“I see you found someone who meets your standards,” said Alex Ritter’s voice.
Turning as well as I was able in such close confines, I gave him a mystified look. “What are you talking about?”
“The guy who looks constipated.” When I continued to look at him blankly he added, “Sitting next to your friend.”
“Pittaya?”
A crease appeared between his brows, which were several shades darker than his hair. “I thought his name was Will.”
“Ohhh. Him.”
“Yes, him.” His eyebrows lifted in challenge. “Apparently he got the green light.”
“What?”
Alex blew out a breath, as if my slowness both amused and frustrated him. “He’s not toofriendlyfor her?”
My throat had gone dry. “They’re just hanging out.”
“Pull the wool over your own eyes, Mary Porter-Malcolm.” He paused, gaze roaming over my face. I saw him notice the black shirt, studying it with the same focused attention he was devoting to every detail of my appearance. Maybe this was his secret weapon, beyond the way he smelled, or the perfect hair, or how his shirts brought out the blue of his eyes: he made you feelcompelling.
“I’m surprised they didn’t give you allMnames,” he murmured. “It really trips off the tongue.”
“My family isn’t big on alliteration.” His eyes narrowed as I spoke. “Repeated consonant sounds—”
“I know what it is. I was wondering about the look on your face.”
I glanced away. “It’s a sensitive subject.”
“Alliteration?”
“No.”
“Your family?”
“No! Myname.”
“But—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay.” He held up both hands in surrender. The line shuffled forward a few paces.
“Rebecca Rowena Randall.”
Alex looked questioningly at me.
“That’sa good name, if you want to get alliterative. She was a character in a book named after characters from a different book.”
He whistled. “That’s much better than my idea.”
Don’t ask; it’s what he wants you to do. I held out for a full five seconds. “What was your idea?”
“Mary Christmas. It’s so cheerful.”
I maintained a frosty silence.
“That Will guy probably doesn’t make jokes,” he continued, as though thinking aloud. “Was that the attraction?”
