Page 28 of Love and the Laws of Motion
“Sit down and eat,” the tall sister said.
“I don’t think so—”
“Eat.Trust me.”
Deciding not to piss her off any more than she already was, he quickly parked it at the table, between Livie and—
“Sorry, I must have missed meeting you in my state of total oblivion last night.I’m Nick.”
She reached a hand across the table to shake his.“Jessica.”
Jessica looked very like Livie—same long, dark brown hair, same large brown eyes, same heart-shaped face.She was smaller than either of her sisters, almost petite.
“And since you probably don’t remember me, I’m Gemma.”
“I remember.”Even though he wasn’t entirely sure that he did.
She tilted her chin at the dog, who was sitting on his foot, his chin resting on Nick’s knee as he gazed up at him with sad adoration.“And your new bodyguard is named Spudge.”
“Spudge.I think we met last night, buddy.”He ran a hand over the dog’s bony head and Spudge groaned in bliss.“Sorry I was such a mess last night, guys.I don’t usually do that.”
Jessica hid her grin behind the rim of her coffee mug.“That’s okay.According to Livie, you earned it.”
“Sorry,” Livie said.“I probably shouldn’t have said anything about your personal life.”
“Your family has a right to know how I ended up passed out on your couch.”He wasn’t exactly in a position to be annoyed.When you did embarrassing shit like drink yourself into oblivion and pass out in strange houses, the people who lived in those houses were entitled to ask a few questions about how you got there.
“Coffee?”Jessica asked.
“God, yes.”
She got up to pour a cup as Gemma turned from the stove with a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs.The vodka still currently comprising half his bloodstream rebelled at the very idea, but his stomach suddenly thought that plate looked pretty good.She slid the plate across the table to him and set another one in front of Livie.
Jess plunked a mug of coffee in front of him.“Okay, I gotta go.”
“But breakfast—” Gemma protested.
“No time.The G is running with delays.Signal problems at Bergen Streetagain.It’s the third time this week, and of course, the MTA can’t come up with a single decent explanation.But I met this guy who works for the MTA and he’sthis closeto giving me the inside story.I’m going to blow the lid off the failing subway system.Figuratively.”
“Jess is a reporter,” Livie explained to Nick.
“Really?Cool.New York Times?Daily News?”
“Brooklyn Daily Post.”
“Donotsay you’ve never heard of it,” Gemma warned.“She’ll tear your head off.”
“If I wasn’t already late, I’d argue with you,” Jess sniffed.
“But you won’t.”Gemma passed her a travel mug.“Go.And don’t skip lunch today.”
“You’re so annoying when you’re bossy.By the way, I’m not home tonight.”
“I thought Alex was still in Brazil with his father,” Livie said.
“The big acquisition party was last night.He flies home today.”Jessica’s face was glowing, and she didn’t even try to hide her giddy excitement.Whoever this Alex dude was, she was totally head over heels for him.
Had Poppy’s eyes had ever lit up that way when she talked about him?Two days ago, he would have said absolutely yes.Of course.They were in love, right?But today, that felt a whole lot less clear.
