“Hey, it’s my job.”
I take a nibble of my sandwich. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Do I… ever remember Graham?”
Camila considers my question as she takes another bite of her turkey sandwich. She chews for what seems like an eternity. “Honestly? Almost never. Usually, you wake up thinking it’s about seven years ago.”
“Oh… That must be hard on him.”
She runs her tongue over her teeth. “The hardest part is when you talk about that guy Harry a lot.”
“He… Harry was my fiancé. I mean, before…”
“Yeah. I know.”
I look into her big, brown eyes. What is the deal with those eyelashes? Does she have eyelash implants? “Do you know why we broke up?”
“I don’t know.” For the first time since I met her, Camila averts her eyes from mine. “Sorry, Tess.”
I can’t ignore the feeling that she’s lying to me. But there’s not much I can do. “It’s okay.”
“I know how hard this is.” She reaches out and places her hand on mine. Her palm is rough, which is a contrast with the silky smooth appearance of her skin. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to wake up and not know anyone around you. I mean, you must wonder if you can trust us.”
“A little,” I admit.
Camila thinks about it for a second, then she reaches for her purse, which is lying on the back of her chair. She rifles around until she comes up with her cell phone. It looks identical to mine, even though I am apparently very rich and Camila can’t be nearly as affluent. Maybe these iPhones are more common than they used to be.
She messes with her phone for a few seconds, then she slides it across the table to me. The screen features a color photograph—a picture of me and Camila, which looks like she took it while holding the phone in the air. Her arm is slung around my shoulders, and we’re both smiling. And I look…
Happy. Actually happy. I can see it in my eyes.
“I took that a few months ago,” she tells me. “Just so you know I’m not lying about knowing you for a year.” Her plump lips twitch. “And so you believe that you don’t hate me usually.”
“I believe you.”
“Sure.”
I do believe Camila. But that doesn’t change the fact that I need to shake her at the dog park.
I finish the last bites of my sandwich just as Camila finishes hers. She stands up to take our plates to the kitchen, but I beat her to it. I grab her plate and mine and bring them over to the sink. At least I can feel useful by clearing the table and loading the dishes in the dishwasher.
And while I’m at the sink, I reach into my pocket. I check the numbers written on my arm, then type them into my phone. I send off a quick text message:
Leaving soon for the dog park.
The reply comes almost instantly:
I’ll be there.
Chapter 10
Ziggy is almost deliriously happy to be going to the dog park. Like “backyard,” he seems to recognize the words, and he pants happily at the idea of it. I guess he’s a social dog. Although just about everything seems to excite him. I wish I had a tenth of his happiness.
We’re taking the car to the supermarket, and we’re going to stop at the dog park on the way. It seems crazy to take the car five blocks, but we’ll need it to get all the groceries home.
It’s frustrating that I can’t drive. I always liked to drive. I love the feeling of the steering wheel under my fingers and my foot on the gas pedal as music blasts on the radio. I wonder if there’s any chance I’ll be able to drive again in the future. It doesn’t seem likely. The thought of it would probably make me depressed, but it’s hard to feel too sad when Ziggy is bouncing around and licking me.
Camila attaches Ziggy’s leash to his collar, and we’re about to head out the door when she stops short. She reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone. She stands there, reading a message off the screen.
“Oh,” she says. “Graham’s going to be home early.”
I force a smile. “Great.”
By the time I see him, I’ll have sorted out what’s going on here. I’ll have met the mysterious stranger at the dog park and I’ll finally have some answers. For better or worse.
“So we better just go straight to the supermarket then,” Camila says. “You can take Ziggy to the dog park later with Graham.”
My heart sinks. “But… Ziggy is ready to go…”