. She passed me her oversized tote. “In there.”
I found the mints in a side pocket, exactly where they were supposed to be. But I also discovered something much more interesting.
“Mind if I keep this?” I asked far too innocently, holding up her copy of the magazine with Stone on the cover.
Her fingers tightened around a carrot stick, snapping it in half. “Don’t.”
“Fine. Fine. I’ll just check it out now.” The pages of his spread were worn. My M couldn’t help herself from looking at him. “He is impressive on a horse.” There was a particularly great shot of him nose to nose with a chestnut mare. This photograph was exactly why women fell in love with him. Strong, with a hint of sensitivity.
Muriella’s eyes filled with longing when she gazed down at the open magazine. They met mine, steel in them now. “According to that,” she said with disgust, “he’s on a shoot in Egypt.”
“Daniel mentioned that a while back.” I chewed my mint, and M’s nostrils flared.
“He’s talked to him?” She tossed her empty plate on top of mine.
“Yeah. Stone thinks we should go back over and explore the pyramids again on our next trip.”
She growled. “I thought he was too busy for us.”
