Reid laughs, and the sound makes me the happiest I’ve been in days. “Are you serious? I thought for sure you would be winning.”
“You thought wrong. What happens if one of us wins one part of the bet and the other wins the second part?”
He shrugs. “We fuck, call it even, and try again next season?”
It’s my turn to laugh. “You have yourself a deal.” My computer pings with a meeting reminder, and I sigh. “I should get going. I don’t want to start my afternoon behind schedule.”
“I’ll clean this up and head out.”
“Are you sure? I’m sorry to dine and dash, especially because you drove all the way out here and?—”
“It’s fine. Really.” He scoops up the untouched food and drops it back in the plastic bag. “Go.”
“Thank you for lunch. I feel like a new human, and I really appreciate it.”
“I’m leaving the soup in your mini fridge so you have something to eat tomorrow,” he says, and I nod.
“That’s perfect.” I stand and smooth out the wrinkles in my dress. “Hey, Reid?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for being here. For being there for me at the game on Sunday. For…” I trail off, the words difficult to find. “Thank you for pausing the feud so you could be on my side.”
“Ah.” He pushes his glasses up his nose. “We never paused the feud. Competition or not, I meant every word.”
“You did?” I ask, and my heart thumps in my chest like a metronome.
“You never take up too much space, Ave. Not with me,” he says. “I think I’d like you to take up more of it.”
When I get back from my meeting, the only trace that Reid was here at all is the single rubber duck sitting on my keyboard, a sticky note with a hand-drawn heart right next to it.
THIRTY-FOUR
REID
Me
Sorry. I didn’t want any of the interns snooping and seeing our messages.
Come over tonight?
Avery
I won’t land from Seattle until after nine. We’re delayed because of a maintenance issue.
Me
What about tomorrow?
Avery
Girl’s night. Hoes before bros, buddy.
Me
Let’s do tonight. I don’t care that it’ll be late.
Avery
