141
" She nodded, but her expression slowly turned funny. “Before I forget, why didn’t you tell me about Tall, Silver, and Handsome?”
I burst out laughing. “He is handsome, huh?”
She whispered, “How old is he?”
“I think early forties.”
Yuki whistled. “What is he? Six-four? Two-forty?”
“Why are you so creepy? You’re always measuring people.”
“I have to when we’re hiring bodyguards. Bigger isn’t always better… but most of the time it is.”
It was my turn to wiggle my eyebrows at her. “I wish. I mess with him all the time, and I don’t think he likes me much unless he’s in a good mood.”
My friend frowned. “How could he not like you? If I was sexually attracted to women, I would be attracted to you.”
“You say the nicest things, Yu.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “It’s true. "
― Mariana Zapata , All Rhodes Lead Here
145
" It was Am who held up his hand in a stopping motion and said, “Jackie, don’t freak out—”
And that’s when she stopped walking, the smile she’d had on her face dropping like a damn fly as her gaze landed on the person sitting next to me.
She fell over like a fucking tree.
So hard it was a miracle her skull didn’t smack against the concrete foundation as she passed out.
“Told you,” Am muttered as we all rushed over, crouching beside her just as her eyes shot open and she screeched.
“I’m fine! I’m fine!”
“Are you all right?” Yuki asked, kneeling beside her.
Jackie’s eyes went wide again, and her face went just as pale as Amos’s had earlier when I’d told him that we were going to recruit Yuki into helping today. “Oh my God, it’s you!” she shouted with another gasp.
“Hi.”
Hi. I almost burst out laughing. “Jackie, are you okay?”
Jackie’s eyes filled with tears, and I realized Amos and I were invisible now. “Oh my God, it’s you.”
My friend didn’t even hesitate; she scooted forward on her knees. “Would you like a hug?”
Jackie’s eyes were full of tears as she nodded frantically.
“I didn’t look like that, did I?” Amos whispered at my side as the woman and the teenager hugged and even more tears spilled out of Jackie’s eyes.
She was sobbing. Jackie was flat-out sobbing.
“Almost.” I met his eyes and grinned.
He gave me a flat look that reminded me way too much of his dad. I laughed. "
― Mariana Zapata , All Rhodes Lead Here
158
" I happened to look over and found Amos leaning against the counter, looking way too introspective.
“What?” I asked him, popping the tab on my own soda and taking a sip.
The boy shook his head.
“You can tell me anything, Little Sting, and I can tell you want to.”
That seemed to be enough for him. “Are you flirting with my dad?” he straight-up asked.
I almost spit the soda out. “No…?”
He blinked. “No?”
“Maybe?”
Amos raised an eyebrow.
It was my turn to blink. “Yes, okay. Yes. But I flirt with everyone. Men and women. Children. You should see me around pets. I used to have a fish, and I sweet-talked her too. Her name was Gretchen Wiener. I miss her.” She had passed away a few years ago, but I still thought about her from time to time. She’d been a good travel companion. Not fussy at all.
That had the teenager’s cheeks going puffy for a second.
He fucking liked me. I knew it.
“Does it bother you if I flirt with your dad?” I paused. “Would it bother you if I liked him?” That wasn’t the best word to describe it, but it was the simplest.
That got him to scoff. “No! I’m sixteen not five.”
“But you’re still his wittle baby, Am. And my feelings won’t be hurt”—that was a lie, they would be—“if you weren’t okay with it. You’re my friend too. Just like your dad. I don’t want to make things weird.”
The kid gave me a disgusted expression that made me laugh. “I don’t care. We already talked about it anyway.”
“You did? "
― Mariana Zapata , All Rhodes Lead Here
