“For sure.” Miles nods at me. “Nice to meet you, Gracie.”

I wave awkwardly as he heads to the back with Liam.

It occurs to me that Liam and I haven’t gone over any details of me working here. Like how many hours I’m supposed to work, or what I’m supposed to be doing.Make me look goodisn’t exactly a job description.

I’ll need his passwords to get into the website and start making any changes, but Ireallydon’t want to have to go ask him right now.

I glance over my shoulder to find Miles already looking at me with more than curiosity in his gaze. He shows no embarrassment or remorse that I’ve caught him staring. No, he just smiles when he catches my eye, and I quickly turn around, my face hot.

Menial work it is. I guess today is as good a day as any to tackle the filing cabinet. When I pry it open, a haphazard pile greets me—loose papers, folders, and random office supplies. I shoot a glare at Liam over my shoulder. His head is bent over as he lines up the stencil on Miles’s back.

He better be paying me enough for this.

Chapter Eight

GRACIE

“Can you guys see me?”

“No. You’re literally the dumbest smart person I’ve ever met, Trish. You have to turn your camera on. Seriously, how can you work in tech and not know how to work a video chat?” Alison flops onto her stomach on her bed, the camera shaking as she repositions her laptop in front of her.

“And you’re the most impatient person I’ve ever met,” says Trish. “I work for a techcompany. That doesn’t mean I do the tech part. Wait, those glasses are cute.”

Alison beams and twists her face this way and that to give a better look. They’re bigger than her old ones, the square lenses now twice the size of her eyes. “You like them? They’re new.”

“That hotel looks nice too,” says Trish. “Where are you tonight?”

“Seattle.”

“What!” shrieks Trish.

“I know, I know. If my flight time wasn’t so early tomorrow, I would’ve popped down to visit you.”

“One of these days I’m going to get on one of your flights and just spam that call button all. Night. Long.”

My laptop blinks red at me, threatening to hibernate if I don’t plug it in, and I urgently search the floor for my charger.

“Ugh, now where’d Gracie go?” whines Alison. “I’m allaloneeeee.”

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” I call, throwing aside dirty clothes and searching beneath the bed. I still haven’t fully unpacked, and the room seems to get messier and messier with every moment I don’t.

“And Martina is late, as per usual,” Alison continues.

“You have a lot of complaints tonight,” I call, crawling around to the other side of the bed.

“I haven’t seen you guys in weeks. Even longer since I’ve seen you in person.Excuse mefor missing you.”

“Found it!” I call.

“Found what?” asks Trish.

“Trish, your camera is still off,” says Alison.

I quickly plug the laptop in and jump onto my bed as Trish’s camera flickers on, glitching a few times and making the twinkle lights along her wall smear across the screen. Alison slow claps for her, and Trish reappears with the middle finger.

“Should someone text Marti?” I suggest.

“Fuck her,” says Alison. “If she can’t be bothered tomake time for us—oh hi, Marti!”