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“No. Yes. Not really. I feel like a bad friend saying no.”
“You feel how you feel.”
Jessica’s face was still scrunched up.
“What does that face mean?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He decided not to push the issue. At least not until he had her safely in her own room.
Which reminded him he hadn’t looked into accommodations for himself.
“How was your day?” she asked.
“Fine.”
She was quiet for a moment. “That’s it? Fine?”
“Yes… How was your day?”
“You don’t want to know…”
“Okay, how did the party get started?”
“Have you met Cat?” She squinted up at him. “I think she keeps a party packed in her purse. Or desk drawer.”
He gaped down at her, horrified. “Wait, you’re telling me all that wine was in her desk?”
“Yes! I thought she was joking when she pulled out one bottle, but then they just kept coming, Samuel. I think there’s more in there, still.”
They turned down the hall heading toward the apartments at last.
Samuel opened and shut his mouth.
Sure, plenty of people had drinks and snacks they kept in their desk. But a full wine bar?
“She said something about her wife needing the wine out of the house or something?” Jessica shrugged. “They have the cutest baby.”
“They do. Here we are.”
He pushed the door to the apartment open and stepped in first, doing a quick visual sweep of the room.
There’d been a lot of thinning down the staff with the move here in the hopes they were eliminating any other potential leaks. That didn’t mean they were guaranteed to be safe. A threat could always be among them. But nothing was waiting this time in the shadows.
Jessica shuffled in and went straight for the sofa. Instead of sitting, she turned and held out her hand, wiggling her fingers.
Well, it wasn’t like he was going to leave her alone any time soon.
He closed and locked the door before taking her hand. She pulled him to the sofa, planted her free hand on his chest, and pushed. He sat down with a little bounce. Jessica sat next to him, looped her arm through his, and snuggled in close until she could put her head on his shoulder.
She sighed. “This is better.”
Samuel peered down at the top of her head.
He shifted, turning his body more toward her. She sort of oozed closer, which allowed him to extract his arm and wrap it around her. Jessica in turn slid her arm around his waist and buried her face against his chest.
“You smell good. And you look good,” she mumbled.