The guilt was sharp in the center of my chest, like someone was driving a spike straight into my sternum.
“I know you two don’t really get along, but, he’s a really great—”
“Stop.”
Her mouth snapped shut and she nodded. “Sorry.”
“I need to deal with this my way.” And my way was not dealing with it. “Can you let me do that?”
She nodded. “Sure, I can do that.”
32
Sabrina
“Do you want to grab some food?” Zara looped her arm through mine and stalked us toward the food court without me responding.
I laughed, trying to keep up. “I take it you’re hungry?”
“Do you remember the hyenas at the end of The Lion King? Like that, but hungrier. That croissant sandwich this morning was not enough.”
“Seems like you’ve been busy.”
“Waverly Hotels has acquired a new chain of boutique hotels in Vienna and Tuscany. Their design teams are here, and I wanted to be in the mix while everyone worked to learn as much as I could.” She held up a notebook with colorful sticky tabs jutting out. “They’ll be back at it in forty-five minutes, so this’ll be the only chance I get to eat until after seven. How’s it been for you?” She glanced over as we hustled past all the other attendees wandering through the convention space.
“All my samples have been claimed. And the QR code idea you suggested has already gotten thirty views.” I was scared to believe it was all coming together. Arriving at the expo, I’d expected an unmitigated disaster, but this might work. After all the work I’d put in and the years of rejection, this might finally be the moment, and I was scared to hope it might be possible.
“That’s amazing! I’m so happy you were able to come.”
“Thank you for getting me the ticket. It hasn’t hurt having the Waverly name on my badge when I try to strike up conversations with the buyers.”
“No thanks required. The ticket was going to go to waste. Anytime I can help out, just let me know and I’ll see if I can.” She craned her neck, scoping out the food options. “How averse are you to the cold?”
I followed her gaze to the food trucks lining the street outside the convention center doors.
“This food truck is supposed to be so good, and according to their social media, we’ve got ten minutes before they leave. I told Leo he needs to add them to his catering list, so technically this is recon work and not me wanting to stuff my face with delicious seafood.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice. I’m game.”
Outside, I shoved my hands into my sleeves and ducked my head, following after Zara. My breath hung in the air in front of my face, and my cheeks stung from the cold. Going from a hot, stuffy convention center to the December afternoon wind blast chilled the sweat that had gathered on my skin. I’d be shaking ice cubes out of my bra once we got back inside.
Zara glanced over her shoulder. “Are you using me to block the wind?”
I held onto the back of her blazer. “You’re the one who wanted to come outside.”
The two of us huddled up in front of the trucks, thankful there wasn’t a line.
At the food truck serving lobster rolls, I ordered the hot buttered lobster on a warm toasted bun and their special seasoning, a side of chips, and a pickle. My stomach rumbled for some seafood goodness.
By the time they called our number, I was no longer able to feel my fingers.
We rushed back inside and found a recently vacated table.
The tender buttered meat melted in my mouth. “Okay, this was worth it.”
Zara finished before I did, dragging her pickle though the leftover butter in the bottom of her platter, which made me feel less self-conscious about doing it myself.
“Will they be here tomorrow?”
“God, I hope so.” She stared out the doors where the food truck had been parked but was now gone. “I’ll check their social to see if they’ve posted their route for tomorrow. I swear, I could eat five of those.”
“That butter sauce was creamy and tangy at the same time.”
“Right? I want to drink it.”
She was my kind of dinner date.
The overhead speakers that hadn’t been used all day clicked on.
“Excuse me, sorry for the interruption, but we have a lost child at the information desk.” It was a deep male voice.
Everyone around us looked up at the speakers broadcasting the announcement.
“A lost child belonging to Sabrina Mason. If Sabrina Mason could come to the Information Desk immediately.”
Zara’s head whipped around toward me, her eyes bigger than they had been when she spied the lobster roll truck.
“You have a kid?”
“No.” I threw down my napkin into the empty plastic clamshell container. “Maybe it’s a different Sabrina Mason?”
“Sabrina Mason from Flagstaff, Arizona.”
I scrambled to grab my empty containers and rushed from the table, throwing my trash away. There was only one person who could cause this kind of mayhem in my life with a single announcement. I was giddy and also the tiniest bit afraid of what she had in store for me.
“Wait up.”
I didn’t stop for Zara. God knew what other information would come booming over the loudspeaker next.
Resisting the urge to hide my face with my hand, I made a beeline toward the Information Desk sign hanging high above the booths laid out in a grid across the convention center floor.
The sweat that had cooled outside was back, and my feet slid in my shoes. I rounded the end of the row of booths and raced for the desk.
Perched on the edge of it with a dopey-eyed security guard between her legs was the one person I never knew if I wanted to strangle or hug. Sometimes it was both.
“Cat!”
She dropped her head back and peered over her shoulder. “There she is.” Leaning back, she fan-kicked her legs from around the security guard and spun on the desk like she’d done it a million times.
“You’re finally here!” She rushed forward and plowed into me, nearly knocking my feet off the ground. Her arms wrapped around me, squeezing tight and rocking us back and forth. Whether we’d been apart for a day or a year, her hugs were always the same, and always showed how much she cared.
Shaking my head, I hugged her back. “I thought we were meeting at six.”
She let go. “I finished early, so I thought I’d swing by and check out the legendary expo.”
“And the announcement.” I pointed to the desk and guard, who still had the lovestruck look in his eyes. The poor guy didn’t stand a chance. Whether she gave him her number or not, brought him back to the hotel room or not, guys always looked at her the same way no matter how much time they got with her, because that time always came to an end.
“You know I love to make an entrance.” She raised her hands and froze in a model pose with her gaze lifted to the exposed-girder ceiling in a perfect silhouette. “Plus, I didn’t feel like tracking you down in this place.” Her eyes glittered with mischievousness.
I waved my phone in front of her. “That’s what texting is for.”