Page 59 of The Backup

Ted leans in, ready to pounce. “Rome!”

Jacklyn raises an eyebrow. “Care to be more specific?”

Ted falters. “Uh…ancient Rome?”

“No,” I interject, unable to help myself. “It’s the Romans, specifically during the Roman Republic era. They used volcanic ash in their mix, which made it far superior to anything we had for centuries.”

The room goes quiet for a beat.

Jacklyn grins, marking a point for my team. “Correct!”

Ted’s jaw drops. “How the hell did you know that?”

I shrug, taking a sip of my drink. “I read a lot.”

From across the room, Asher chuckles softly, his eyes fixed on me. My phone buzzes on the table.

Asher: Nerd.

Me: Don’t act like you’re not impressed.

Asher: I’m more than impressed. Keep going, Sloane. Show me how that big brain of yours works.

I roll my eyes, suppressing a smile, and focus back on the game.

A few more rounds pass, and my team racks up points thanks to my random knowledge about everything from Greek mythology to obscure movie trivia.

“The square root of 144?” Brian asks, barely finishing before I answer.

“Twelve.”

“The capital of Kazakhstan?”

“Astana, formerly Nursultan,” I reply, earning a whistle from Jacklyn.

The questions keep coming, and with each answer, I can feel Asher’s gaze lingering longer.

Finally, Jacklyn pauses to shuffle the cards. “Alright, before we start the next round, does anyone need anything?”

“Oh!” I jump up, realizing we’re out of chips. “I think we have more in the pantry. Be right back.”

I head to the kitchen, but when I open the pantry door, I spot the bag of chips on the top shelf—way out of my reach. I stand on my toes, stretching as far as I can, but it’s no use.

A shadow falls over me, and I glance back to see Asher leaning casually against the doorframe, his arms crossed.

“Need a hand?” he asks, his voice low and teasing.

I straighten, brushing my hair out of my face. “I’ve got it.”

“You sure about that?” He steps closer, the scent of his cologne making my stomach flip.

“I—” Before I can argue, he reaches up, effortlessly grabbing the bag and holding it out.

“Here you go,” he says, his eyes locking with mine as he hands it over. His fingers brush mine, lingering just long enough to send a shiver down my spine.

“Thanks,” I say softly, suddenly hyperaware of how close we are.

His lips curl into a smirk. “Anytime. Though if you keep wearing those shorts, I’m going to start charging for my services.”

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