Page 29 of Rivals

“Why? You don’t need to come.” He shrugs.

“I’m curious, and maybe it will knock something loose for us to work with.” It’s too early for me to argue with him and I haven’t had coffee yet, so I shrug and grab my bag. I think it’s Saturday, so I don’t have class. My hands feel sticky, and I wipe them on my dress before tying my other shoe. Usually, I would go home after a shift and sleep, but I have a feeling that’s not going to be an option for me today.

“Indulge me, Revna,” he sighs. I try not to look any further into that statement and walk out the door.

When we hit the street, I start toward the old diner and peer at Lachlan out of the corner of my eye. His hands are in his pockets, and he looks around us. His pace is slower, and mine is quicker because he’s so much taller. Why does he feel like he needs to escort me? “Sorry, I fell asleep.”

He glances at me and then back in front of him. We part right and left to pass a group of tourists who try to look like they aren’t tourists but very clearly are. We meet up side-by-side, and Lachlan rubs his chin.

“It’s fine, I couldn’t come up with anything.”

“Oh,” I say cautiously. He doesn’t respond to me right away, and there’s a few more blocks to go. I need coffee.

As we came up to the diner, I stopped in front of the door. I’m a few minutes late, but Betty won’t mind. “Yeah, I’ll uh…see you later,” I turn to open the door, then Lachlan beats me to it. I look at him wearily over my shoulder and step over the threshold onto the checker tile. I watch Lachlan take a seat at a teal booth and stare at me. I follow him and stand in front of the table. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll wait.”

“What? Why? I have a five-hour shift today.”

“I’ve got time,” he says.

“What is your angle? What are you doing?”

“Well, I thought I could eat some breakfast. You do have breakfast here, right?”

“You could do that literally anywhere else that isn’t here.”

“But I want it to be here, Revna.”

I want to scream and tell him to get out, but that would be a reason to get fired, and I need this job. “Whatever,” I grumble, and go to the back store room to drop off my bag and clock in.

While I tie my apron on, and Betty eyes me carefully. “What, B?” I ask her. She looks at Lachlan in the booth and back to me. Betty is in her seventies, and she retired from her corporate job a long time ago. She told me she got bored and figured she might as well do something. Now she pours other old men their coffee or gets hungover kids their breakfast, like me. Only she’s a lot more spry. I may be in my late twenties, but her energy level makesmelook like I’m eighty.

“So, what’s with the shadow?” she asks me. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, let alone one that would walk you to work.” I glance at her and fill the salt and pepper shakers for the tables.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I mumble.

“Speak up. If you’re going to say something, then say it,” she says. I glare at Betty, and she chuckles. “You don’t scare me, little girl. You forget I know who you are. Why is he here if he’s not your boyfriend?” she asks.

“We are working on a project together for school, that’s all.” I glance at her, and she’s looking at me with one eyebrow ticked up like she knows something I don’t. I put the container of salt down. “What?”

“Why don’t you do your job and ask him what he wants to eat?” she commands.

“Fine,” I grumble.

I grab my notepad and go up to the booth. “Did you decide what you want?” Lachlan drops the paper menu and looks me up and down. I hate this uniform, but it’s the job, so I deal with it. “Lachlan,” I say through gritted teeth.

“I don’t know. What do you think I would like?” I drop my hip and my notepad, shooting him a look. The corner of his mouth tips up, and he shrugs.

“Whatever you think, Revna.” I roll my eyes and turn to put his order in. If he doesn’t like it, then tough, I don’t care.

I’m helping another table when Lachlan’s order is called, so I grab it at the window. I ordered him eggs, biscuits, and gravy. Hopefully, he likes it, even though he doesn’t strike me as picky.

Betty got him coffee in the meantime. I waited for him to snap at her, but he was surprisingly polite. I glared at him the whole time. She even told me he was a nice young man. I wanted to say because that’s what he wants you to see. But I held my tongue because it’s entirely possible that maybe he isn’t so bad and I just bring out the worst in him. It wouldn’t be the first time I seem to have that effect on people.

“Here you go.” I set his plate in front of him, and his eyes widen. “It’s biscuits and gravy. I hope you’re hungry.”

“This looks great, thank you.” I startle. He saidthank youto me.