“That we are.” Olivia smiled faintly, considering Jaime’s words. How odd that the woman who kept her walls so high could believe in the progress of humanity, yet she, who sometimes thought the world needed cleansing by fire, especially whenever she made the mistake of reading the comments section on social media, would find hope in the smaller, more intimate moments between people—moments like this.
“Oh, I have something for you!”
“You do?”
Olivia opened her purse and pulled out the book, pushing it over the table toward Jaime.
“You found one!”
“You doubted me?”
Jaime’s gaze found Olivia’s. “No.”
Olivia struggled to look away, wondering if she was reading into this answer, perceiving a subtext that only existed in her mind.
Jaime blinked rapidly, refocusing on the book in her hands. “Veronika Decides to Die?” She sounded incredulous.
“It’s not what it sounds like. You said you don’t like fiction because you can’t suspend your disbelief, and this book is… It doesn’t need you to do that.”
Jaime flipped it around, reading the back cover. “Huh.”
“It delves into existential themes and the meaning of life. I thought it might resonate with your philosophical tendencies.”
“It does sound interesting. Thank you.” She leafed through a few pages, finding the small bookmark Olivia had added.
Heat flamed in Olivia’s cheeks, and she gazed at her empty glass, wishing she hadn’t already finished it.
Jaime flipped the bookmark. “What’s that? Oh.” She traced the paper with her finger. “Is that…your phone number?”
“Yes. I thought it could be useful to…” She trailed off, unsure what to say that wouldn’t sound incredibly dumb.
Instead of offering a reply, Jaime rummaged through her own purse before handing Olivia a book, too.
Olivia’s smile almost hurt when she accepted it. “That’s quite the doorstopper.” She drew it closer.
“It’s worth a read. I didn’t think length would intimidate you.”
Olivia’s gaze snapped up, and she stared at Jaime with wide eyes.
Jaime frowned. “What?” A pause. “Oh.” She rolled her eyes. “Someone’s mind is in the gutter.”
“I don’t think your mind needs to be in the gutter to get soaked with that particular meaning.”
“Soaked? That’s much more appropriate given the company, don’t you think?”
Olivia flushed. “I meant like getting soaked by a car driving through a puddle when you stand right next to it, as in, unavoidable, not…” She bit her lower lip.
“Sure. Just like I was talking about thelengthof thebook,” Jaime drawled, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Olivia glowered, but quickly shifted her focus to the book. “I never heard of her.”
“I read an article about the book first, and it piqued my interest.Figuringexplores the intersection of science, art, love, and the search for truth, all through the lives of various historical figures.” She sighed. “I thought you might like it. But I must warn you, I became completely obsessed with Margaret Fuller while reading it and went through the rabbit hole with my research on her. I ended up reading all her written works.”
“Duly noted. Thank you, Jaime.”
Jaime ducked her head, picking up her empty glass before realizing its lack of contents. “Want to get another one?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She peeked at her watch. “Wow. It’s later than I thought.”
