she had a camera set up to point down the street. But it didn’t matter. Sophie couldn’t worry about it. Alex would be leaving soon enough.
“Hello, Sophie,” one of the firefighters called from the doorway of the station. He was with two of the other guys, all of them young and built for playing hero.
“Hi, guys,” she called with a wave.
They all smiled at her, and Sophie blushed, feeling more than a little scandalous after what she’d done yesterday. They thought she was shy, of course. One of them called out, “That’s a pretty dress, Sophie!”
She laughed and let them have their fun. She liked that they thought she was a bashful, conservative girl who was fun to tease but definitely wouldn’t be much fun to take home. It contrasted perfectly with the fact that she was so close to naked in very important ways.
If she ever actually needed rescuing by the fire squad, they’d all be in for a serious shock, especially if it involved hauling her down a ladder.
She was still giggling when she stepped into the library. Compared to her mood the last time she’d worked, today was going to be like a party. She hadn’t made plans to see Alex tonight, but she had a feeling he might text her. This time, he’d had as good a time as she had.
She was smiling at the thought when she spotted Lauren behind the circulation desk and waved. But instead of responding in kind, the smile Lauren had been wearing fell away. She took the books that a young boy was handing her, and she shot a pointed look toward the director’s office. When she looked back to Sophie, Lauren widened her eyes and shook her head. She was obviously trying to convey some sort of alarm, but Sophie couldn’t imagine what. She hadn’t even worked yesterday. What could she possibly have screwed up?
Lauren jerked her head toward the small office they shared behind the circulation desk, so Sophie headed that way to hide out until she could get the scoop. But she hadn’t moved quickly enough. She’d hesitated out of confusion and before she could make it past the director’s office, the door opened and Jean-Marie stepped out.
“Sophie,” she said coolly. “Could I speak with you a moment?”
“Of course!” she answered cheerfully, but she shot Lauren a look of horror over her shoulder. Lauren winced but couldn’t offer any clue. She had to turn back to her patron. Oh, well. Sophie was about to find out what she’d done to inspire a Serious Talk. Her day had suddenly lost its background music of singing birds and tinkling piano notes.
“Sophie,” her director said in a mournful voice. She sounded as if she were personally pained by just the sound of Sophie’s name.
“Yes?”
“In light of the new circumstances, when Merry Kade stops in today I’m going to tell her that I assembled the Providence display in the lobby.”
“The new circumstances?” Sophie asked blankly.
“I know you did the work, but I’m sure you understand why it would be better not to attach your name to it.”
“No, I don’t understand,” she insisted, but as the words left her mouth, a terrible thought struck her. People knew. People knew that she and Alex were sleeping together and it had created a new scandal. Maybe his mother really had put up cameras on the street. Maybe she—
“Don’t you think Merry might take offense?” Jean-Marie had dropped any semblance of concern and now looked only impatient.
“I’m sorry,” Sophie stammered. “I...I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your brother,” Jean-Marie said, her mouth as flat as her words. “Now...” She turned back to her computer, obviously dismissing Sophie. “If you’ll—”
“My brother? I have no idea what you’re talking about. What does he have to do with anything?”
“Honestly, Sophie, if you can’t keep up with your family’s peccadillos, then I don’t know what to say. Your brother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Bishops this
“Hello, Sophie,” one of the firefighters called from the doorway of the station. He was with two of the other guys, all of them young and built for playing hero.
“Hi, guys,” she called with a wave.
They all smiled at her, and Sophie blushed, feeling more than a little scandalous after what she’d done yesterday. They thought she was shy, of course. One of them called out, “That’s a pretty dress, Sophie!”
She laughed and let them have their fun. She liked that they thought she was a bashful, conservative girl who was fun to tease but definitely wouldn’t be much fun to take home. It contrasted perfectly with the fact that she was so close to naked in very important ways.
If she ever actually needed rescuing by the fire squad, they’d all be in for a serious shock, especially if it involved hauling her down a ladder.
She was still giggling when she stepped into the library. Compared to her mood the last time she’d worked, today was going to be like a party. She hadn’t made plans to see Alex tonight, but she had a feeling he might text her. This time, he’d had as good a time as she had.
She was smiling at the thought when she spotted Lauren behind the circulation desk and waved. But instead of responding in kind, the smile Lauren had been wearing fell away. She took the books that a young boy was handing her, and she shot a pointed look toward the director’s office. When she looked back to Sophie, Lauren widened her eyes and shook her head. She was obviously trying to convey some sort of alarm, but Sophie couldn’t imagine what. She hadn’t even worked yesterday. What could she possibly have screwed up?
Lauren jerked her head toward the small office they shared behind the circulation desk, so Sophie headed that way to hide out until she could get the scoop. But she hadn’t moved quickly enough. She’d hesitated out of confusion and before she could make it past the director’s office, the door opened and Jean-Marie stepped out.
“Sophie,” she said coolly. “Could I speak with you a moment?”
“Of course!” she answered cheerfully, but she shot Lauren a look of horror over her shoulder. Lauren winced but couldn’t offer any clue. She had to turn back to her patron. Oh, well. Sophie was about to find out what she’d done to inspire a Serious Talk. Her day had suddenly lost its background music of singing birds and tinkling piano notes.
“Sophie,” her director said in a mournful voice. She sounded as if she were personally pained by just the sound of Sophie’s name.
“Yes?”
“In light of the new circumstances, when Merry Kade stops in today I’m going to tell her that I assembled the Providence display in the lobby.”
“The new circumstances?” Sophie asked blankly.
“I know you did the work, but I’m sure you understand why it would be better not to attach your name to it.”
“No, I don’t understand,” she insisted, but as the words left her mouth, a terrible thought struck her. People knew. People knew that she and Alex were sleeping together and it had created a new scandal. Maybe his mother really had put up cameras on the street. Maybe she—
“Don’t you think Merry might take offense?” Jean-Marie had dropped any semblance of concern and now looked only impatient.
“I’m sorry,” Sophie stammered. “I...I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your brother,” Jean-Marie said, her mouth as flat as her words. “Now...” She turned back to her computer, obviously dismissing Sophie. “If you’ll—”
“My brother? I have no idea what you’re talking about. What does he have to do with anything?”
“Honestly, Sophie, if you can’t keep up with your family’s peccadillos, then I don’t know what to say. Your brother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Bishops this
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