She’d tried not to take it too personally. She’d never had a panic attack herself, but between Sadia and Katrina, she’d been around for a few of them. She understood anxiety and the pressure it could place on the human brain. Or in Dev’s case, what appeared to be hugely unresolved grief.
She’d wanted to crawl into his lap and wrap herself around him like a vine until it passed. And then after, too, when he’d looked so embarrassed. Only the fact that she knew it would horrify him had kept her touch somewhat platonic.
“Are there two beds?” she said, taking initiative since Dev seemed to have lost his ability to speak.
“It’s a suite. There’s a queen-size bed and a foldout couch.” The woman snapped her gum again. Her name tag said Jenny. Jenny seemed remarkably unbothered over whether they took a room or not, though Jia imagined it must be hard to get business out here. “It’s cozy,” Jenny added.
That was code for small. Jia glanced around. That would track with the rest of this place. It was dark, from the dim lighting to the dark wood. Signed dollar bills were tacked all over the walls and ceiling.
“Say, do I know you?” Jenny suddenly asked. She leaned closer, scrutinizing Dev.
Oops. Jia may have been wrong. There might be some foreign film fans in this place after all. That would teach hernot to stereotype.
“I don’t think so,” Dev said politely.
“Oh, you’re British,” Jenny said, and about twenty years seemed to melt off her as she leaned against the counter and batted her lashes. “We don’t get many British people here.”
“I’m not—”
There was little need for Dev to clarify, not when clarification might lead to Jenny remembering where she’d seen him. “We’ll take the room.” Jia rummaged in her purse to get her license and credit card, but Dev chose that second to launch into action.
He gently nudged her aside, and took out two crisp fifty-dollar bills from his wallet. Smart, not to give their names. “Will this suffice?”
“Yup.” The mystery of Dev’s nationality forgotten, Jenny snatched up the money. “Breakfast is served down here in the morning until ten. I recommend the patty melt.”
“For breakfast?” Jia asked.
“For anything.” Jenny reached under the counter and returned with a key. “Here you go. Upstairs, turn left.” She jerked her chin at the stairs. “There’s an ice machine and soda machine to the right. Our Wi-Fi is down, sorry.”
Jia fiddled with her scarf, but she stopped when she noticed the other woman eyeing her. She might love the spotlight, but she also had a healthy wariness of negative attention based on how she looked. “There are phones in the rooms, right?”
“Nah. Everyone’s got cells now, so we got rid of them.”
Dev pulled out another twenty. “Do you by chance have aphone we can use? Neither of us has cell service.”
Jenny didn’t look surprised. She pulled out an ancient landline phone and placed it on the bar. “You can give your people this number for any emergencies.”
They thanked her and Dev gestured to Jia. “Please, go ahead.”
“Thanks.” Jia quickly dialed Katrina, who picked up after the third ring. She turned her back on her roommate for the night, though he walked a few steps away to give her some privacy. “Hey, it’s me. I had a little car trouble.”
“Oh dear. Where are you? Is everything okay?”
“Yup.” Jia gave her a quick rundown of what had happened. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“I don’t like the idea of you being all alone in the middle of nowhere,” Katrina fretted. “I can send Jas to get you. He’d be happy to make the drive.”
Katrina’s boyfriend probably would be thrilled to rescue her, even if it meant a seven-hour round trip. The former bodyguard did like to play hero. She didn’t want to put anyone through that, though. “No, that’s okay. I’m not alone, anyway.”
Katrina paused. “Dev?”
“Yup.”
“Hmm.” There was a beat of silence. “Are you... happy about that?”
“Yes.”
A hint of humor entered her roommate’s voice. “Interesting.”
