Page 129 of As They Are
Wren choked on her water. “A what?”
“Erotica. Don’t look so shocked. Old ladies need their books too.”
“Will the grant even let us stock it with that?”
Tammy shrugged. “They’ve never cared before. At least do the romance books. What do they call that now? Pepper, or something? Oh no,spice.”
“I’ll start a list,” Wren said. “Erotica for all the ladies is at the top of it.”
“I have a few authors to recommend. I’ll send you a list. Give me your number.”
Wren blinked but recited it anyway. She seemed so shocked by Tammy’s attention, and I had no idea why.
“How are you doing after your fall?” Tammy asked. “We were pretty worried about you.”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
Tammy’s eyes cut to me. Clearly, she didn’t believe Wren.
“She’s healed well,” I said. “But she has a bad habit of not resting.”
“Really? You’re gonna call me out?”
“Someone has to.”
She rolled her eyes. “I get bored way too easily.”
“Same here,” Tammy agreed. “But no one wants to see you make it worse. I’m watching you.”
Wren laughed, but I could see her hands move under the table. I grabbed them without a second thought, running my thumb over her knuckles.
I wanted to figure her out, to know every detail of her life.
But it wasn’t my place to. I was temporary. Only a comfort for now.
And I needed to figure out how to be okay with that.
The next morning, there was a new PA putting on my mic. She had strawberry-blonde hair, and the only reason I noticed was because it was the same color as Wren’s.
“It’s really nice of you to do this every morning,” she said while she fiddled with the mic pack. “It must get annoying.”
“I don’t mind. It helps Wren out.”
My eyes drifted to the woman that was always on my mind. She was doing an interview with Jude, gesturing to the library. She did them all the time, but this time, he was only watchingher.
My chest tightened. Both of us knew either he or Madison was angling for something, but I refused to watch the show, so I didn’t see it.
And now it was right in front of me.
For this, Wren wasmine.And only mine.
“So,” the PA said, “um, you know, I hate to do this, but I wanna shoot my shot.”
I turned to her. “What?”
“A lot of people think Jude and Wren might get back together. And if they do”—she stepped close to me, putting her hand on my chest—“maybe we could go out.”
“Absolutely not.” The words were out before I could stop them and I threw her hand off my body before taking three healthy steps back. “I don’t consider other women when I’m in love with someone else.”
