Page 113 of Throwing Shade
“Not remotely. I’ll connect you with my friend Max. Cantankerous bastard, but if anyone can help, it’s him, even though he’s an Ohrist.”
“I appreciate it.”
“My pleasure. After all, it would be a shame to lose such a talented artist as Judith.”
I dropped my spoon, splatting yogurt onto the table. “How did you know it’s her?”
“People like to tell me things,” Tatiana said.
Had Laurent filled her in? Was meeting Tatiana some con? I ripped off a handful of paper towels and mopped up the spill. No, I was being ridiculous. Laurent had warned me away from her. And what could either of them possibly want from me anyway, other than my ability to save the enthralled, which Laurent had been pretty upfront about?
I tossed the paper towel in the trash and exhaled. Perhaps I was getting paranoid, but why did Tatiana feign ignorance when she was plugged in to the precise situation?
“Miriam,” Tatiana said. “Should I connect you with Max?”
Was this my out? My last chance to walk away and not get caught up in whatever game she was playing? I rubbed a hand over my neck. “Please.”
“He’s working now, but I’ll arrange a time for you to meet later today.”
“Wait. Do you know if Mr. BatKian found Kirk yet?”
“My understanding is they are on top of the situation.” Tatiana disconnected.
“Goodbye to you, too.”
There was a knock on the kitchen door and I jumped.
Eli waved at me through the glass.
I unlocked the door and moved aside so he could enter. “Coffee?”
“No, thanks.” He loosened his tie with a happy sigh. “You must be relieved.”
I stared at him blankly.
“Jude’s back.”
“Right. Yes.” I tapped my head. “Super fuzzy. Didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Come for dinner tonight with the spawn and me,” he said. “Chris will be there and he said he’d swing by the cheesecake place and get the one with extra strawberries.”
My smile was more of a grimace, the memory of strawberry-capped gnomes and Laurent’s inert body flashing up. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I’m going to spend time with Jude. Rain check?”
Good. Sadie and Eli would be together at home.
Eli grimaced. “Wellll…”
I smacked him. “Another one? You have the attention span of a gnat.”
“I tried, Mir, but the man hates hockey. Considering his stick handling skill, you think he’d be a fan.”
“And yet I wasn’t either. You sad, sweet optimist.” I got the vacuum cleaner out of the broom cupboard next to the fridge.
“I’m a true romantic,” Eli said. Off my snort, he shot me a superior look. “What? I’ll feed Chris first and our uncoupling will be done with such charm that he’ll leave happier for having lost me than if he’d never had me at all. As you did.”
“Dream on. Also, you didn’t make me bring you dessert when you broke up with me.”
“Had I known that was an option, I would have,” he said, closing the cupboard door. “Sades didn’t like him anyway.”
