Page 30 of Neat
But here, everything was mine.
And it was always,alwaysclean.
Another minute or two passed with me looking around, and my eyes caught on my bookshelf, remembering how Mallory had teased me about the organization of the one in my office. The one at home was the same — organized by book height, color, and author last name.
I wondered if she’d started reading the book I’d loaned her.
You could always text her to find out…
I shook the thought off, leaning back into the couch on a sigh. But the longer I sat there, the more the idea sounded like a good one.
It wouldn’t beweirdto text her, I convinced myself. We were friends.
Ish.
We worked together, and we were friend-ly. There was nothing that said I couldn’t text her, ask her about the book, see if she was ready for her first tour tomorrow.
Well, her first tour since the disaster one she’d had last week.
She was actually ready this time, and I’d be shadowing her first thing in the morning. Hell, I kind of owed it to her as her supervisor, didn’t I? To check in and make sure she was ready?
I chewed my lip, considering it for all of two seconds before my phone was in my hands, fingers flying over the screen.
Me:So, are you ready for your first tour tomorrow?
Me:Don’t forget to wear an actual shirt this time.
I smirked at the second text I sent, and before I could lock my screen and go do something to fill my time until she answered, I saw the bouncing dots that told me she was typing back.
Mallory:Ha, ha. I have my outfit planned out — full shirt and all, thank you very much.
Mallory:Are YOU ready to lose your job after they realize what a kick ass tour guide I am?
My smile fell, along with the food still digesting in my stomach. She’d meant it as a joke, I knew that, but the sickening reality that it could actually happen made it impossible to laugh.
Me:We’ll see. You might be so distracted by the hot guy in the back that you forget your lines.
Mallory:Ooooh, who’s the guy? Do I know him? ;)
Me:You know his favorite book. Have you started reading that, by the way?
Mallory:I have. So far, no crying. You better pray it stays that way, or else.
I smiled, laying my phone back down on the coffee table before I decided to try the documentary again. Maybe now that I’d talked to her, I could focus a little more.
Before I hit play, my phone lit up again.
Mallory:By the way, if you want to text me, you don’t have to make up a work excuse to do so.
A jolt of anxiety danced with one of excitement low in my gut at her words, and I read them over and over, fingers hovering over the keys as I tried to think of what to say. I toyed with something close to a joke, trying to feign innocence and pure professionalism, but she texted again before I had the chance.
Mallory:Goodnight, Logan Becker. ;)
I smiled, shaking my head as I leaned back on the couch.
She really is a little minx.
I sent a goodnight text of my own, avoiding the fact that she’d called me out on my lame attempt at finding an excuse to text her. Then, I started the documentary again.
