"The Remains of the Day. And you're welcome."
"You made me read a book about a man who wasted his life being useful and then you watched me process that in real time. It was psychological warfare."
"It was a recommendation."
"It was targeted." But Nico's almost smiling, the way Nico smiles, a slight softening around the eyes, the professional mask slipping by a millimeter. He's gotten better at that since he stopped working for Coldwell. Since Ezra. Since the stool next to the spreadsheets and the tea in the morning.
"The barista," Knox says. Two words. A prompt.
"His name is Devin. He works at the café. He reads fantasy. We talk about books."
"And?" Knox's eyebrow. One eyebrow, more effective than most people's entire facial repertoire.
"And nothing. He's —" Young. Living in a shelter. Walking eight blocks in the rain instead of taking the bus, probably because he's saving every cent. "He's a good reader."
Knox holds my gaze for a moment. Then he nods. Not agreement, not dismissal. Acknowledgment.I see you. I see what you're not saying. I'll wait.
He goes back into his office.
"For what it's worth," Jason says, setting a plate of roasted chicken in front of me, "Robin says the kid lights up every time you walk in."
"Robin says a lot of things."
"Robin's usually right about people."
I eat Jason's chicken, which is spectacular, because Jason's food is always spectacular, and think about Devin lighting up. About the brightness in his face when he talks about books. About the way he froze when he realized he'd asked for my number, and the way he typed it in anyway, careful and steady, like he was making a decision he'd already made.
The book emoji. He put a book emoji next to his name.
I finish dinner. Go upstairs. Lie in my narrow bed, the room is small, always been small, but it's mine, and openThe Lions of Al-Rassanand read until midnight.
He was right. The prose is restrained and devastating. Jehane is extraordinary. And somewhere around chapter eight,I understand why he recommended this particular book to me. It's about people on different sides of a divide, finding each other anyway. About connection across distance. About choosing someone even when the choosing is complicated.
He knows what he recommended. He chose it on purpose.
I pick up my phone.
Chapter 8. Jehane. You were right.
Three dots appear immediately. It's 12:07 AM. He's awake.
Devin:I TOLD you. Wait until the garden scene.
No spoilers.
Devin:Not a spoiler. Just a warning. Have tissues ready.
You keep telling me to have tissues. Is this a book or an emotional assault?
Devin:Both. That's what makes it good.
A pause. Then:
I'm glad you're reading it. It's my favorite book. I've never recommended it to anyone before.
I stare at that message for a long time. His favorite book. The one he's never shared. And he gave it to me.
Thank you for trusting me with it.