The book is about marine biology. I borrowed it from the classroom shelf because it has nice pictures of coral reefs, and I thought it would be calming. Surprisingly, it’s not working. My nervous system has been running on a low-frequency hum the whole time.
I stare at the letters in the book, at the sentence I’ve already read five times that refuses to make any sense.
The way he said my name.Elizabeth Calloway.The tone of his voice still makes my skin prickle.
My phone buzzes.
MARE
How’s the fancy castle? Has the warden shown his face yet?
I type back:
Met him on Friday night. In his kitchen.
The response is immediate.
MARE
WHAT. Call me right now.
I don’t because I can’t talk about this out loud yet. Out loud would make it real, and right now it exists in the liminal space between what happened and what I might have dreamed, and I need it to stay there a little longer.
He’s Anya’s father.
He was getting a drink, and I was making her hot chocolate. It was normal and professional, and I was wearing Hello Kitty pajamas.
MARE
Ellie.
I know.
MARE
What does he look like?
I startto type:
Well, let me see… He’s as tall as a wall, his muscles seem to want to escape from his expensive suit, his face looks like it was carved from a rare stone, and I also can’t forget the eyes that scanned my body and left me with a slight feeling of wanting to jump on him. He’s probably the hottest guy I’ve ever seen and…
I take a deep breath and delete the message, sending instead:
He’s my boss.
MARE
That is NOT what I asked.
He looks like something Michelangelo would sculpt if Michelangelo had anger issues and a tailoring budget.
MARE
I’m going to need more detail.
Goodnight, Mare.
MARE
