Page 25 of Blue Line

Finally, the elevator stops, and the doors open slowly. Hadley gets out, pulling her bags with her. We make it down the short hallway to my apartment, and it only takes a few seconds for me to find the key and let us in.

She takes in the row of shoes by the door as she steps inside. I incline my chin, hoping she understands that it’s the signal for Yes, please, leave your shoes at the door, and don’t traipse through my clean apartment with nasty outdoor footwear. She gets the message, because she toes off her sneakers before wheeling her bags further into the apartment.

“Do you want a tour first? Or …” I ask.

“Bathroom, please.”

“Down the hall. Door on the left. Guest bedroom is on the right.”

She all but sprints in the direction I pointed.

I can’t help but chuckle as I slip off my sneakers and grab her tote and camera bag from where she dumped them by the door. I carry them into the kitchen and set them on the island. I flip through the mail my housekeeper collected while I was gone, noting it’s mostly garbage, before going to the fridge to see what our options are for dinner. Not much. I’m sure there’s something in the freezer I could thaw out quickly and make, but who wants to cook after a day of flying? I most certainly don’t.

“Phew, thank you,” Hadley says from behind me, and I turn to face her, resting a hip against the counter.

“Want to order takeout or go pick something up?”

She tilts her head, studying me. “Can we go to the taco place Hunter introduced Holt to?”

I grin. “Can do. How about I show you your room, and we can put your suitcases in there so they’re out of the way. I’ll run you over to Holt’s tomorrow so you can pick up his SUV.” He insisted Hadley drive his G-Wagon while he’s out of town. I would have bought her a car to drive for the summer, but he beat me to it, offering her his SUV.

“Okay.” She yawns, then grabs her tote bag and camera case.

A few minutes later, after our suitcases have been put in our bedrooms out of the way, I grab the keys to my Jeep so we can go get tacos. I would have preferred to unpack and shower before we went to get food, but the way Hadley keeps yawning, I’m afraid she’ll fall asleep if given the chance, so I figure we should probably eat first.

I sneak a few peeks at Hadley on the short drive to Locos Tacos. Each time I look over, she’s staring intently out her window, and I can’t get a read on her.

“You alright?” I finally ask. “Regretting your decision to agree to this?”

“No, not at all. Just tired. Traveling always makes me so sleepy.”

“Same. And I can never sleep on a flight. No matter how long it is.”

“I fall asleep for maybe five minutes before I startle myself awake. Even in the first-class seats, which were super nice by the way, I couldn’t get comfortable.”

“Me too.”

I’m able to find parking in the dirt lot behind the restaurant, and shockingly, the line is short. Must be my lucky day. Maybe I should go buy a lotto ticket.

When we reach the door, I grab two paper menus from the holder and hand one to Hadley.

“What are you getting?” she asks.

I skim the menu before saying, “Three tacos. One beef, one steak, and one chicken. With the works. You?”

“Chicken tacos.”

“Wanna share chips and guacamole?”

“Share? With you? Do you even know how to do that?” she asks with a laugh.

Before I can answer her, it’s our turn, and I step up to the counter and put in our order.

“Chips and guac?” I ask her again.

“Only if you think you can share with me,” she sasses.

I shake my head as I move down to the cashier and order chips and guacamole. Hadley comes up behind me and pulls out her wallet.