Eliana snickered, soaking up the sight of her friend. She’d just found out that Clem was heading her way an hour ago. She hated the lengthy breaks that separated their visits, but was grateful that this particularstretch hadn’t lasted nearly as long as was typical.
Her auburn hair hung loose and wild down her back, a natural wave showcasing its volume, with a crown of simple braids pulling back the strands by her ears—exposing the long column of her neck and the sharp edges of her cheekbones. Her green eyes were violent in their intensity, able to swap from a calming sea green to cutting emerald in a blink. But as she slid into the booth alongside Eliana and they wrapped their arms around one another with muted squeals, there was no hint of scary Clem—only exuberant joy and a feeling of completeness, as if the other half to Eliana’s soul had found its way home.
They broke apart, grinning madly, but only when Milo set his water bottle back on the table did Eliana remember they had an audience.
“Oh!” She sat back, reaching to the edge of the table for an extra menu as she spoke, “Clem, please meet Milo, my neighbor, co-conspirator, and, as of two weeks ago, my new boss. Milo, this is Clementine, my best friend.”
Milo’s gaze was amused as he shook hands with Clem. “It’s nice to meet you, Clementine.”
“Likewise. And it’s just Clem,” she said, nodding towards Eliana. “Only she gets away with Clementine.”
Eliana smirked, using her hand to shield her mouth to mock-whisper toward Milo. “She loves it.”
“Anyway,” Clem said, changing the subject. “Have you guys ordered yet? I’m starving.”
“Not yet, the waitress took our drink orders, but we haven’t seen her again.”
“Ugh, okay.” Clem sighed. “So tell me, how’s the new job going?”
Eliana grinned, sitting up straighter with pride. “It’s good,” she began, her simple words amonumental understatement. The past two weeks had beenglorious. It wasn’t her dream job, but it was more than she’d ever expected for herself at this stage in her life.
She hadn’t gotten an opportunity to gush about it with Clem due to the demands of her career. It had always driven Jesse crazy that they didn’t know exactly what Clem did. He’d badgered them both incessantly, but Clem was perpetually tight-lipped on the matter. Eliana’s knowledge was limited to the simple facts that it involved computers, the government, and security. There was a lot of secrecy, and stretches of time when Clem became unreachable, but Eliana knew her friend would tell her what she needed to know. That she would alwaysbe thereif Eliana needed her.
Even after being off-the-grid for nearly two weeks, here she was, having driven who-knows-how-long for an impromptu visit. Jesse had always argued that her secrets, her lack of transparency, couldn’t be trusted—that they meant she was up to something terrible. Another ironic and telling red flag, now that Eliana reflected on his many objections.
“She’s a natural,” Milo spoke up at Eliana’s delay. She shook her head, coming back to reality, and cast him an apologetic smile. One corner of his mouth lifted in response, his gaze understanding.
“Well, of course she is.” Clem rolled her eyes. “A personal assistant role? That’s been her life for a decade. Have you seen her home calendar?” Her eyes darted around as she spoke, raising up a bit to look over the banister dividing the booths for the waitress. “The planning binders that she prepares for the girls—ayearin advance? The trackers she creates for things like her ov?—”
Eliana cleared her throat, her eyes wide with shock atthe fact that Clem was about to explain her ovulation cycles toMilo.
“—vacations?” Clem finished, rolling her lips inwards in a comical expression of instant remorse.
“I love a well-planned . . .o-vacation.” Milo nodded seriously, his amused eyes betraying his placid expression as they jumped back to Eliana. “Wouldn’t want anyone to beexpecting. . . something, and it not have been planned.”
Clem snorted as Eliana groaned, running a hand over her eyes. “Next topic,” she begged.
“Clem,” Milo said, humor in his voice as he quickly fulfilled Eliana’s plea. “Tell me about yourself. Eliana’s told me all about your childhood and how you taught her self-defense, but nothing about what you do now.”
“That’s because if she did, I’d have to kill you.” Clem’s teeth flashed in a feline smile that instantly dropped into an uncompromising frown.
“Oh,” Milo answered, glancing at Eliana and then back. “I can’t really tell if you’re serious.”
Clem nodded. “Good. Now,whereis that waitress?” She stood. “I’ll be right back.”
She turned towards the kitchen, and the moment she moved out of sight, Milo leaned forward conspiratorially. “Is she joking?”
Eliana laughed softly. “I don’t actually know many specifics about her job. She keeps the details pretty private.”
“No, I mean, is she joking about . . . you know?” He drew a line across his throat. “I just want to know what I’m dealing with here.”
Giggles bubbled up her throat uninvited. “Oh—of course, Milo, I would never let her kill you.”
“You not letting her isnotwhat I asked.” His words were quick and low before he settled back into his seat. An easysmile returned to his face a moment before Clem slid back along her side of the booth, a particularly irate-looking gentleman in a frumpy polo following on her heels.
The newcomer’s smile was brittle when he pulled out a notebook. “Hello. Welcome to Mike’s diner. What could we start you off with?”
“Uh, Clem . . .” Eliana eyed the disgruntled man. “This is not our waitress.”
