My Sweet Annie

22

The next morning, I put plates of mediocre scrambled eggs and toast on the dining room table. We hadn't had any chocolate chips. "You're going to have to come back for the PB&Cs."

"I know!" Ana said. She had followed me out of the kitchen, a mug of coffee in each of her hands, and she put them at our place settings before sliding into her chair, one leg tucked up under her body. "I work tomorrow through Friday, but if you want, I could come this weekend."

I sat before her, pulling my coffee mug closer. "Really?"

"No pressure."

Ana and I had spent the entire night on the couch. It had felt like a sleepover, the sort of late-night gigglefest that I had last enjoyed in middle school. Maybe it had been little lighter on the giggles, and there had been no face masks or talk of love interests, but there had been bad T.V. interspersed with naps, and really, what more do you want in your thirties?. Despite the crick in my neck from snoozing on the couch, I felt refreshed, which was saying something after the drama that had compelled Ana to stay. I was trying not to think about that, because soon, she'd need to leave and I'd be alone at the house again. "I'd love to hang out with you again. Last night was a lot of fun."

"Then it's a date," Ana said. She smiled playfully at me over a piece of toast, then took a small bite and cut her glance away. She looked down at Porkie, who was sitting next to her chair, gazing up at her with those big, black bug eyes. "Didn't she make you a plate too, Porkers? She's so mean!"

"Isn't human food bad for dogs?" I asked with my mouth as my brain struggled to make sense of that smile and her comment. She was definitely flirting.

Right? Or was I reading things into our connection that weren't there?

"Oh, definitely." Ana tore off a tiny corner of her toast and handed it down to Porkie anyway. "Hey, can I ask you something that is none of my business and probably a little rude?"

I straightened, apprehension chilling me. Had she picked up on my uncertainty about her? "Um...yes?"

"Do you smell something bad in the kitchen?"

"Oh, God." I put a hand over my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Ana. I've tried to figure out what it is. I even cleaned the kitchen top to bottom on Friday."

"I didn't mean to embarrass you and I know it's none of my business. I just know that there was no one here for a while, and some people have trouble smelling stuff like that. I thought maybe something went bad, or..." She took a larger bite of her toast.

"That's what it's got to be, but I took everything out of the fridge and wiped it out, and I checked the pantry, too."

"Hm." She wiped her fingers on a napkin. "Maybe it's something in the cupboards?"

"That's probably it. I'm actually a little scared I'm going to find a mouse trap somewhere with a nasty surprise in it."

Ana grimaced with disgust and sympathy. "Well, it is a house in the country. That's a definite possibility..."

"Believe me, this is on my list to figure out. It'll give me something to do today after you..." I trailed off as my phone began to ring, and not with Mom's dedicated sound. I glanced at the screen, and my heart sank as I saw COLSON BARNES on the screen.

I had almost forgotten about the aborted call to Colson the day before. I'd convinced myself that I had ended the call before it had gone through. Was that even a thing? Apparently not.

I looked at Ana. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, please. Answer!" Ana said. She picked up her coffee and settled back into her chair. "Do you want me to give you some privacy?"