Page 26 of Finding Jack
EMILY: …
EMILY: I asked my WINGman, Transcendent Seagull, if we’re cool.
JACK: Ugh. I can’t talk to you anymore.
EMILY: Then you’ll never know what he said.
JACK: What did he say?
EMILY: He said we’re cool.
JACK: I can only speak for myself here, but I’m not cool.
EMILY: Duh.
JACK: That hurts.
EMILY: I doubt it.
JACK: Smart woman.
EMILY: I really do have to go.
JACK: I’m glad we’re cool.
EMILY: …
EMILY: …
EMILY: Me too.
Chapter 11
Ranée came home after dinner. She had a piece of straw in her hair and another one stuck to the bottom of her Vans. I almost asked, then decided I didn’t want to know the answer. A different question popped out. “Why is Sean all up in Jack’s business?”
She was opening the washing machine lid but paused and stuck her head out of the tiny utility closet at the end of our galley kitchen.
“Pardonnez-soy?”
“Moi.”
“What about you?”
“No, you’re mixing languages. The expression is ‘pardonnez—never mind. You mentioned that Sean is the one who wanted you to make me talk to Jack again.”
“I never said that.” She disappeared into the laundry closet again.
“It’s what you meant.”
“You read minds now?” Her voice was muffled as she stuck her head almost into the machine.
“You said you wanted Sean to get off your back and it had something to do with me talking to Jack.”
“I guess if you’re reaching you could connect those dots.”
“I’m connecting them.” There was a loud thump as the washer lid clanged shut followed by a curse. Ranée knew a lot of good curses. I made a mental note of this one for the next time the network went down at work.
I waited until she rustled around in the laundry closet for long enough that there was not possibly anything else she could be doing in there, even if she decided to separate and fold all her clothes before she reappeared. When she finally walked out, she had a big old piece of lint from the dryer guard clinging to her hair on the opposite side from the straw. I almost told her. Then I decided she deserved it.
