“Merry Christmas, Anabel.”
“Feliz Navidad, George.”
We hang up. Well, that went well. She’s happy.
Good, good.
I look down at my hand, where I’m still holding my phone.
Fuck it.
I type out a text to Owen.
George
Hey… Just thought I’d check in.
And make sure you hadn’t blocked my number.
You know, because of the torture of reading my book.
Jesus Christ. Okay. Enough of that.
I set my phone aside and go back to my computer. Give the man a chance to respond.
Besides, I do have work to do here.
The cocktail waitress asks Sebastian his name. He gives the name of a Russian spy he slept with and then turned over to MI6. She types it into her contacts along with the number hegives her. It’s just 1-877-KARS4KIDS in numbers. She’s not very bright.
Okay, Owen hates the book.
He hates it and I texted him and now everything is super awkward because I made it that way.
I check the phone, just to make sure the wifi’s still on. It isandI have bars. Of course I do.
Maybehedoesn’t have bars. In New York City.
It doesn’t matter. I’ll just give him more time. I have spy stuff to spin anyway.
A couple hours later,I’m deep into self-loathing, halfway to acceptance, and almost all the way through Sebastian’s chase through Zurich on a stolen e-bike when the phone buzzes. I’m afraid to look. I’m sure it’s a group message urgently letting me know my non-existent car is about to be repossessed. I brace myself and look anyway.
It’s from Owen.
I prepare for the worst.
Owen
I am so sorry. Zoe kidnapped me for a Christmas Day Adventure. I had to stop reading. I’d only just gotten to their first scene in person together and I’m DYING to know what happens.
No spoilers!!
My entire everything relaxes.
I mean. I knew he didn’t hate it. Kind of.
But also: thank God.
Suddenly, I’m almost giddy with relief.
