“So?” Faith’s voice intoned from across the room.
I set my tea towel aside, finished with the final dish. I reached into the berry bowl next to Celeste. This week, it wasn’t holding any berries. Instead sat a bundle of plump purple grapes. Popping one into my mouth, I chewed slowly as Ana turned the water off and dried her hands on the other fall print towel hanging off the stove.
I realized that Faith was still staring at me.
“So?” I stared back at Faith, waiting to see what kind of comical punch line this had to lead to by the way she swayed her loose skirts back and forth before letting her temple lean against the rounded window arch.
Gertie reached for the bowls still sitting on the other side of me to put them back on the shelf. She took a glance once at me, as if waiting for me to say something as well.
I could, however, only handle one inquiry at a time.
“So,” Faith repeated, “how was it?”
“How was what?” I asked.
“Your Friday night escapades at the library.”
I shrugged. Faith never did check on me before she headed out for the night.
“It was fine. Got a few things done.”
“They said they saw you with a boy,” said Gertie, her voice hushed to fill me in on whatever was happening, but not so quiet that everyone couldn’t also hear.
My head whipped toward her.
“A handsome boy!” Faith intoned louder, nearly squealing.
Everyone’s head lifted along with my own.
Another three pairs of eyes flew toward me as I dropped another grape into my mouth. I took my time chewing until I could think of the correct possible thing to say to a bunch of bored busybody ladies who had a preoccupation with anything that could even hint at love.
They all brewed their fair share of love potions for kicks and giggles every year to sell at the markets come spring along with handcrafted soap and salves. But this was not one of those silly moments, such as talking about Essie and how this young boy she was spending the night with—under the not-so-watchful eye of her brother, Brenson—could possibly be her prepubescent soul mate, drawn to town.
I narrowed my eyes at Faith. “I thought you didn’t work this morning.”
If anything, my response made everyone lean in closer.
“I didn’t. That doesn’t mean the faculty I can actually stand doesn’t like to hand out a little piece of gossip here and there.”
“Gossip?” I repeated.
I was gossip? Ryan and I were the latest weekend scoop?
“Well, not gossip exactly. Apparently, some of the student workers stumbled upon the two of you.” Faith pointed with both hands toward me, like accusing finger guns. “They were all curled up on the second-floor couch. Looked like someone had pulled an all-nighter.”
I shook my head. “That didn’t happen.”
“You didn’t spend the night in the library with a boy?”
“Well, yes, I did,” I admitted.
“Now I see why you didn’t come here to stay the night,” murmured Gertie.
I stared at her, hoping that my eyes would stop her from continuing whatever it was she was about to insinuate. “We were not curled up.”
“My sources tell me otherwise,” Faith singsonged.
“It wasn’t like that.”
