Page 58 of Conspiracies and Chemistry

My face was on fire. “I mean, you should lie down.”

She huffed a tiny laugh. “Yeah, I probably should.”

“Want me to put those in a vase?” I nodded at the roses Tessa had set on the counter.

“I’ll do it,” Savannah said. “Do I need to put these out of the cats’ reach?”

“No, roses are nontoxic.” she said.

Savannah caught my gaze. “Make sure she rests, okay?”

Tessa rolled her eyes. “I don’t needtwomothers. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Sure you are,” Savannah said, “but we’re here, and we want to take care of you. Go and lie down. Since we have a guest, I’ll make a roast chicken. It’ll be a few hours before dinner is ready. You two have plenty of time to…rest.” She pressed her lips together like she was holding back a smile.

I didn’t need to rest, but Tessa clearly did. There were purple half-moons under her eyes. As much as I wanted to stay so I could ensure she was okay, I didn’t want to prevent her from sleeping. “I’ll help you to your room, then I’ll go.”

“My god, I’m forty-three, not eighty-three.” But she took my arm.

Tessa led me toward the adjacent living room. The space looked comfortable, with a dark gray slipcovered sofa and a soft blanket in light gray flung to the side. Her laptop sat open on the coffee table. Another cat, this one with short blue-gray fur, gazed at us from the other end of the couch. “This is Anita Borg.”

How much did I love that Tessa had named her cats after women inventors and programmers? More than I should. I loved everything about this woman, except for how she pushed me away.

I let Anita sniff my hand, and she rubbed her cheek against it. “Two for two,” I joked.

“Oh, Anita’s a slut.” Tessa sniffed.

“She likes all the guys you bring over here?” The words felt like broken glass in my throat.

“Apparently. She’s one for one.” After dropping that bomb, Tessa dropped my arm and sailed into the short hallway. I shut my mouth and followed.

Tessa’s bedroom was on the main level. The curtains were drawn except for a narrow opening in the center. I squinted to make out details in the gloom. Her bed had a charcoal upholstered headboard, and her bedspread was a deep purple. There was a small desk in the corner. A single leather armchair with a matching ottoman anchored the other side. The wood floors extended in here, and a rug with a Turkish geometric design covered the space between the bed and the bathroom. Another one softened the floor under the chair and the desk.

Tessa let me take it all in, then she quirked her lips. “You staying?”

“Let me help you with the pillows.” I grabbed one of the fluffy charcoal pillows. But as it turned out, it wasn’t a pillow. It was a black cat that went boneless when I picked it up. I bobbled the unexpected weight for a moment before I got my hands under the ball of fluff and cradled it to my chest.

“I see you’ve met Kat Johnson.”

The cat purred against my ribs as I rubbed a finger behind her ear. “You matched your pillows to your cat?”

She picked up a pillow that definitely didn’t have eyes or claws and tossed it onto the bench at the foot of the bed. “It’s her favorite hiding place. Kind of like that scene inE.T.”

I hummed and scratched Kat under the chin.

“Ugh, you’ve never seen it, have you?” She gazed up at the tray ceiling.

“E.T.came out ten years before I was born, so…no? Why? Should I see it?”

“It’s what got me into tabletop games. It defined my generation, but it’s no big deal.” She pulled back the covers and climbed into bed.

“We could watch it together sometime.”

“Eh, it was very much of its time. I’m sure it wouldn’t hold up now.” She yawned.

Time for me to go. I set Kat on the bed, and she nestled against Tessa’s ankles. “Need anything else? Water? Your laptop?”

“No.” She tugged the covers up to her chin. “Thanks for the flowers.”

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