Page 163 of The Sinner: James

“What are you doing here?” she asks, baffled.

I could ask her the same thing.

The boutique hotel is on a quiet street far from the city’s hustle and bustle. I never thought I’d run into her.

“A business meeting,” I say.

It’s partially true, yet she doesn’t buy it. If nothing else, for the silence growing between us.

“Business meeting?” she says, genuinely confused.

I nod, unable to suppress a smile.

She grins, too, completely lost.

“What about you?” I ask.

“I was supposed to meet a classmate, go to her place, and study with her. She just canceled our meeting,” she says, distracted, still examining my attire. “I was about to leave when I thought I’d spotted you, but I couldn’t tell for sure.” She drags her gaze up and down, checking my outfit again. “Were you at a photoshoot or something?”

I breathe a soft laugh.

“No. I just wanted to dress up,” I say, not offering more information.

It’s for a good reason.

She has no idea what I do for a living. Nobody does.

I couldn’t figure out how to plug my new reality into her life.

“Do you need to be somewhere else?” I ask.

She sways her head from side to side.

“Let’s go to my place then, and we can order food,” I say, motioning to the car waiting for me.

“Okay,” she murmurs before scooting inside.

I slide into the back seat next to her and give the address to the driver.

Her stare burns holes into my face.

“So...” she says, sucking in a sharp breath. “What’s new with you? I haven’t seen you in a while. Switched jobs, I supposed?”

“That too.”

Grinning softly, I avoid her eyes.

“Can you… talk about it?”

I shake my head.

“There’s not much to talk about,” I say, guarded.

She doesn’t press any further.

I look at her.

“What’s new at home?” I ask, shifting the topic.

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