Page 55 of Hacking the Holidays
I stared at her.
Another bite of the sandwich.
Nothing. Not a word.
Was she actually going to pretend nothing had happened?
The silence stretched.
I didn’t look away.
“You’re not eating or drinking, Sam. Is anything wrong?” Rose finally asked, all wide-eyed innocence, like she hadn’t just committed assault with a deadly bagel.
“You don’t know?” My voice cracked. “What was that I just witnessed?”
“I already told you—I was helping.” She took another bite, remarkably mellow for someone who’d just caused a scene that would be discussed in this bagel shop for weeks. Possibly, months.
“Rose, you practically body-checked a stranger in a bagel shop.”
“I extracted you from a dangerous situation.”
“She was dizzy.”
“She wasfakedizzy. Big difference.”
“How can you possibly know that?”
Rose bit into her sandwich. “I just know.” She dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “You’re welcome, by the way. That woman screams trouble. I have a sixth sense for these things.”
I massaged my temples, trying to understand why Rose was so sure about this. Based on what evidence, exactly?
The scary part was that I was actually starting to believe her.
“Anyway, she’s gone, and that’s what matters.” Rose gestured to my untouched food. “You should eat. It’s getting cold.”
I stared at her for another moment, then—I couldn’t help it—I laughed. Just a quick burst that caught me off guard.
“What?” Rose asked, but she was fighting a smile.
“Nothing. There’s never a dull moment with you.”
Her smile broke through. “Would you rather be bored?”
“God, no.” I reached for my sandwich and was just about to unwrap it when my phone buzzed twice in succession.
I pulled it out and felt my mood deflate as I read the messages.
“Perfect,” I muttered in frustration.
“Problem in paradise?” Rose asked.
“Two problems, actually.” I grabbed my coffee and sandwich, then stood. “The network’s down at the library, which is odd, since I have a solid backup in place. Anyway, that means I need to go play IT guy and fix the problem before we open the doors to the public.”
“I’m sure you can handle it.” Rose stood and tossed her sandwich wrapper in the trash. “I’ll walk with you since my hotel is on the way.”
“I’d like that,” I said.
She wasn’t scheduled for a volunteer shift today, so it was a pleasant surprise that I got to spend a little time with her.
