“No.”
Like the last one, she blinks at me for a few seconds, then cocks her head and gives me a little smile. “Um, do you know where it is?”
Jesus Christ. “Over there.” I nod in the direction of the not-at-all-hard-to-notice line. She looks like she’s going to say something else. My brows lower into a frown.
I must be in the way. Sure as hell don’t want to play tour guide for the next two hours, so I park myself at the coffee shopthat takes up one wall of the bookstore. I can still see Bunny from my new vantage point.
A little while later, a young woman with bright pink hair catches my eye as she zigzags through the crowd, making a beeline for the table. When she turns, the glimpse I get of her face gives me a spark of recognition: She used to be Bunny’s co-worker when he worked mornings at the coffee shop in town.
Bunny’s face lights up when he notices her. I see him scanning the crowd, so I’m already making my way towards them by the time he spots me and waves me over. A couple of the women I pass give me a sort of side-eye I can’t read; a few blatantly look me up and down, which strikes me as funny. Do Ilooklike somebody they’d want to talk to?
I’m not the only one to notice. “You’re sure attracting a lot of attention,” Bunny says with a smirk.
“Unfortunately,” I grumble.
“I never actually introduced you to Gigi, did you? She was working with me that day when you came in to bring me my phone.”
“Nice to officially meet you,” she says with a grin as she sticks out her hand. “You sure did make an impression that day. You were the topic of conversation for, oh, a solid fifteen, twenty minutes.”
I snort as Gigi continues talking to Bunny. “Anyway, I won’t keep you any longer! I just wanted to come by and tell you congrats and good luck and all of that.”
“I’m gonna go sit back down,” I tell him, but I’m not quick enough. As Gigi departs, another woman takes her autographed book back from Olivia and turns her attention to Bunny —and me.
“Hi! You’re Adair?”
“Yep!” Bunny turns on a big smile. I don’t know how he justdoesthat.
“It’s so awesome getting to meet you! I love your covers. I think I have every single one!” she gushes. I think I’m in the clear —until her attention turns to me.Son-of-a-bitch. “Is this…” I groan inwardly at the question in her inflection.
“Jack,” he introduces me. “He’s here to carry heavy things and be moral support. Not necessarily in that order.” The woman giggles and I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
“I’m gonna sit back down,” I say for thesecondtime as I beat feet back to the coffee shop. I’m really happy for him that his art is so popular, but I never want to do this again as long as I live.
5
JACK
“Uncle Jack!” A little while later, I glance up from my phone to see Sarah and Rosa heading towards me. My sister might have gone blond again, but as I look between her and her daughter, it’s still remarkable how much Rosa resembles her.
I stand up just before my niece gives me a flying tackle of a hug. “Oof!” I blow out an exhale as my sister joins us.
Sarah looks me up and down. “You look nice.”
I roll my eyes. “Figured as long as I was getting dragged to this thing, I might as well look presentable.”
Sarah folds her arms. “Dragged? You didn’t want to come and support Addy? Aren’t you proud of him?”
I frown. “OfcourseI’m proud of him. What kind of question is that?”
She cocks her head and appraises me for a minute before asking, “Are you sure it’s as obvious to everybody else as it is to you?”
I’m not sure how to answer that question, so I decide not to try. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” I say.
“Mm-hmm. I told Addy I would. I wasn’t going to bring Rosa, but Mom had to work late.”
I scowl. “Again? That dickhead manager is taking advantage of her.”
“I’ve told her that, too. But you know how she is.” She shrugs. “You guys are coming over for lasagna this weekend, right?”
