For the second time today, Miriam and I stare each other down.
“I’m attracted to him,” I say, picturing the line of sand stuck to his cheek. “Is that what you want me to admit?”
“We already established that,” Miriam says.
“We did?”
“Yes, Case, Jesus.” Miriam makes an exasperated grunt. “I want to know if youlikehim. If you want to cuddle himagain.If you want tokisshim.”
“I…” How do I admit that I want to see Alex Harrison in hisglasses, that I want to know what kind of couch he ordered, that I could sit for hours and listen to him talk about foreign exchange rates or, like, fuck,even sailboat anatomywithout getting bored?
“I’m waiting, Juliet.” She’s enjoying this way too much.
My fingers clench around the rusty metal. “It’s not a no.”
Miriam narrows her eyes. “It’s not… a no.”
“Yes.”
“Yes?” she repeats.
“Yes,” I say again. “It’s not a no.”
She makes a disbelieving face. “That’s it? He was public enemy number one two weeks ago! You didn’t just decide to start ignoring all the things you hated about him for a sexually PG good time, I know you didn’t.”
“He’s different than I told you at first.” I explain to Miriam about Alex getting the job on his own merit, but I leave out the stuff about his father he asked me not to share. “He’s good at his job, too. It’s weird.” My head shakes gently as I haul myself back onto the fire escape. “In some ways he’s a total trust fund kid, and in other ways he’s not like that at all.”
“Look. Cool if he’s got family money, cool if he doesn’t. All I’m saying is, statistically, one of you is going to catch feelings.”
“I’m moving to London next summer,” I grumble.
“Right, because seven months is just too short of a window to have an epic New York love affair.” Miriam looks up at the balcony. “Do whatever you want, Casey. But just know I’ll be consulting your horoscopes alittlemore regularly from now on.”
“Creep,” I mutter. Then, a lightbulb goes off in my head. “Wait, that’s it!”
“What?”
I grin at her. “Your starter pack. K-pop, earring collection, Italian food, and the zodiac.”
Miriam laughs and puts her hands on her hips. “Fuck. You’re fucking right.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ten days after Tracy charged me with my mission, seven days after Robert Harrison’s resignation is announced, she pulls me into her office for an update.
I recount for her most of what Alex told me about Robert and Dougie’s history when we were in bed together, half asleep. What Idon’tdo is divulge how I got the information, and Tracy doesn’t ask. She just listens patiently, nodding to herself like she’s agreeing that it all makes sense, the stories line up with the behavior she’s witnessed. When I’m done, she doesn’t say anything and keeps staring with a listless expression into space.
“You knew Robert was stepping down when you asked me to do this, didn’t you?”
Tracy nods. “Robert stepping down iswhyI asked you to do this.”
“You’re suspicious of him,” I guess.
After a moment, she admits, “I think he left because he knew things were about to get ugly.”
The same sinking feeling in my gut returns in full force. “What do you mean?”
She looks at me for a long time, maybe ten full seconds, and finally says, “Little Cooper has received an offer of purchase.”
