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“Do I need to go have a talk with Poe?”
“No, no. It wasn’t anything he did. Just some fair points he brought up about Chronos. And my mom.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No. Not yet. But Dune? Thanks.”
Instead of meeting my eyes, she leaned over my desk and looked at the small corkboard Emerson had filled with pictures as a going-away present. “Ever wish you’d stayed there, in Ivy Springs?”
ldn’t accuse Dune of lying to me, because I’d never asked where he lived. He’d told me he’d met Poe, even that he’d talked to him about me. I wondered what exactly Poe had told Dune about us, but then dismissed the worry. Poe didn’t kiss and tell.
Dune was eyeing me, waiting for an explosion of anger.
“I’m not mad. Mad is a waste of energy. I wanted to go to your place to see it, to draw out my time with you, but Poe and I have some things to discuss. Namely, what the hell he was thinking when he threw in with my mother. How’s that going to sit with you?”
“Fine.” He rocked back on his heels. “I have some ideas about drawing out my time with you, too.”
The statement should’ve sounded sexy, but instead, it was serious.
“Okay. Let’s get it done, then.”
The Garden District went by in a slow and beautiful blur. I was usually thinking too hard about the job I was about to do to appreciate the view.
I followed Dune into a classy lobby. Black-and-white-checked floor. Fancy lighting. A shiny-faced girl sitting at a desk in the office smiled at him, all wide-eyed and hopeful.
“Hi, Dune!” Cheery, too. Probably one of those genuinely sweet girls who had lots of friends.
“Hey.” He waved and smiled back.
Jealousy roared to life, and I stepped into her line of vision.
The smile faded when she saw me. She was cute enough that I wanted to do something outrageous, like smack him on the ass or put my hand in his back pants pocket, just to make sure she was clear about where things stood.
“Her name is Jodi.” He leaned over to whisper in my ear as we stepped into the elevator. “She’s here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And she’s not you, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.”
If Jodi had access to the camera view of the elevator, she got a good eyeful for the next thirty seconds.
Dune looked a little dazed when we exited. “Jealous Hallie is … I don’t even have words.”
“You’re welcome.”
He grinned and slid the key card into the slot, then took my hand and stepped into the apartment. Poe was on the couch.
“Long time no see,” I said.
Poe was more than a little surprised, meaning Dune hadn’t given him a heads-up, which meant Dune’s loyalty was to me. I liked it.
“Hallie.” He stared at our joined hands.
“That’s what they call me.” I didn’t let go of Dune. I knew where my affections fell, and I wanted to make sure Dune knew, too. Even though jealous kissing was maybe my new favorite thing ever, and I wouldn’t mind being on the receiving end of it.
Poe got right to it. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m going to need a lot more than an apology.”
“We have a lot to talk about,” Poe agreed.
I turned to Dune. “Do you mind?”
