Page 135 of Just One More Thing

He looks at Mo. Looks at me. Looks at Hank. Then back at me. “I’m good,” I tell him before he can ask.

He nods once and claps my shoulder. “Thought so.”

Then he looks at Mo. “Later, Emory.”

“Later, Charlie.”

Psskt.

I glance down at my phone.

Wayne: The body language

Wayne: The post coital ease

Wayne: The no space bubble

Wayne: The radiance

I immediately start scanning The Point. “What are you looking for?” Mo asks.

“Trying to see if Wayne’s lurking in the bushes somewhere.”

Psskt.

Ryan: Please don’t say post-coital.

Wayne: I will not apologize for documenting history

Ryan: Jake, you good?

Where are you, Wayne? Ryan I’m great.

Ryan: Good.

Wayne: Training room

Why are you describing our body language?

Wayne: Gladys posted a video in the town group chat

“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter.

“What?”

“I was wondering how Wayne and Ryan knew and got a basket to us so early.” I slide my phone back into my pocket. “Mystery solved. Wayne’s in the town group chat.”

“Joy.”

We walk into Holey Moley and hit a wall of people. “Now we know why The Point was so quiet,” I whisper to Mo.

Maddy’s on a stool with her cast propped out in front of her. Miss Hattie’s somehow beside her despite last seeing her heading for The Green. Mrs. Kravitz is there too. Frank. Humphrey in his usual corner. Three women who claim gossip is “the devil’s radio” while actively leaning closer to hear better.

Maddy looks at me. Looks at Mo. Looks at our joined hands. Then she smiles. “Well.” She smiles. “Finally.”

The bakery murmurs in approval like a town council passing a charter amendment.

Mo lets go of my hand and plants it on her hip. “I’m thirty years old and I stayed the night at Jake’s, and it does not need to become a community event.”