Page 35 of The Dreidl Disaster

“Before the next meeting,” he asked, “or just as a postgame?”

“Postgame. I want to make sure you and I are on the same page.”

He nodded. “Good thing. No strategic steps, no outside voices, until we’ve settled the game plan. When do you want to have this postgame?”

The words flew out of her mouth before she could think about their impact. “Tomorrow morning at Greenblatt’s?”

The seconds she waited for his response extended way too long for her sake. But his answer was simple.

“Yes,” he said. “I need breakfast knishes in my life.”

“I’m glad to hear,” she said, grinning. And as she walked back toward the meeting room, she took his hand in hers.

It felt as if they were ready to conquer anything.

Together.

Chapter Thirteen

Artur squeezed Liv’shand before they headed through the backstage area toward the podium, and let it go before they came into full sight.

But what kept him from thinking about how it felt to let her hand go was the complete lack of tension in the auditorium. It was as if someone had popped the atmosphere with a pin; everyone was calmer. Quieter. More relaxed.

Would they be more receptive to what was happening?

He didn’t know, and yet more importantly, he couldn’t figure out what had happened when they were gone. Did someone talk to the residents?

He wasn’t sure; as he started to settle down behind the table, Paul Levitan caught his eye and gave him alook.

Hmmmm.

What did this mean?

He met the mayor’s expression, only to see she was shrugging, or pointing back at the paper. Did she catch the look on Paul Levitan’s face?

“Make good choices,”Leo had said as he was leaving Abe’s.

For not the first time that night he found himself returning to that statement, trying to figure out what the heck his friend meant.

But as he couldn’t figure it out, he organized his papers and did his best to settle back into the process of listening and taking notes until the meeting was over. When that happened and Liv banged her gavel, he walked with her to the parking lot.

“What do you think happened while we were in recess?” he asked.

“I have no idea,” she said. “None at all. And I have no idea what Paul Levitan did. He and the rest of the chamber have a mind of their own, I think.”

Which meant what? Had he walked into some kind of local conspiracy come to life? Did she know about what happened with McManus’s Pub?

“Anyway,” she said, “I guess we’ll find out.”

“Probably at the worst possible time,” he managed, his brain still whirring in an attempt to pull something out of this night, aside from the notes he’d put together.

“Probably,” she said with a smile. “See you tomorrow?”

“Breakfast knishes.”

“Yes,” she said, smiling.

“Looking forward to it,” he said. And knowing a dismissal when he heard it, he headed back to Abe’s.

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