Page 28

“Bye, Noah.”

Avery approached her as soon as Noah was out of sight. “Was that your boyfriend?”

“No,” Claire told her.

“Brother?”

“No.”

Avery waited. Claire sighed. “He’s my neighbor. I guess we’re friends.”

Avery looked at her like she didn’t believe her. “Okay. Your neighbor just brought you Chinese food.”

“Yes.”

“The same neighbor who brings you that iced coffee you have every morning.”

“Yes.”

“You hugged him.”

Claire froze. “You saw that?”

“The whole office saw that.”

Claire glanced around and caught one of the designers quickly looking away. She groaned. “It wasn’t a thing.”

Avery smiled. “I didn’t say it was.” She paused. “But if it ever becomes a thing.”

“It won’t.”

“Okay. I’m still rooting for him.”

Claire shook her head and Avery went back to her desk. She sat at her desk and ate her lunch.

For the rest of the day, she could not wipe the smile off her face.

Noah brought her lunch. And she hugged him. And he winked at her.

But none of that was why she was smiling like an idiot the rest of the day.

No. She was smiling because that chicken was so dang good.

And maybe a little because of Noah. Only because bringing her lunch had been nice.

Not because it had been Noah specifically.

That evening, Claire approached her apartment. Biscuit was waiting outside her door. He seemed to do that a lot. He started barking and Noah came out of his apartment. Biscuit ignored Noah and came straight to Claire.

“You know,” Noah started, “I’m starting to feel like the third wheel in this relationship.”

“This isn’t a relationship,” Claire replied too fast.

“I was talking about me and Biscuit.”

“I knew that.”

No, she didn’t.