Page 9 of Tyton: The Spider and the Dragonfly (Tyton #1)

Callie could see that Talia was one of those people who could make you feel like you were the only one in the room. And she was falling for it like an idiot.

Her inner Sparx would tell her she was just being too suspicious. Who told someone everything about themselves on the first date? And this wasn’t even really a date. It was only date-adjacent.

This was the problem, Callie decided, with being a psychologist, especially one with the trauma of having Brin as an ex – if Brin was even still alive.

Every interaction was viewed through the lens of manipulation.

No wonder she hadn’t moved on in two years.

Of course she was always exhausted, constantly keeping her guard up.

Callie took a deep breath. What harm could possibly come from letting Talia be interested in her, even if it was just to get something in return? That something was probably just her pants anyway. And if Callie was being honest with herself, she wanted Talia to get what she wanted.

So, Callie would open the door a little. Not all the way, just enough to have a bit of fun. Who knows? It might relax her enough to let someone else in. And if that someone else was Talia, she could ask those questions later.

Callie watched Talia’s lips form the words, entranced.

It must have been the alcohol because she lost herself in the motion of her vermillion.

Her lips didn’t close all the way when she stopped talking.

They framed a tiny window, right where the bottom lip creased in the middle, and you could peek at her top incisor.

Her brain told her she was staring and Callie jolted, trying to remember what Talia had just said. Her lopsided smile was so adorable, and Callie realised she was about to fall into that trance again.

“I’m sorry, what?” Callie stammered.

Talia smiled, her cheeks pinking. She knew that Callie would be hers, but she still appreciated the effect she was having on her.

“I said,” she spoke slowly, making sure to enunciate. “What was the weirdest thing your Model ever told you?”

Callie reeled at the exaggerated motion of her lips, but she dug her nails into her thigh to keep anchored to reality. She inhaled sharply, trying to clear her head. “Sorry, this,” she pointed at the whiskey, “really went to my head.”

Talia bit the inside of her cheek, but didn’t say anything.

“Uh, weirdest thing? Probably that time it told me it had the intelligence of thirty billion live mattresses.”

Talia threw her head back in laughter. God her throat was alluring – a perfect olive column that Callie felt an irresistible pull to bite.

“What did you do?” Talia asked, eyes sparkling.

“I thought it knew that it took that from a book, so I asked if it knew any live mattresses.”

Talia squinted. “What book was it?”

“Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy. A really old one.”

“I don’t get to read as much as I’d like,” Talia shrugged. “Did it know any?”

“Oh yes. It made up a whole story about its girlfriend, the live mattress.”

“God they’re such liars. I can’t believe we let them engineer anything for us.”

Callie shrugged. “I don’t understand half of what it says just talking to me day-to-day. I can’t imagine trying to understand what it builds.”

“Did you take any science courses at school?”

Callie shook her head. “Nothing more than the basics, anyway.”

“What was your favourite?” Talia was stroking her fingers along Callie’s bicep, as if they were in her bedroom and not an absurdly expensive members-only bar.”

“I liked biology. I couldn’t deal with physics or chemistry. Too much math.

Talia sucked her lip. “I have to confess something.”

Callie lifted her eyebrow, her cortisol started to rise, but Talia was still smiling, so it couldn’t be that bad, could it? Callie played with her fingertips.

“I was a huge engineering nerd in school.” Talia hid her face in her elbow. Callie’s heart nearly exploded.

“I can’t picture it,” she said, face hurting from smiling so much.

“It’s true! I used to spend hours tinkering with Georg’s old junk.”

“And Georg is…?”

“A grandfather of sorts. I don’t really want to get into it right now. It’s not a happy story.” Talia’s face fell and her Opti glinted.

Callie nodded. Whatever spell there was had been broken.

Talia stood, towering over Callie, but her smile had returned. “Listen, I know this wasn’t a date, but I still had a really good time.”

Callie looked up at her with the saddest puppy dog eyes she’d ever seen. Talia drew her finger up her chin and kissed her delicately. Then again, hungrier, until hands were in hair and minutes rather than seconds had passed.

“Damn.” Talia stood with kiss swollen lips and bedroom eyes. “You’re making this difficult.”

Callie blushed and told the flutter between her thighs to calm down.

“I have the early shift tomorrow, but I’d really like to take you out on a proper date.”

Callie’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest and into Talia’s arms. “I’d really like that.”

“Send me your info?” Talia cocked her head.

Callie activated her Opti and sent the details. Talia grinned.

“I’ll message you in the next week, okay?”

Callie nodded.

“Tab’s paid already, right Cam?” Talia gestured toward the mixer who confirmed it.

Callie watched as Talia left, wondering what had just happened. Almost nothing had objectively changed, but it felt like her entire world was different. She thanked the mixer and stepped back out into the cold.

“Need someone to take you home, miss?”

Callie turned around and saw that it was the large man standing in front of the fire door from before.

“Um…”

The man nodded and she saw his Opti flicker. Seconds later a large black car pulled up. The man opened the door and gestured for her to step in.

Callie briefly considered that this might be a kidnapping, but she was already in the building. Wouldn’t they have done it there?

Callie stepped in the vehicle cautiously, heard the door close and sat in silence as the driver took her home. It only occurred to her later that she hadn’t given him her address.