Page 26 of Trip Me Up

9

SAM

I’d expectedthe bored-looking white man just outside the Columbus airport security checkpoint holding a sign that said, “S. CASE.” I hadn’t expected the Black woman standing next to him, jumping on her toes, her red-tipped braids flipping up into a halo around her face, which was lit by a delighted grin.

When I tentatively raised my hand, the one that wasn’t clutching Bilbo Baggins’ carrier, she flung out her arms. “Sam!” she squealed.

She didn’t wait for me to take the last few steps toward them. She ran at me and squeezed me into a rib-crushing hug. I held on. How long had it been since I’d had a hug as soothing as hers? Too long.

She released me and stepped back. “I’m Qiana. We’ve emailed, like, a hundred times. And I couldn’t wait to meet you, so…surprise!” She framed her face with jazz hands. “You prefer Sam or Samantha?”

“Sam, please.”

“Your flight all right? No problems? They didn’t make a stink over Mr. Baggins, did they?” She bent at the waist and peered through the mesh at Bilbo Baggins. His wagging tail rocked the bag. “Oh, you precious little guy! We’ll get you out of there soon. There’s a spot for pets just outside, and then we’ll shoot over to Niall’s book launch.”

Since it was Niall’s event, I wouldn’t have to do anything except sign a few copies ofMagicianin the back room.I was glad about that. Still, I wasn’t excited about meeting Niall for the first time as Sam Case. Especially not in public in front of dozens of smartphones. I’d said no photos, but Happy Troll couldn’t control everything.

When Niall and I came face to face again, would he be angry that I’d used his work for CASE? Would he make a scene? He’d seemed pretty easygoing at the fundraiser. But so had Stephen, right up to the moment he’d broken my trust. It’d be much better to meet Niall for the first time at the hotel, preferably in some quiet corner of the lobby.

“Do you really need me at the launch?” I faked a jaw-cracking yawn. “I’m pretty tired after the flight. Bilbo Baggins is, too.”

Hearing his name, Bilbo Baggins let out a series of high-pitched barks and scrabbled at the mesh door of the carrier.Traitor.

Qiana’s dark eyes went wide. “Of course we need you! This is your joint tour. You guys are a team now, and you support each other. You can take a power nap on the way over. I promise I’ll be quiet. Well, maybe not quiet—that’s not really my style—but I’ll try to let you sleep. ’Kay?”

“Okay.” I could hide behind Qiana and her wall of words. Niall wouldn’t have a chance to yell at me if she kept talking.

After I told the driver what my bag looked like, Qiana led me to a grassy patch outside, and I let Bilbo Baggins out of his carrier. He took care of business, then scrabbled at Qiana’s ankles until she picked him up.

He licked her chin. “Whoa, little guy. Watch the lipstick. I didn’t wear the smudge-proof today. I didn’t expect to be doing any kissing.” She held him a little farther from her body, and he strained toward her. “Okay, fine. I’ll fix it before we go in.” She snuggled him close.

My stony little heart grew three sizes. Maybe the tour wouldn’t be so bad. Not if everyone was as nice as Qiana.

A black car pulled up at the curb. “Shawn’s here,” she said. “Let’s do this!”

She sat in the back with me, still stroking Bilbo Baggins, who’d curled up on her lap. “Now. I know I sent you a lot of information. What questions do you have about the tour?”

I’d skimmed through the packet, still hoping I wouldn’t have to go. Jackson’s best friend, Cooper, was always saying hope wasn’t a strategy. I’d learned that the hard way. “Are you coming with us?”

Her red lips turned down into a pout. “I wish! That’d be so fun. Niall is a dynamo, and I know you and I are going to be besties. I’m only here for the launch. I’ll see you in New York, though. I’ll be at all the events there.”

Seeing my expression, she said, “Don’t you worry! Niall is fabulous. Ah-mazing. I’ve never seen anyone perform for the cameras—I mean the readers—like he does. Of course there won’t be any cameras at the events, per your requirements.” Her grin went even wider. “You writers tend to be a shy bunch. Not Niall. He rolls with it. And he’ll take care of you. He’s the nicest guy—”

The buzzing in my ears had gotten too loud to hear her.You writers.So Heidi hadn’t told her about me. She hadn’t told her I was only there to prove CASE could write a novel people wanted to read. That I wasn’t a writer at all, and not much of a reader, either. If Qiana knew who I really was, would she still like me? Probably not. If we didn’t have books in common, what was left? I scooted an inch or two away from her and faced the front of the car.

“Hey, Sam, you all right? I’m sorry. You said you were tired, and here I am, babbling away.”

“It’s okay.” I flapped my hand half-heartedly. “Don’t worry about me.”

She pursed her lips. “That’s kind of my job. To worry about you. To take care of you. You need anything, you let me know, okay? I won’t always be with you, but you’ll have a handler in every city. I’m responsible for you while you’re on this tour, and if anything happens, I’ll take care of it.”

I was used to having people trying to take care of me. When Mother did it, I hated it. But having Qiana in my corner felt better.

“Speaking of which…” She dug into her purse and pulled out a tiny red harness with the words SERVICE DOG embroidered in white on black patches on each side. “This way, Bilbo can go to the events with you.”

“But he’s not really—”

“Ah-ah. He’s your emotional support dog. You need him, don’t you?” Her brown eyes bored into me like she could see the part of my brain that Bilbo Baggins calmed.

I let my gaze rest on his silky black fur. Even that slowed my racing heartbeat. “I do. But I feel bad pretending he’s a trained service animal.”

“He’s a good dog.” Qiana scratched under his chin. “And it’s only to get you through this tour.” She pulled the vest over his head and buckled it around his middle. “Looking sharp, Bilbo.” She ran her fingers over his oversized ears, smoothing the long hair.

“Thank you.” The words came out as a whisper past the lump in my throat.

“I got you, girl.”

If that was true, she’d be the only person besides Jackson and Dr. Martell who did.

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