He doesn’t answer.
We reach the counter, and Nani Parvati eyeballs me. “You don’t date.”
“Correct.”
“You look very cozy.”
“Whatever he wants, put it on my bill, please.”
Grey makes a noise. “I’m paying for my own dinner.”
“And whatever he orders,” I add, ignoring him, “can you double the naan and add in dessert?”
“Anything you want, Sabrina.”
“I donotneed extra anything, and I’m paying for my own dinner,” Grey repeats.
“Nonsense.” Nani Parvati snorts delicately. “Your money is no good here. You saved Bean & Nugget. You get dinner from me or from Sabrina, but you don’t pay for yourself.”
His beard moves like his jaw’s ticking beneath it.
Jitter wags his tail harder and keeps staring at Grey like the man hung the moon.
Traitor.
“I’m not another of your good deeds,” Grey mutters to me.
“Sorry, boss-man. Looks like you are. If you don’t pick what you want, Nani Parvati and I will surprise you.”
“We will surprise you anyway,” she agrees. “Go sit. I will get you dinner.”
“I don’t—” Grey starts, but that’s as far as he gets before someone knocks into him from behind.
Which would be fine, except it makes him stumble, and however he stumbles makes Jitter yelp, and when Jitter yelps, he shoves Grey sideways.
Right into Marley, my neighbor with the adorable little girl, Aspen.
Who’s carrying a plate loaded with butter chicken.
Which smushes all over Grey’s button-down and his coat.
I try to make a noise, but nothing will come out.
Jitter whimpers and huddles against my legs.
“Oh, I amso sorry,” Marley starts, but she barely gets it out before a piece of naan goes whizzing past her ear.
“Hey!” someone yelps.
“Who threw that?” Nani Parvati yells.
No one answers.
But someone shrieks near where Laney and Devi are sitting, and when I look back, Laney is very poorly stifling the mostimpishgrin I’ve ever seen on her face, and Devi’s staring slack-jawed.
“Someone threw food on me!” Addison cries.
“Food fight!” someone who soundsremarkablylike Lucky calls.
