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“My drink?” He knew her drink? Or was he asking me what I wanted? Suddenly I remembered my tote with my money was still in the break room. I couldn’t very well go get it. I patted my pockets, the universal sign forI forgot my wallet.

“I got you.”

I hated owing anyone anything, but if this were a date, Gemma would’ve probably accepted, right? “Okay…thank you.”

He left without another word, so he must’ve known her drink. I hoped it was good. I was kind of picky…really picky, plus I had lactose issues. Kamala knew that. She’d make my actual drink. I tried to catch her eye, but she was already talking to Asher. I slowly sat down.

“So,” Dale said. “Gemma…”

“Yes…”

“What happened to the red rose?”

Was he speaking in code? My face must’ve shown my confusion because he continued, “From your garden? You were supposed to be carrying one so he’d know it was you.”

She was going to carry a rose? Who did this faker think shewas? Audrey Hepburn? Also, didn’t he ask Asher ten minutes ago how he would know it was her? Was he messing with me? I could give it right back. “I woke up this morning and they were all dead.”

His eyebrows popped up. “All of them?”

“Every last one.”

“Huh. Bad luck. Some might’ve taken that as a sign.”

“I don’t believe in signs.” My mom thought everything was a sign. If two bugs splattered on our windshield at the exact same moment on the highway, that meant, she used to insist, that we were supposed to take the next exit. Something might be waiting for us. There never was, but that didn’t stop her from pretending the first seedy gas station we came to had something we were supposed to buy or someone we were supposed to talk to.

“So what’s your deal?” Dale said.

“My deal?”

He gestured toward my face. “What’s a girl like you doing talking to a nerd like Asher?”

“I like nerds.” That was true. But was Asher really a nerd? And what kind of nerd? The fandom kind or the math-whiz kind? “Andwhat kind of girl do you think I am?”

“Familiar,” Dale said suddenly.

“What?” I asked, my attention now fully on him. His eyes were still assessing me.

“I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“I don’t think so.” I hadn’t recognized them when they came in, meaning they probably went to a different high school. And neither of them had seen me when they walked in the café. Were they better at hiding their notice than I’d given them credit for?

Asher plopped onto the bench seat next to me, causing the bench seat to bounce. He laughed and I couldn’t help but smile. “Sorry,” he said. “I have more power than I thought.”

“You really do,” I said. The exchange sounded like something from one of those inspirational posters.

“Here’s your drink.” He slid it in front of me.

“Thank you,” I said.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” he said. “After all this time.”

“Two months,” Dale said. “It’s only been two months.”

Good. I could work with two months. There’s no way she’d given too many details about herself in that amount of time. Especially because she was probably making half the things up. That’s what catfish did, right? They created fake people.

“It feels like at least two and ahalfmonths,” Asher said, a teasing twinkle in his eyes. His hand inched toward mine on the bench and before I knew it, he’d linked pinkies with me, which was actually quite adorable.

I picked up the hot drink in front of me and took a sip.