tossing in a “Please.” She did as I said, and I grimaced. “Lucille?” I whispered, leaning in closer to her, my mouth inches away from her ear.
“Yes, Graham Cracker?”
“There’s vomit all over your back.”
“What?!” she exclaimed, twisting around in circles, trying to view the back of her sundress, which was covered in Talon’s spit-up. “Oh my God,” she groaned.
“It’s in your hair, too.”
“Oh, fuck me backward.” She realized her words and covered her mouth. “Sorry, I mean, oh crap. I was just hoping to not go back into the real world covered in vomit.”
I almost laughed again. “You can use my shower, and I can loan you some clothes while I toss this into the washer.”
She smiled, something she did quite often. “Is that your sly way of asking me to stay to help with Talon for a few more hours?”
“No,” I said harshly, offended by her comment. “That’s ridiculous.”
Her grin dropped and she laughed. “I’m just kidding, Graham. Don’t take everything so seriously. Loosen up a little. But, yes, if it’s okay, I’d love to take you up on your offer. This is my lucky dress.”
“It can’t be that lucky if it has vomit on it. Your definition of luck is off.”
“Wow.” Lucy whistled, shaking her head. “Your charm is almost sickening,” she mocked.
“I didn’t mean it in…” My words died off, and even though she kept smiling, I saw the small tremble in her bottom lip. I’d offended her. Of course I’d offended her—not on purpose, but still, it had happened. I shifted around before standing taller. I should’ve said more, but no words came to mind.
“I think I’ll head home to wash it,” she said, her voice lowering as she reached for her purse.
I nodded in understanding; I wouldn’t want to stay near me either.
As she walked outside, I spoke. “I’m bad with words.”
She turned around and shook her head. “No, I’ve read your books, and you’re great with words—almost too good. What you lack are people skills.”
“I live in my head a lot. I don’t interact with people very often.”
“What about my sister?”
“We didn’t speak much.”
Lucy laughed. “That makes for a hard relationship, I’m sure.”
“We were close enough to being content.”
Her head shook back and forth, and her eyes narrowed. “No one in love should ever be anything less than content.”
“Who ever said anything about love?” I replied. The sadness that flooded her stare made me shift.
When she blinked, the sadness was gone. I appreciated the way she didn’t live too long in the emotion. “You know what will help your people skills?” she asked. “Smiling.”
“I do smile.”
“No.” She laughed. “You frown. You scowl. You grimace. That’s about it. I haven’t seen you smile once.”
“When I encounter a valid reason to do so, I’ll be sure to notify you. By the way, I am sorry, you know—for offending you. I-I know I can come off as somewhat cold.”
“Understatement of the year.” She laughed.
“I know I don’t say much, and what I do say is normally the wrong thing, so I apologize for offending you. You’ve been nothing but giving to Talon and me, which is why I’m a bit thrown off. I’m not used to people giving just to…give.”
“Graham—”
“Wait, let me finish before I say something else to ruin it all. I just wanted to say thank you for today, and for the hospital visits. I know I’m not easy to deal with, but the fact that you still helped means more to me than you’ll ever know.”
“You’re welcome.” She bit her bottom lip and groaned as she muttered the word maktub repeatedly before she spoke to me again. “Listen, I might really, really end up regretting this, but if you want, I can stop by early mornings before work, and I can come help afterward. I know at some point you’ll have to get back to writing your next bestseller, and I can watch her as you write.”
“I…I can pay you for your services.”
“It’s not services, Graham, it’s help, and I don’t need your money.”
“I’d feel better if I paid you.”
“And I’d feel better if you didn’t. Seriously. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”
“Thank you, and, Lucille?”
She raised an eyebrow, waiting for my comment.
“That’s a very nice dress.”
She slightly twirled on her tiptoes. “Vomit and all?”
“Vomit and all.”
Her head lowered for a moment before she looked back toward me. “You’re both hot and cold all at once, and I cannot for the life of me figure you out. I don’t know how to