Page 51 of Finding Jess

Sam smiled softly. “You’re a good girlfriend. She’s lucky to have you.”

Jess’ lips quirked upward in a teasing smile. “See, and you’re biased. You’d probably just take my side regardless and make me think I’m right about everything.”

Sam tilted her head back, laughing. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” she lied. “I could probably find a few things if you really wanted me to.”

Jess’ eyes narrowed as she shot her a teasing glare. “I doubt it.”

The phone buzzed again, this time continuing in an incessant rhythm.

Jess looked down at it, the previous amusement in her eyes fading. She loosed a breath as she plucked it off the table, glancing at the screen.

She pressed the side button, muting the vibration, then looked back up at Sam with an apologetic smile.“I better go.”

Sam nodded, offering her a small, reassuring smile. “Yeah. I understand.”

Jess stood, reaching for her large black purse that hung on the back of her chair.“Sorry I couldn’t stay longer to go over everything.”

“That’s okay,” Sam replied, shaking her head.

“Do you have time to meet tomorrow? Maybe over lunch or something?” Jess asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Sam hummed, tilting her head back as she mentally ran through her schedule—the meetings, the deadlines, and the stretches of time she’d carved out to focus.

“Yeah,” she said after a beat. “That should work.”

“Great,” Jess said with a nod, the smile just barely touching the edges of her eyes. “I’ll come by your office around then.”

Chapter eleven

Sam pushed back from her desk, standing and rolling her stiff neck with a quiet groan. She glanced at her phone, tapping the screen again to check the time.

Jess was supposed to have arrived a while before. And when that time had passed, she’d texted her asking if they were still on to meet.

But now a full hour had gone by and—nothing.

Sam swiped her phone open, tapping on their message thread.She opened her contact and clicked the call button, holding the phone up to her ear.

It rang a handful of times before playing the automated voicemail.

Sam let out a breath, pulling the phone away to end the call.

Although Jess had mentioned how busy she’d been with work that week, it still wasn’t like her to bail on plans. Especially without saying anything.

She clicked the call button once more, holding it back up to her ear as she tried to quell the slight unease in her chest.

The phone rang a few times, and just as she was about to hang up, the ringing stopped.

Sam paused, waiting. “Jess?”

The line was silent for another moment before Jess cleared her throat on the other end.

“Yeah,” she answered, her voice quiet. “Hey. Sorry.”

The worry in her chest eased slightly with the sound of her voice, but it was instantly replaced with fresh concern.

“Hey,” Sam said. “Are we still meeting today?”

“What?” She could hear a shuffling on the other end of the line before Jess muttered, “Shit. I didn’t realize what time it was.”

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