Page 9 of Too Much In Common
Simone leaned forward. “Mrs. Ogilvie was doing an assembly at an elementary school. A guy shows up demanding his kid, waving a knife, and threatening people in the office. He grabs one secretary and a ‘private citizen’”—Simone uses air quotes—“disarms him and holds the guy for the police. It happened so fast the students didn’t know anything had happened.”
Tian studied Chris. “That was you, wasn’t it?”
He slowly nodded. “I was at the right place at the right time. That is why I was home early today. Please don’t put my name on social media or anything. I slipped when I said Mrs. Ogilvie’s name, although living in the building, you’d probably notice I spend most of my time near the Ogilvie family.”
“Were you decompressing when I came to your apartment?” Tian understood the aftermath of an adrenaline rush all too well. The good ones like a perfect landing on a windy day. Or the not so good ones between lighting strikes.
“Yes.”
She unfolded the paper. “Advanced self-defense class?”
“Your first instinct was to kick me. If you had pulled your arms straight down, you would have been free of me. I had you in an awkward hold.”
“Do you teach this class?”
“No. Either current or former female bodyguards teach all the classes for women’s self-defense. Occasionally I play the role of live test dummy.”
“Why the advanced class?”
Simone answered, “This lease came with the basic class for all of us. I’m sure I emailed you about it.”
“You email me about a lot of things. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I knew it.” Simone’s triumphant tone was completely unnecessary. A dozen emails about the new apartment remained ignored in her inbox, knowing Simone would recap in another one.
Chris stood. “I should go. If there is anything I can ever do for you...”
“Actually, if you have a minute, I was rearranging my furniture, and it would go faster with”—Tian needed another word other than the biceps she was staring at—“an extra set of hands.”
“Sure.”
Tian walked to her room with him following. Maybe she had suffered a concussion. She never invited guys into her room.
* * *
Tian set his gifts on the dresser, which was on a different wall than it had been Friday night. The trail left in the carpet showed where it had been pushed. “Did you move that yourself?”
“Yes.”
Chris pursed his lips. It wasn’t his place to lecture her on back injuries.
Simone and Brit hovered at the door. Obviously, they had no intention of leaving their roommate alone with him. Good for them.
“Where do you want the bed?” he asked.
“North.” Tian pointed to the center of the recently vacated wall.
The bed sat on a wooden frame that looked as if it had seen better days. “I think we should take the mattress off to move the frame.”
Tian pulled off the comforter. “That was my plan. I only wished I hadn’t made the bed before I realized it was on the east wall.”
That was the second time she referred, correctly, to compass directions. Few people used them.
Simone helped Tian remove the sheet. “It is so weird that you know which way is north when you are inside of a room.”
“It’s her stupid-human trick. Dad says she is better than GPS.” Brit took the pillows out of the room. “I didn’t inherit that gene. I get lost if someone tells me to turn right at the corner.”
“You are sisters?” Avoiding any comment about women and directions seemed safest.
