Page 42 of Blue Moon

“Yeah, literally the whole world knows that. Tannis brought kombucha in if you feel like punishing your tastebuds, and we also have fruit tea. How about a snack?”

“I couldn’t eat anything right now. Do you know how Ryder is?”

“Gina would have called if there was a problem. Do you need onward transportation? Randall was hazy on that.”

“I don’t know. I mean, we’ll need to get back to my apartment, but we were coming here first. Ryder was going to drop some notes off for analysis.”

“Right, the Julius thing?”

“Julius?”

What did my agent have to do with this? He was a rapist pig—notes were way too subtle for him.

“Julius Caesar? He thinks you’re Cleopatra?”

“No, no, he calls himself Mark A. Like Mark Antony? Caesar and Cleopatra got divorced.”

Another eye roll. “Sheesh, relationship drama. History was my worst subject in high school.”

“I only know about Mark Antony because I googled.”

“Do you have the notes? We have a courier leaving for the lab this afternoon, and I can send them.”

“They’re still in the car.” I checked my phone again. “What if it gets towed? What if Ryder gets arrested?”

“Nobody’s getting arrested.”

“But—”

My phone pinged.

Ryder

On my way, all good.

Thank heavens. I slumped in my seat, and tension flowed out of me like a river. He wasn’t in jail.

“You okay?” Shani asked.

“He’s coming back. Ryder’s coming back.”

“Cool. So, do you want a snack now? We have a whole bunch of veggies with dip…” She pulled a face. “Or chocolate cake.”

The dog barked, and I jumped, but it wasn’t a proper bark, more of a whisper. Did dogs whisper?

“Sorry, he knows the word ‘cake.’” She scratched his head. “He’s real smart.”

He sure was. I mean, he hadn’t barked at “veggies.”

“Maybe I could have a small slice. Is he okay? Don’t dogs usually bark louder than that?”

“He’s been debarked.”

“Huh?”

“He’s had surgery to remove part of his vocal cords. It makes him quieter.”

Surgery? Vocal cords? I gasped. What kind of barbarian would mutilate him like that?

---