Page 21 of Problematic Summer Romance

“Careful,” he murmurs, not letting go. “She’s gotten heavier.”

“I’ve got her, I—” It’s a huge mistake, looking up at him. Meeting his eyes. There is something in there, a guarded, hidden, resigned kind of sadness that reminds me of the first time he handed Kaede to me. “I’ve got her,” I repeat, firm.

Conor nods, slowly, and returns to his seat.

Chapter 8

I sit with Kaede in my lap, and she gives me a beautiful, snotty kiss. “Sorry.” Minami wipes my cheek. “We’re working on her penchant for sharing bodily fluids. You know everyone here, right?” Minami asks.

“Yup.” Despite my better judgment, my eyes are already flying to Conor, who has fallen in conversation with Nyota, and Avery, and…And? “Actually, not the blonde.”

“Oh, right. Tamryn. You’re going to adore her, she’slovely. Irish. I can’t wait for you to hear her and Hark talk to each other.” Plates stuffed with bread, eggplant rolls, and sun-dried tomatoes are deposited in front of us. “Oh my god, this looksamazing.”

Everyone laughs, eats, sips from constantly refilled glasses. I focus on cajoling Kaede intonotplaying with the pepper shaker and accept a few bites of shredded chicken. Take a deep breath. Inhale the burning scent of citronella and land a blueberry jet plane inside a very eager mouth. My eyes, though, keep straying to Tamryn. Her longface, wide lips, fair complexion. There’s something about the way her features come together that takes my breath away. This is someone who could easily make money off her looks. She laughs at the chatter buzzing around her and plucks a roll from Conor’s plate, easy, intimate.

“He saidwhat?” Nyota is asking from the other side of the table.

“I think COB reminded him of the inevitability of death.”

Conor shakes his head. “Avery, if you bring this up at the next board meeting, Iwillrename Harkness after you.”

“He’s actually gonna go through with it,” Tamryn says. Her eyes catch me staring, and she grins, kind.

I flush. Ferociously. Am relieved when someone says, “So, Maya. I hear we might be colleagues.”

I turn to the man sitting at my right. “Oh my god. Paul?”

“Yup, that’s me.”

We maneuver into an awkward hug above Kaede’s head.

“How long has it been?”

“A while. I think since that time—”

“Donotmention the mac and cheese.”

“—you puked mac and cheese all over me.”

“That’sdefinitelynot true. We’ve met at least twice since, and on both occasions you reminded me of that incident.”

“Touché.” Behind wire-rimmed glasses, light blue eyes squeeze into a smile. That’s when I parse his words.

“Wait, what do you mean, we’ll be working together?”

“You’re coming to Sanchez, right? Their semiconductors are state of the art. You’ll love it there.”

He’s talking about the California company that’s pioneering new chip technology and offering me a frankly unprincipled amount of money to go work for them. “How do you know that—?”

“I’ve been doing R & D for them for the last couple of months, and your name cropped up a lot. Once Eli told the C-suite that you might be going into industry, they wenthardto recruit you. Congrats on that young researcher medal, by the way.”

I tilt my head. “You knowa lotabout my life.”

“That’s because I constantly brag about you,” Eli says from a few seats down. “And no, I will not stop bringing up your accomplishments, so don’t ask.”

“I think Eli may be living his mad scientist dreams vicariously through you,” Minami whispers. Her smile is indulgent, but my stomach locks up.

I set down my fork. “Actually,” I tell Paul, “I haven’t accepted Sanchez’s offer yet. I’m undecided between that and—”

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