Page 50 of When Annika Met Thom

Annika felt like a local in the subway that night, finding it as routine as if she’d been doing it for years. She didn’t miss a single change and was striding toward the apartment in record time. It was easy to see the appeal of living in Manhattan, with the light spilling out of all the shops—along with delicious smells. In addition to Thai and pizza places within a block of the apartment, there was a Korean grocery and a taco bar. There was a cozy bistro with burgundy walls and a few tables set on the pavement for those willing to brave the chilly temperatures. The bodega on the corner seemed to have everything, including a selection of wine and beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers. There was a coffee shop, too, the display case filled with sweets on one side and savories on the other. The streets were busy, people coming home from work, parents with children, kids on bikes, people walking dogs. She wanted to take time to browse, but she’d do that when Percival wasn’t waiting for her to get home.

Just as it had been on Saturday, the security door at the apartment was propped open. Annika rode the elevator up to the floor, feeling just a little bit nervous that she had no keys. Would Thom be home, as he’d promised? Or would she have to appeal to Mrs. Moriarty to find out where the superintendent lived? She knocked on the door of the apartment and Cerberus barked a welcome. In a replay of Saturday, Thom opened the door, wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

Annika smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Thom didn’t smile. He held onto the dog’s collar as Annika came in, then Cerberus gave her an enthusiastic welcome. Annika laughed and patted the dog, noticing how Thom stood back and watched. Then she went to Percival and gave him a little snuggle, too. She grabbed some clothes, then changed into her jeans and a sweatshirt in the bathroom.

Thom kept his back to her, organizing ingredients on the counter from his side of the cupboard. Ramen noodles were on the menu, but Annika didn’t want to eat his food.

She also was feeling too celebratory to cook.

“I was thinking of going back to that Thai place to get take-out for dinner,” she said. “Want some?”

“Like a date?” She could hear his skepticism and remembered his comments.

“No, like two people in the same place at the same time sharing a meal for the sake of convenience,” she said and he blinked. Annika gave him a hard look. “We don’t even have to talk.”

He gave her a skeptical glance.

“Thai take-out is not on the road to forever. It’s very much about living in the moment. I’m starving and too happy tonight to want to cook.”

“Don’t you like cooking?”

“Not particularly. I do it when I have to, and I avoid it when I can.”

Still he looked hesitant and she wondered about his financial situation. Ramen noodles were cheap.

“My treat,” she offered. “After all, I owe you for pizza and ice cream last night.”

“Then we’ll be even,” Thom replied, as if that was an appealing idea. She could believe that he was a person who didn’t like to owe anyone or be owed.

“Exactly. What do you say?”

He nodded. “Thanks.”

“Any requests? Anything you love or hate?”

“It’s all good,” he said, turning to put the noodles back in the cupboard. “You choose.”

She did. Annika had to guess that Thom consumed more calories per day than she did, given their relative sizes, so she wasn’t worried about leftovers. She went down to the shop and ordered a veritable feast, indulging her curiosity about the house specialties as well as ordering familiar favorites. If nothing else, eating with Thom gave her the chance to try more dishes. She had two big bags when she came back and wanted to thank whoever had put that cinder block against the security door.

“Whoa,” Thom said when he opened the door, immediately taking two bags from her. “Who else did you invite?”

“No one. I wanted to try some things.” Thom had put out plates and he opened cartons as Annika made herself some green tea. Once again, she had a piece of poached fish for Percival. Cerberus laid down to watch the proceedings.

“It’s great that she doesn’t beg,” Annika said when they sat down.

“She’s too big for that. She’d be a terror.”

“But you trained her.”

“Yes, but she was easy to teach.”

The dog’s tail wagged as if she knew they were talking about her, but she stayed put.

“So, you only work part-time at the club?” Annika asked when their plates were loaded, even though she knew the answer.

Thom glanced up. “Yes.”

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