Page 99 of Work with Me

“I brought flowers.” I held them up. One of the big chrysanthemums drooped.

He curled his lip. “Did she say she likes flowers?”

“I—I didn’t ask.” Marlee liked flowers. She squeed whenever I sent them for Administrative Professionals’ Day. And she wore floral prints all the time. But I’d never seen Alicia in a print at all. Only solid colors. None of them particularly flower-like. Crap.

“Know what she likes?”

“What?” I’d run out and get it. I had time.

“Dudes who aren’t assholes.”

“Oh.” I slouched. He was right. What the fuck was I doing there, freezing my ass off on her porch?

He slurped the last of his hot chocolate. “I’m going in to get warm. If I don’t see you again, bye.”

I gave him a half-smile. “Bye, Noah. But I’m staying until she gets here.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

The screen door slammed behind him. A light flared above me—Christmas lights. The old-fashioned multicolored strand ran across the eaves of the porch in a straight line. Alicia’s work, I guessed. Lights flicked to life in the pair of trees growing closest to the house. Those were pink, blue, and purple, and their haphazard pattern hinted at another family member’s effort.

A car pulled up under the carport across the street. A man got out and squinted at me before he turned and walked into the house. A minute later, a phone rang inside Alicia’s house, but I couldn’t hear the person who answered. The rain had picked up into a roaring downpour that splashed my boots and the bottoms of my jeans. I tucked myself further under the porch’s overhang.

A meow came from behind me, and a fat orange tabby cat wearing a blue collar squeezed through the flap in the door. Was this the same cat who’d hissed at me the night I’d had dinner here? What was his name?

He tiptoed around me, sniffed the wilted bouquet, and plunked himself down on the porch, an arm’s length away. He meowed again. I stretched out my arm and let him sniff my hand before I stroked him between the ears. He closed his eyes, and I glanced at the tag on his collar. Tigger. Yes, he was Alicia’s cat.

“You don’t hate me, do you, big guy? You know I’m here to try to make it up to her, right?”

He meowed and rubbed the side of his face against my hand.

“Yeah, we’re pals. You’ll vouch for me. Tell them I’m not a complete asshole. And then we’ll be best friends. I’ll bring you tuna treats.”

He stopped rubbing my hand. His eyelids burst open, my only warning before he nipped my forefinger.

“Ow!” I snatched my hand back. “Not a fan of tuna, huh?”

He turned around, swished his tail at me, and bounded through the cat door with a snap.

Two drops of blood welled up on my knuckle. “Tough crowd.” I stuck my knuckle in my mouth.

A few pickup trucks and a delivery van rumbled past. I checked my watch. It was after five. Maybe Alicia would come home soon. I should plan what I wanted to say.

I leaned back on my elbows and stared up at the ceiling. It was painted a comforting robin’s-egg blue. Maybe someday I could have a front porch with a blue ceiling. Alicia and I could sit in the porch swing—

The screen door slammed shut again. Noah stomped out, but instead of sitting beside me, he leaned against the post. “Still here, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“I brought you a sweatshirt. It’s Alicia’s, but it’s pretty big.” He held out a gray hoodie with an orange longhorn symbol above the kangaroo pocket.

“Thanks.” I took it from him and wrestled it on. Maybe it was big for Alicia, but it fit snugly on me. Instantly warmer, I breathed in Alicia’s familiar, clean smell.

He bounded back through the door, and I settled in to wait.

Close to an hour later, Alicia’s Honda rolled down the street. I didn’t know right away it was Alicia’s—she drove the world’s most nondescript car—but I hoped. And when it turned up the driveway, I knew my gut hadn’t misled me.

I stood, wincing at the aches that rocketed through my muscles. My ass tingled as the blood flow resumed. The car door opened, and a black umbrella poked out. The car door closed, and the umbrella made brisk progress along the walk and up the porch stairs. Then it tilted back, and when she saw me, her face blanched.

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