Wrong Quarterback | ✓

4 | of fiction and city guides

"We'll make room. It'll be fun!" Luke's voice picks up pace. "We'd make it fun – like go play adventure golf at the place where Caia works. Embarrass her and the lot."

"Because playing games with you is fun," Avery jokes, stopping again to pick another book up. She skims the back before putting it back. Then, quite pointedly, she says. "I have a job."

"Right," Luke stays silent for a bit and she hears a collective murmur of voices on his end of the line, followed by the sound of what could be a door closing. His voice is more distant, as if picked up by the wind when he speaks again, "How's that going?"

"It's really fun! I get to read a lot."

"And yet you spend your free afternoon in a bookstore."

"Not just a bookstore, I've been to Beans & Bagels and I'm–" Upon spotting a familiar face Avery smiles in passing. "Hi."

"Who was that?"

"Just Chase."

"Lea's Chase?"

Her brows knit together. She's not sure the best way to refer to Lea's latest ex boyfriend – or well, ex-fling might be more suitable – is by still putting her name before his, especially when Luke could've easily referred to the fact that he goes to their school. Even more so Chase plays on the same team as Luke but knowing there are probably several underlying reasons as to why he mentioned the girl she goes with it anyways.

"Uh huh."

"How are they anyway?"

"Who? Lea and Callie?" Avery continues over to the next section, met with the sight of Hillary Rodham Clinton's latest biography stood on a small easel in the center of a table. How ironic. "Busy. Learning the ropes to become the leaders of tomorrow or something like that. Why, haven't you heard from them?"

"Not much besides the group chat. As you said – busy."

"Yeah," She hears a loud echoing sound, as if someone just dropped an armful of pots to the floor, followed by someone exclaiming a row of swear words on his end of the call. "What was that?"

"Honestly, I don't even want to know," Luke's tone is tired but picks up beat with his next words. "Tell me you're doing something other than spending all your time around books."

"What's wrong with books?"

"Ave."

"No i do not spend all my time around books. I'm spending plenty of time with mom. And my colleagues – though it's just Anna and Violet right now. They're both really nice. I run a lot," On second thought she adds, "And I've gone swimming!"

Not that she would count the one time she's been into the ocean the past weeks as swimming but it's close enough.

"Ave."

She pauses, holding her phone between her shoulder and ear while reaching her hand out for another paperback. "It's not my fault you left me all alone here! I thought we'd been over this already."

"Have you interacted with anyone you're not on the same payroll as?" Luke asks. "Sarah doesn't count."

She pauses. Ethan Taylor, actually. Yeah, as if she'd ever unleash that hell. "Not really, no."

It takes a moment or two before Luke answers her and before he does she hers him mumble – or rather grunt – something to someone on his end. "I have to go."

"Oh, okay."

"Go out. Talk to people."

"I do talk to people!" Avery whips her head over her shoulder to make sure no one's around – not having meant the words to come out quite as loud as they did.