Page 42 of Josephine and Clay

I drag a hand down over my mouth, staring at the screen.

Clay: Trying how hard?

Josie: Hard enough to be annoyed that I’m failing.

Clay: Good girl.

Her answer takes a while.

Josie: You cannot just type things like that.

I grin.

Clay: Looks like I just did.

Josie: You’re lucky texting can’t kill.

Clay: You’d miss me.

Josie: That remains unproven.

Clay: Then prove me wrong.

Josie: How?

Clay: Stop answering.

Nothing.

Five seconds. Ten.

Then…

Josie: That was manipulative.

I laugh softly.

Clay: And yet…

Josie: And yet.

There’s heat in my blood now, sharpened by the ride and the whiskey and the fact that she keeps coming back. I swing my legs fully onto the bed and settle deeper against the headboard.

Clay: Tell me what you’d do if I was there.

The pause that follows is different.

Josie: Depends what version of you showed up.

Clay: There’s more than one?

Josie: Yes. There’s smug bar version. There’s annoyingly observant version. There’s the one who thinks he’s funnier than he is.

Clay: I am funny.

Josie: Focus, Clay.

I smile.