Page 80 of Hunt Me

Archie peers over at me, and I give him a look, one that saysSee what you did?But he doesn’t quite get what I’m trying to convey and instead looks over at the menu.

‘We met at the graveyard,’ Archie answers, half his attention on the food options.

Mellie’s grin gets wider. ‘Which one?’

‘The Presbyterian one.’

Eyes wide, Mellie glances at me for a second, then looks back at Archie. ‘That’s a weird place to meet. Why there?’

I make a face but answer as honestly as I can without giving him any real details that might put him in danger. ‘We just ran into each other there.’

‘And then you started to fuck?’ He signs this low so the people behind us can’t see. If any of them are my students, I will die. ‘And why do you have a bruise on your neck?’

I touch the spot gingerly and then add, ‘We can discuss this more later.’

‘He’s not hurting you, right?’

‘No!’ I snap and then shake my head. ‘No. But there’s a line, and I don’t want any nosy students seeing what I’m going to say, so can we just order and discuss this over a beer sometime?’

He looks unsure, wanting to know everything right now, but eventually nods. ‘Yeah, fine. What you want?’

Archie lifts his hands. ‘Turkey, white bread. No mayo. Plain.’

Mellie arches his eyebrow, probably wondering why he’s ordering something so simple when the choices on the menu are abundant, but he says nothing and then turns his gaze to me.

‘Just give me the Chef Special.’

‘The Holy Melt?’

I let out a small laugh. ‘Yeah, whatever that is, I’ll take it.’

Mellie gives us a salute and then gets to work, waving me off when I attempt to pay. Archie stares at me long and hard after that.

‘Why don’t you have to pay? Have you two fucked?’

I roll my eyes. ‘No. Never. Not interested. Despite what you may think of me, I don’t go around fucking everyone. We’re just friends.’

‘I don’t think you fuck everyone. I think you’re pretty, and it wouldn’t surprise me if you’ve had relationships with other pretty people.’

That makes my heart pitter-patter. ‘Thank you, but I prefer to keep that pretty person as my friend. And plus, he owes me. One time when I was in the Bay Area, I found a large wheel of cheese and brought it home for him. Do you know how much I had to pay for an overweight bag to get that home on a plane?’

‘What kind?’

‘Parmesan.’

He shudders. ‘I don’t like Parmesan.’

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like all kinds of cheese, but then again, Archie is different, and I like his kind of different. Even when he tells Mellie about how we’re fucking. I could go forever without that nosy bitch knowing that about me.

I turn a little, blocking everyone out, and lower my hands. ‘Next time, please keep our…personal life personal.’

He blinks at me and then nods. ‘Okay. Are you upset with me?’

I shake my head and step a little closer to him. Not too close, but enough that I can smell the clean scent of him and feel the warmth coming off his skin. ‘No, I’m not mad. I’m actually really glad you’re here.’

His eyes soften, and his fingers brush my waist. ‘Same.’

‘I feel safe.’