Page 27 of The Roommate Subtext

“She spent the night.” Cora was positively crimson.

“Cora! It’s been a week.” She put her hand to her chest. “I’m scandalized.” Teasing her little sister was the best part of having a little sister.

Cora rolled her eyes and finally cracked a grin. “Stop it. Don’t embarrass me.”

Maggie decided to give her a break. “OK, OK. I’ll be on my best behavior.” Vanessa was out of earshot, chatting with the person running the map stand. She was certainly cute. “No stories of you wetting the bed at camp.”

Cora poked her in the ribs. “That was you.”

“But Vanessa doesn’t know that.”

Cora couldn’t retort before Vanessa was back, waving a handful of printed sheets of paper. “I got maps for everyone, in case we split up.” She handed a map to each of them. “I was thinking I wanted to start with dumplings.”

“I like dumplings,” Cora said, her eyes big and soft as she looked at Vanessa. Boy, she was in deep. Maggie could already see how this afternoon was going to go, but she couldn’t be mad about it.

“I think I’m going to get some … falafel.” Maggie gestured vaguely behind her. “We can meet up after.”

“Great.” Vanessa was already heading off to the dumplings cart, hair blowing in the wind, Cora leaning into her as though drawn by a magnet. It was a beautiful day, and if her sister was happy, there were worse places to be left behind. She and Cora could catch up another time.

The falafel line snaked its way through the park and she had time to scan the crowds while waiting. There was nothing like a food truck event to bring in people from all over the city: young professionals, older couples, families, the college-aged crowd. Kids chased each other through the lines, sometimes followed by a beleaguered parent, sometimes unaccompanied, either old enough to wander alone or having escaped from supervision. The beer stalls had some of the longest lines of all, mostly youngish guys living up to their own stereotype.

She placed her order and waited with the rest of the throng, continuing to people-watch. Then, a familiar face emerged from the crowd: Blake was here, smiling and nodding in conversation with two men about the same age walking hand-in-hand. “Blake!” she called. When Blake spotted her, his face lit up, an expression of genuine happiness as though he didn’t see her every day.

Blake led introductions. “Andrew, Zane, this is my roommate, Maggie. Maggie, this is my friend Andrew and his boyfriend, Zane.”

Handshakes all around. Andrew was an inch or so shorter than Blake, with short, wavy auburn hair and skin so pale he must have to wear a gallon of sunscreen. Zane was a few inches taller than all of them, with medium-brown skin and short black curly hair. He wore wire-framed glasses and gave her a shy smile. “Nice to meet you,” he said.

“Blake’s talked a lot about you,” Andrew added. “He said he thought we might run into you here.”

“Can’t miss the food trucks.” Maggie spread her hands wide, taking in the whole scene.

Blake looked around. “What happened to your sister?”

“She brought a date and they’re off getting dumplings.” She pointed. “That’s them at the front of the line.”

“Ooh, dumplings sound good.” Zane raised his eyebrows at Andrew. “Want to get some?”

Andrew glanced from Zane to Blake. “Blake?”

Blake waved them off. “I’m going to get some of the lamb and rice at this halal cart.”

“Nice to meet you, Maggie!” Andrew called as he and Zane walked away, the two waving while staying shoulder to shoulder.

Maggie’s number came up and her falafel wrap arrived in a white paper sleeve, along with a can of Coke already perspiring. “Lamb and rice?” she asked, following Blake absent-mindedly to the next cart over.

“Short line. I don’t feel like dumplings.” He glanced at her, up and down, and if it weren’t Blake, she’d swear he was checking her out. Maybe he was. She’d gone the “cute but comfortable” route for today, pairing dark jeans with a loose orange linen blouse, and Blake’s eyes definitely lingered on her neckline before he looked away and cleared his throat. “You don’t have to wait with me,” he said.

“C’mon, we’re both third wheels. We should stick together.” She nudged him with her elbow and tucked the can of Coke into her purse. “But I’m not waiting to eat.”

Blake smiled. “No, I wouldn’t expect you to.”

Fortunately, a falafel wrap was easy to eat while standing up. God, this was good. She didn’t order falafel nearly enough and the texture was perfect, the yogurt-based sauce delicious, and it wasn’t until Blake had been staring at her for a while that she realized she’d been making happy eating noises.

“What?” She made a face. “It’s good.”

“Clearly.” Blake wasn’t even hiding his amusement. “As good as the risotto the other night?”

That risotto had been phenomenal. “Good in a different way. Like, I couldn’t eat that risotto standing up in a food truck line.”