Page 232 of Safe With You

The bell chimed behind them.

Ellis reached for another chair as Mila came over and slipped her hand into mine.

“Can I help?”

“You can.”

“What do I do?”

I looked around at what was left.

“Grab the programs off the chairs for me.”

“All of them?”

“All of them.”

She released my hand and got to work.

For the next several minutes, the four of us fell into an easy rhythm. Naomi handled the trash and leftover refreshments while Ellis and I straightened chairs. Mila collected programs one by one, stopping every few minutes to show me how tall her stack had gotten.

Eventually, Naomi disappears into the office.

That leaves Ellis, Mila, and me.

When I straighten from moving the last chair and find Mila sitting on the edge of the stage while Ellis packs away one of his lenses, something about the picture makes me pause.

“Miss Luna?”

I looked at her. “Hmm?”

“Are you coming to dinner with us?”

Ellis looked up.

So did I.

“Dinner?”

“I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Ellis said.

“I know.”

I laughed.

He zipped his camera bag and stood.

“We can grab something on the way home.”

Mila looked at me. “You can come.”

My eyes met Ellis’s, but he didn’t jump in or turn Mila’s invitation into his. He simply let me decide.

I glanced toward the office. I still had closing to finish, and any other night, that would be enough reason to say no.

That night, I found myself wishing it wasn’t.