So look," he began, leaning over the desk, "I was—"
"Excuse me?" Bethany said. Her voice was loud, even.
Wes turned and looked at her. As he did so, I watched his profile, his arm, that little bit of the heart in
hand peeking out from his sleeve.
"We can help you over here," Bethany said to him. "Did you have a question?"
"Um, sort of," Wes said, glancing at me, a mild smile on his face. "But—"
"I can answer it," Bethany said solidly, so confidently. Amanda, beside her, nodded, seconding this.
"Really, it's fine," he said, then looked at me again. He raised his eyebrows, and I just shrugged. "Okay,
so—"
"She's only a trainee, she won't know the answer," Bethany told him, pushing her chair over closer to
where he was, her voice too loud, bossy even. "It's better if you ask me. Or ask us."
Then, and only then, did I see the tiniest flicker of annoyance on Wes's face. "You know," Wes said, "I
think she'll know it."
"She won't. Ask me."
Now it wasn't just a flicker. Wes looked at me, narrowing his eyes, and for a second I just stared back.
Whatever happens, I thought, happens. For the first time, time at the info desk was flying.
"Okay," he said slowly, moving down the counter. He leaned on his elbows, closer to Bethany, and she
sat up even straighter, readying herself, like someone onJeopardy awaiting the Daily Double. "So here's
my question."
Amanda picked up a pen, as if there might be a written portion.
"Last night," Wes said, his voice serious, "when the supplies were being packed up, what happened to
the big tongs?"
The sick part was that Bethany, for a second, looked as if she was actually flipping through her mental
Rolodex for the answer. I watched her swallow, then purse her lips. "Well," she said. But that was all.
I could feel myself smiling. A real smile.
Wes looked at Amanda. "Do you know?"
Amanda shook her head slowly.
"All right," he said, turning back to look at me. "Better ask the trainee, then. Macy?"
I could feel Amanda and Bethany looking at me. "They're in the bottom of that cart with the broken
back wheel, under the aprons," I said. "There wasn't room for them with the other serving stuff.

Sarah Dessen