Page 17 of Hooked
Her blue eyes went wide. “That would be awesome. Spider gets cranky if I leave the table too long.”
“I’ll grab you a cider.”
Her dimple peeked out. “You always know what I want.”
He looked her up and down, from the pink earrings to the tips of her pointed flats. “I’d love to show you just how much.”
“Shameless.” She winked at him.
“You like me that way.”
Tayla laughed as she walked away. Jeremy went to the bar and ordered a cider from Junior, who was behind the bar. He made his way to the table in the corner where Spider, Daisy, Ethan, and Tayla were huddled over a paper.
Spider looked up with narrowed eyes. “Oh. It’s you.”
“Yes, and I’m not working with any other teams.” Jeremy pulled a spare chair from a table nearby. “Why do you take this so seriously, man?”
“I don’t compete in anything unless I plan on winning.”
“I agree with that philosophy.” Tayla reached for the glass of cider. “Thanks, Jeremy.”
Ethan caught Jeremy’s eye over Tayla’s head. “She tell you yet?”
“Did who tell me what?” Jeremy sipped a new stout Hugh and Carly had just put out.
Daisy and Tayla exchanged a look.
“What?” Tayla hissed. “I told you—”
“Did you actually think you could keep news private in Metlin?” Daisy asked her. “It’s like I said. You have to tell him now.”
Jeremy felt his heart pick up. “Tell me what?”
Everyone looked at Tayla, and Jeremy could tell she was annoyed, but he was too worried to have any sympathy.
“Question seventeen! Which American state is known as the Garden State?”
Spider grabbed the paper and started muttering under his breath.
“What’s going on?” Jeremy said. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. Everything is great.” Tayla’s voice was clipped. “I happen to be exchanging emails with a company in the Bay Area whomaywant to interview me for a job. It’s not a big deal.”
Job.
Bay Area.
Job.
Interview.
He felt his face freeze. “You’re moving?”
She set her glass down. “I’m not moving. Not yet. But probably someday, yes. I mean, I’m not from here. All my family is in the Bay Area, so—”
“Emmie says you hate your family.” Spider finished his beer and set the empty glass down hard. “Why the fuck would you want to move closer to them? You have family here. We’re family.”
“It’s not all about my family,” Tayla said. “This job would be my dream job. Literally my dream job, okay? And maybe it’ll come to nothing, but I applied because it’s my dream job, and I wish you all would stop freaking out.”
