“That’s closer than I get.”
Except that wasn’t entirely true. I was recently very up close and personal with Wyatt in the dumbwaiter shaft. I pushed thatthought aside. I didn’t want to be thinking about Wyatt, especially when I was sitting next to another hot guy, one who seemed much more relatable and not quite so far out of my league.
“Thanks, Bodie,” I said, trying to get my mind back on track. “Talking with Mike might be the break I need.”
“No problem. I want to help any way I can.”
He stopped the car in the middle of the road, right in front of the Mirage. Parked cars lined the street, bumper to bumper.
“I’ll drop you off here, so you don’t have to walk from the garage.”
I thanked him as I undid my seatbelt and opened the door.
“Emersyn, wait.”
I stopped with one leg out of the vehicle.
“Check the glove compartment. There’s something in there for Livy.”
I opened it, and a plastic bag tumbled out into my hands. It held about half a dozen drink umbrellas in a variety of colors.
“I promised I’d get her some,” he explained.
“You remembered?”
He’d mentioned it more than a week ago, when Livy found out that he made “fancy drinks” for a living.
“Of course. She’s a great kid.”
I smiled, fighting an unexpected prickle of tears. “She is. How much do I owe you?”
“Emersyn, I don’t think my boss even paid a penny a piece for those things.”
“You won’t get in trouble?” I asked, wanting to be sure.
“No one even knows they’re gone. Even if they did, they wouldn’t care. They’re all yours. Well, Livy’s.”
“She’ll love them. Thanks, Bodie.” The gesture triggered a flurry of butterflies in my chest and warmed me more thoroughly than the luxurious heated seat.
I tucked the umbrellas into my coat pocket and gingerly extricated myself from the car, waving as Bodie drove off toward theparking garage around the corner. I missed the heated seat by the time I reached the curb. The damp autumn wind cut through my coat and thin leggings, sending icy shivers through me. On top of that, I was parched and beyond ready to chug a tall glass of water, followed by a chilled can of apple Bubly.
I stopped outside the Mirage’s front door, my keys dangling from my fingers. My thoughts had meandered back to the brand name I’d seen on Minnie’s reusable water bottle. I’d seen that name before. In Freddie’s apartment.
Was that significant?
I rolled that possibility around in my head.
It likely didn’t mean anything, I decided. Maybe it was a popular brand, though I’d never heard of it until recently.
I filed the information about Grub Tubz away in my mind and got myself out of the blustery wind. Stairs were a definite no for me in my current condition, so I limped straight for the elevator. While riding it up to the third floor, I tugged the packet of drink umbrellas out of my pocket and smiled at them. They might not be worth much money, but they would put a smile on Livy’s face. To me, that was priceless.
Chapter
Thirty-Six
I spent the next morning applying for jobs and doing an interview via video conference. I thought it went all right, so I treated myself to a can of apple Bubly afterward. Whether I landed the job or not, at least the process had helped to distract me on a challenging day. I didn’t want to think too much about the fact that it was Ethan’s birthday, because I didn’t want to end up in tears, but the significance of the date still weighed heavily on me.
On my way to pick up Livy from school, I stopped at the store to buy some butter and chocolate. I was very conscious of every dollar that left my bank account lately, but it was worth the extra expense to bring my niece some comfort.
