Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean
Author:Emiko Jean
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-08-02T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter Nineteen
One week before Penny was to arrive, Thomas texted Mika.
He opened with a Hi. Mika was at work and stared at her phone next to her keyboard. She checked around the office. Everyone was busy, filing or plinking away softly on keyboards. Of course, they couldnât tell the adopted father of Mikaâs daughter was texting or that the two hadnât spoken since the gallery opening where Hiromi had brought the world down around Mikaâs ears.
Hi, she typed back, bending down, hiding in her cubicle.
Itâs Thomas, he wrote.
She tapped out, Yes. I know.
Three dots inside a gray bubble appeared on the screen. Right. Sorry. Pennyâs flight arrives Sunday. Can you pick her up? Iâd rather she didnât have to take an Uber or cab alone, he said.
She straightened. Already planning on it. Penny and Mika had agreedâMika would pick Penny up from the airport, then drive her to the dorms at the University of Portland and help her settle in. If Penny was feeling up to it, theyâd have dinner somewhere and hang out for a bit.
Sheâs never flown alone. I offered to fly with her. She declined. Then he added, Her no was quick and emphatic. Mika pictured him in his office. Sitting behind an enormous mahogany desk. Suit and tie on. Frown firmly in place. Did he hate her?
Gus, her boss, passed by her cubicle. Mika dropped her phone and swung back around, putting her hands to the keyboard. She waved at him. âDonât work too hard,â he said with a genuine smile. She smiled, laughed a fake laugh, and waited until he was gone before replying to Thomas. Iâve got it covered.
Twenty minutes later, he responded. Are you sure? Itâs not an inconvenience?
Really, itâs no problem. Weâve got the afternoon planned. Hookers, drugs, the whole shebang. Mika chewed her lip. That was a joke. Too soon?
Another few minutes passed, and Mika continued the spreadsheet sheâd been working on. Thomas texted. Way too soon. So he hated her. Definitely hated her.
Please donât worry, she responded. Sheâs in good hands. I promise.
Have her text me when she arrives, was all he answered.
* * *
That Sunday, Mika pulled into the arrivals terminal at the airport. Penny stood at the curb, waving to her with one hand, the other clutching the handle of a burgundy suitcase. Today Pennyâs hair was whipped up into a glossy ponytail. Mika popped the trunk and got out of the car. They both said hey at the same time and hugged, falling into each otherâs arms easily. Mika held on for a second too long. Then she slung Pennyâs suitcase into the back, and they climbed into the rusted Corolla.
Penny buckled her seat belt. Either she didnât notice the spider crack in the windshield or the tape holding the side mirror together, or she was politely ignoring it. âWhew. I almost didnât make it. My dad dropped me off this morning, and I swear he was going to cry. Iâm pretty sure he was considering kidnapping me.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Zero to IPO: Over $1 Trillion of Actionable Advice from the World's Most Successful Entrepreneurs by Frederic Kerrest(4041)
Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire by J.K. Rowling(3604)
Machine Learning at Scale with H2O by Gregory Keys | David Whiting(3602)
Never by Ken Follett(3516)
Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy(3324)
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness(3169)
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman(2801)
Book of Life by Deborah Harkness(2714)
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante(2697)
How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain De Botton(2608)
0041152001443424520 .pdf by Unknown(2591)
Will by Will Smith(2572)
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell(2553)
How to Pay Zero Taxes, 2018 by Jeff A. Schnepper(2496)
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie(2478)
Hooked: A Dark, Contemporary Romance (Never After Series) by Emily McIntire(2410)
Rationality by Steven Pinker(2146)
Borders by unknow(2115)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor(2076)
