Page 62 of The Snowball Effect

“Regan! Hi, honey!” A woman who appeared to be in her sixties, shouted on sight from where she was leaning against the wall next to the door to the kitchen. “Sit anywhere you like; I’ll be over in a minute!”

“Thanks, Patty!”

Emma stared back and forth at the interaction before following Regan to a booth on the far side of the restaurant. “You reallyarea regular here.”

“Yeah, I worked here for the first three months that I was in New York,” Regan informed her as she gestured for Emma to slide into the seat.

Surprised by that information, Emma opened her mouth to question it.Thathadn’t been on their get-to-know-you questionnaire!

However, she quickly lost track of that question as Regan slid into the same side of the booth she was sitting in.

Slowly, Emma made a point of looking at Regan, before sliding her gaze to the empty side of the booth across from them, then back. “You know peoplenormallysit on the opposite side, unless we’re expecting other people?”

“I figured you knew by now I’m not normal,” Regan cheekily retorted, her dark eyes twinkling up at Emma as she slid a laminated menu at her.

“You make a very good point,” Emma conceded.

Still, though. It feltweird. The sort of thing that would have made Emma double-take when she’d gone out with Felicity, as her ex would have undoubtedly commented some snarky remark about couples being so clingy.

But, she reasoned with herself as she felt her cheeks heat, she and Reganweren’ta couple.

Besides, given the chill of the air conditioning, having the solid, warm press of Regan’s thigh against her own was kind of nice. It left Emma feeling very pleasantly warm.

“I like it better this way,” Regan said, her voice taking on a quieter, more thoughtful tone. “When the dinner rush hits – which will be any minute now – it’s going to get way louder. This way, we can hear each other so much more easily.”

She was so earnest in her defense of sitting on the same side that Emma’s argument against it again folded. Wasit so wrong that Regan wanted to be close enough for them to actually converse without shouting? Besides, Regan very clearly felt no embarrassment at anyone possibly giving them a second look, so… why should Emma?

“I’ll move to the other side if you want me to,” Regan offered.

Emma found herself shaking her head. “You’re lucky you smell nice,” she muttered, looking down at the menu.

Her tone was sardonic, but the comment was true. Regan used a peppermint shampoo and conditioner that always left her hair smelling minty and fresh, and whatever perfume or products she used complimented it perfectly. When Regan ignored normal societal personal boundary rules, it made Emma feel like she was taking a breath of fresh air.

Emma found it enjoyable and far more appealing than something floral or cloying. She’d gotten very used to it, even before the last two weeks of bonding.

“Why, thank you!” Regan fluttered her eyelashes exaggeratedly at her. “Might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Regan! How the heck are you? It’s been a couple of months,” Patty’s loud voice boomed as she neared them, staring down with a broad grin.

“I’m good! Been busy. Sutton’s in Rome; this is Emma, my new roommate,” Regan tilted her head in Emma’s direction as if she could possibly be introducing anyone else.

The bells above the entrance jingled, and Patty looked up, grimacing. “Ah, shit. I can’t stay and catch up, but I’ll throw your order in before the kitchen gets crazy. What’ll you have?”

“I’ll have my usual,” Regan answered without having spent a second looking at the menu. Emma supposed this made sense, given that she’d worked here. “Pancakes.” Regan turned to inform her. “With a side of bacon and home fries. Literally the best pancakes in the city.”

Emma was sold. “I’ll just take the same, then.”

“Making it easy for me, I like you already.” Patty nodded at her approvingly.

She’d take it because getting the approval from waiters was one of Emma’s favorite things.

Regan’s eyes widened as she reached out to put her hand over Patty’s before she could walk away. “Wait – there’s no nuts of any kind that go into the pancakes, right? Not even in the flour? Emma’s allergic. Let Johnny know that he has to be careful.”

There was a demanding urgency in her tone that Emma had never heard from Regan. And with it came a deep, warm appreciation.

“Will do, sweets.” Patty nodded diligently before walking away.

Regan turned back to face her, sliding a hand through her hair. Before she froze, her eyebrows high on her forehead as she looked questioningly at Emma.

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