Chapter 58

AURORA. On Tuesday, I went back to work. Surprisingly, Nathaniel seemed pretty cool about my absence yesterday, though he also seemed really interested in what had taken my entire day. I’d told him a family situation came up and everything had been settled now and that was it. I wouldn’t deny that Nathaniel seemed more… receptive towards me in the past few weeks. Even though I tried not to read too much into it—Nathaniel was a nice man, after all—it was quite unsettling. When I spoke to him, he stared at me like I was the only person in the room even when we were surrounded by other people. He seemed more… what was the word? Interested in me? Well, as flattering as it was, it probably didn’t mean anything. It was only that he made me feel… seen. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone made me feel like that. I’d asked him how his wife had liked the Gazpacho last Saturday. He’d blinked before stuttering that she’d liked it very much. I was pleased because it had taken some effort t