Page 57 of Show Me How
“I was drinking that,” she pushes out.
“Consider it paying me back for the coffee you stole from me on your first day.”
“I didn’t steal that one. Bryce gave it to me.”
“Semantics.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask how you’ve been liking working at the studio, Millie,” Lacey says, butting into the conversation that I’ve let get a bit away from me.
Millie focuses on her friend, the corner of her mouth tipping up. “It’s been good. There’s certainly plenty of paperwork to keep myself busy organizing.”
“You’ve done a great job,” I add.
Better than I expected, considering her self-proclaimed faults and lack of experience.
“Really?” she asks softly.
“You’re a quick learner, and you don’t stop with a task until it’s finished. Yeah, princess, you’re doing a good job.”
Her smile stretches, filling both sides of her face. “Thank you. I’m actually enjoying myself.”
“You look happy,” Lacey notes.
Millie leans back, either consciously or by accident, but stays in place. She doesn’t shove my hand off her arm and relaxes as if she’s comfortable like this. It’s a confirmation that I was searching for but wasn’t about to ask outright about.
“I like it here. The town and Shimmer Lake. Everyone has been really welcoming. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Small towns can get a bad rep sometimes,” Lacey confirms.
I run my nails over Millie’s arm. “They’re deserving of it most of the time.”
“Should I expect something bad to happen around here, then?” Millie asks me.
“It wouldn’t surprise me, but I’m hoping not. You didn’t come here to get sucked back into the drama.”
“It’s been a while since the last scandal anyway. Maybe Oak Point has matured,” Lacey suggests.
Millie scoots up in her seat, drawn into Lacey’s words. “What was the last scandal?”
I shake my head, hoping Lacey can read into my lack of desire to chat about this.
She ignores me. “Have you met the Whittman kids?”
“No? Who are the Whittmans?”
“Shelly and Kirk Whittman. She’s asking about their kids,” I clarify, shifting uncomfortably.
Millie glances at me, picking up on the movement. It’s a fleeting look, but a kind one. Like she’s checking in on me.
“No. I haven’t met them, but Shelly was telling me about them the other day,” she explains.
Lacey nods. “Ash’s best friend, Rowe, went to prison for a while for nearly killing a guy out by the campground.”
I scowl at Lacey when Millie tenses. “That’s a massive way of underexplaining what happened. It wasn’t that simple, and everything that guy got was deserved.”
“Inyouropinion. But he still lost the case and went to jail,” Lacey argues.
“So it doesn’t matter what happened prior to that? He’s guilty because he didn’t have an expensive lawyer or loaded legal team?”
