Page 22 of Starrily

“As if I’d want you to waste them on me.”

He leaned in closer. “As if I’d want anything to do with you at all.”

Calliope lifted her chin, sparks of angry lightning shooting out of her eyes. “Then don’t. You don’t have to work with me, and you definitely don’t have to show up in my office!”

“Good!”

“Good!” She pursed her lips—wait, why was he looking at her lips anyway?—then turned and stormed off.

“See you never, then!” he shouted after her and, to emphasize his point, stormed off in the opposite direction.

Chapter 6

Callie held open the door to her apartment complex for Ava, carrying a new cat scratching tree. “If I put any herb on the windowsill, Theia will either throw it off or pee into it.”

“Then program an alarm to tell her to back off. Really, you should try it. It makes such a difference to have fresh herbs.”

They headed up the stairs; Callie unlocked her door, then punched it three times to get it unstuck. “Drink?” she asked as she headed to the counter.

“Please.” Ava deposited the scratcher on the floor. She threw herself on the sofa, only to disturb a napping Theia, who hissed and raised her tail.

“Oh, come on. Surely I don’t constitute as a stranger anymore,” Ava said.

“It’s not you. She doesn’t like anyone.” Callie grabbed Theia and walked to the bedroom.

“I even brought you a new scratching tree,” Ava yelled after the cat.

After Theia had been contained in the bedroom, Callie went to fix the drinks, and Ava sprawled on the sofa.

“So,” Ava started. “Do you want to tell me why you were so upset we had to go buy cat accessories to calm you down?”

“I wasn’t upset. Just annoyed.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Callie brought two glasses of lemonade and sat next to her friend. “It’s Pale Ginger Guy.”

Ava processed the sentence for a few moments. “Ohh.SexyPale Ginger Guy. The man from zero-gravity flight, whom you’re now stuck working with.”

Callie sighed.

“What did he do?”

“He lost your scarf.”

Ava drew her eyebrows together. “My what now?”

“The scarf you gave me when we exchanged gifts for graduation.”

“Oh,thatthing. What happened?”

“We were taking photos and I had to take it off, but he tried to help and let it drift away in the wind.”

“Mmm. Very Hollywood movie.”

“Aren’t you upset?”

“Callie.” Ava put her drink glass on the coffee table and turned toward her. “I’m glad you cherished it that much. But it was just a scarf.”