Page 64 of A Breath of Life
“Did you respond to Hill?”
Hill?“Um… no.”
“Am I still doing that work for him?”
Hill. The lawyer. Right. Fuck me.“If you don’t want to, I can—”
“I’ll do it. Best we build a solid rapport. He pays well.”
“It’s a lot of computer work. You said—”
“It’s fine, D. I was being a brat.”
“You weren’t. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He shrugged and scanned the restaurant.
My big fat mouth was to blame. I didn’t want to end up in a fight again. I had enough going on without rehashing yesterday’s drama.
Sweat peppered my forehead, and I darted my attention to the door as a couple walked in.
The waitress arrived and took our order. The minute she was gone, Tallus steered the conversation in another direction, taking us from shit pile one to shit pile two. “How’s Nana?”
Fuck my life.Of all the things he could ask.
My skin itched like I’d developed a sudden case of hives, and I squirmed. The blood drained from my face, leaving it cold and tingly, and it took a beat too long to find my voice and an answer. “Um… She’s… the same.” I cleared my throat. “You know. Rambling nonsense like usual. Didn’t know me from Adam. Talked about random people who probably don’t exist or died in the sixties.” I stared at the cutlery, at a scuff in the table, at anything but Tallus’s face.
Two women entered the restaurant. I watched the host seat them.
I didn’t want to talk or think about Nana. Or the motherfucking card around my wrist. Or mydisappearance. Or the reason I’d been an overbearing asshole since waking up concussed in an alley.
Fuck me.A good actor would know how to maneuver this situation with skill, but I was a shitty actor like I’d told Mr. Pinstripe. I would kill for a drink or a smoke, but neither was possible, not with Tallus around and his concern already off the charts.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I chugged water, draining the glass in two gulps, suddenly parched. It did nothing to calm my nerves.
“You’ve gone pale.”
“I’m… not feeling so hot.” It was the first truthful thing I’d said. My brain screamed,Find Clarence! Find Clarence. Find fucking Clarence!
“Have you taken anything?”
“Aspirin. This morning.”
“Nothing since?”
I shook my head and wiped my damp palms over my jeans. Echo bumped my knuckles with her wet nose, and I scratched her ear. “Lie down, girl,” I whispered. “I’m okay.”
Tallus peered under the table at the dog, questions on his face. If Echo was reacting, it meant one thing. My blood pressure was on the rise, and I most definitely was not okay.
“The lump on the back of your head.” Tallus indicated the spot on himself. “I still say you could have a concussion. Are you dizzy or nauseous?”
Yes, to both, but I lied so he wouldn’t worry. “Nah. Nothing like that. Just a headache. Some aches and pains. My face hurts, but I’ll live.” Before I internally combusted, I took control of the conversation, sputtering, “Tell me about acting.”
Tallus had been reaching for his glass of water and paused. He tipped his head to the side, a mild quirk appearing at the corner of his mouth. “Acting? That was… random. Why?”
“I…”Need a crash course, I didn’t say. “You acted in school, right? Plays and such. Performed. On stage. We’ve never talked about it. I’m curious.”
