I laughed despite myself. “Depends. Are you asking me for money?”
“Not yet.” I could hear noise somewhere behind her. “So youarehere.”
“Last time I checked.”
“Good. Because I’m exhausted, under-caffeinated, and currently questioning every decision that got me onto an international flight this week.”
“You flew to Italy without a plan?”
“I had a plan. Then the airline apparently decided chaos was more spiritually fulfilling.”
That sounded about right too.
I grabbed my jacket off the chair while balancing the phone against my shoulder. “Where are you?”
“Hotel near the Forum. There’s a café around the corner with servers who arewaytoo attractive. Tell me you know it.”
“I’ve been there.”
“Excellent. Meet me in thirty?”
“Make it thirty-five unless you want me arriving half-frozen and homicidal after public transit.”
Claire snorted. “Fine. But if you’re late, I’m ordering for you.”
“That feels threatening.”
“Excellent.”
I could practically picture the look on her face.
“Then we’re good.”
“Hey,” she said after a second, her voice a little softer. “It’ll be good to see you.”
The sincerity underneath it caught me off guard more than the joke had.
“Yeah, you too.”
“Okay, hurry up. The espresso here tastes promising and I need somebody to complain to in person.”
“You flew across an ocean for better coffee?”
“I flew across an ocean because my life lacks restraint.”
“That explains a lot.”
“Shut up and get moving, Foster.”
The line disconnected before I could answer.
For a few seconds I stood there with my phone still in my hand while the room settled around me again.
The earlier tension hadn’t disappeared entirely, but the angle of it had changed. Somehow Claire had hijacked my attention.
It was a familiar experience.
I shrugged into my jacket, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door.
