Page 227 of Safe With You

A woman I recognized from the first Open Mic stopped long enough to tell me she brought two coworkers this time. Someone else asked when we were doing the next one.

“I haven’t recovered from this one yet.”

“That means yes,” Naomi called from somewhere behind me.

I turned. “Nobody asked you.”

The woman laughed. “I’ll watch for the announcement.”

“Apparently there’ll be one.”

She waved before heading toward the door.

I shook my head.

Naomi was going to have me hosting these things every month if I wasn’t careful.

“Miss Luna.”

Rachel was waiting a few feet away with her notebook tucked against her chest.

I smiled. “You did good tonight.”

“Better than last time?”

“You were good last time.”

Her expression told me she didn’t believe me.

“You were,” I insisted. “You just looked like you wanted the floor to open up and swallow you afterward.”

She laughed. “I did.”

“And tonight?”

“I only wanted it to swallow me before.”

“Progress.”

“Exactly.”

We laughed, and she looked around the bookstore before her attention came back to me.

“I’m glad you did another one.”

“Me too.”

“I almost talked myself out of coming.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No.” Her fingers moved along the edge of her notebook. “I remembered what you said last time.”

Something warm moved through me.

“Well, I’m glad you came back.”

“Me too.”