Page 18 of Overtime
“Where’s the meat?” I ask, momentarily distracted by the spread of food on the counter.
She blinks fast. “I’m vegetarian.”
Clicking my tongue, I shake my head. “We can’t be friends, Strawberry.”
Her mouth flattens into a tight line for a second, but when she opens it to talk, someone else cuts in.
“Do you two know each other?”
I forgot whatsherface was also in the kitchen.
“No, we actually don’t,” Strawberry says quickly. Then she gives me a look I can’t decipher.
“Hmm.” I lean closer to her and lower my voice until only she can hear it. “Since we don’t know each other, maybe I shouldn’t warn you that your bra’s hanging in the bathroom.”
The gasp she draws is enough to capture the attention of everyone in the apartment. The knife she was using to spread mustard on the bread slices clatters to the floor as she makes a dash out of the kitchen. Her bunny slippers skid against the floor as she rounds the kitchen island.
She’s faster than some of the newbies on the team.
I smack my hand against my mouth, but there’s no hiding the shake in my shoulders. Archie cocks an eyebrow but has the decency to keep his yap shut. Or maybe his teasing game is off while he has a girl leaning against his arm.
“What’s so funny?” Lori leans on the counter, presenting her cleavage as a trophy. She must’ve slid down the zipper of her sweatshirt in preparation for the move.
“If it had been for your ears, then you’d have heard it.”
“Fine.” She lifts a delicate shoulder. “I’ll get it out of Maddie.”
A door slams shut, and then a second one does in quick succession. Stomps echo out of the hallway, and Strawberry appears again, huffing like a beast about to charge.
Ah, shit. I want to laugh.
Her eyes narrow, as if she can read my mind.
“Maddie, are you okay?” Lori swivels the stool around. “I’ve told you; you need to exercise more so you don’t run out of breath so easily.”
Tutor-girl cuts a fierce glare at the head honcho that tells me these two aren’t friends.
I check my phone. I’ll stick around for exactly ten minutes more of this awkward mess, but then I’ll I peace out. The guys are sufficiently installed here. They don’t need me anymore. I might have considered investing five more minutes in giving my tutor crap if this chick didn’t make me grind my molars.
Speaking of, Strawberry picks up the fallen knife and tosses it into the sink. She stops to regard me with vaguely murderous eyes and speaks through gritted teeth. “If I make you a sandwich, will that shut you up about this little incident for the rest of our lives?”
I mull it over. The salad at O’Malley’s was more lettuce than anything else, which was disappointing, because the burger and fries were already not filling enough. I could do with a snack.
“Not a vegetarian one, though.”
“There’s”—Strawberry grimaces—“ham in the fridge.”
“Deal.”
“So, you twodoknow each other.” The obnoxious voice sounds right behind me now. “From where?”
Strawberry expels a deep sigh. “We only just met today at?—”
“School,” I finish with a cutting tone and a warning glance. Strawberry clamps her mouth shut, and her forehead creases, but fortunately, she leaves it at that.
“Really?” Lori checks me with her hips to squeeze into the tight space between the kitchen island and where I stand beside Strawberry. “That’s so funny, because Maddie studies English, but you’re in accounting.”
“How do you know that?” I frown.
