Gifted Connections 4

“I’ll take a BLT on wheat please, extra bacon,” Lincoln chimed in.

“Fries?” Dawn asked with a smirk.

I respected Dawn more in that moment. I knew she was man crazy, and I knew how she had a fangirl crush on Lincoln, too, but she wasn’t going to flirt with him out of respect for me and our friendship.

“Yes, please,” Lincoln told Dawn as he took a seat on the prep table between Noah and my plate.

I placed wheat bread in the toaster as I pulled out the sourdough. “Jem, do you want white or sourdough?” I asked knowing her preferences. I was still mad at her, but I wasn’t going to let her push me away like she was everyone else.

“I’ll take wheat and fries too,” Jemmy said as she went to move my plate. I turned before she could see me roll my eyes. She hated wheat, and she was so annoyingly obvious.

“Jem,” Noah stated with a warning look.

Jemmy pouted but took the spot next to Noah.

A phone started going off, and we all looked at each other. I knew mine was back in my bag in the room.

Lincoln flashed an apologetic smile. “Sorry,” he stated before he pulled it out. “Hello,” he murmured into the phone warmly. “Well it’s nice to talk to you, too,” he said in fond exasperation. He held his phone out to me. “Blake it’s for you.” He shook his head and smiled.

My eyebrows knit in confusion as I took the phone from him. “Hello?” I asked tentatively as I placed Noah’s BLT in front of Dawn for the fries.

“Blake!” Anna squealed in my ear loud enough for me to hold it away from my ear. I grimaced and rubbed my ears.

I heard Lincoln’s low chuckle, and I rolled my eyes at him, shaking my head.

“Hey, Anna,” I brought the phone back to my ear as I held up the mayo to Lincoln.

He nodded, and I began to spread the mayo on his toast.

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone?” she asked mournfully.

I laughed. “Sorry, I was stuck in simulations this morning, then I kind of got hurt sparring today, and then–”

She quickly cut me off. “Why are you sparring when you so recentl

y got shot? Are you crazy, girl?”

“I still need to keep up my training,” I explained to her patiently. “Good news though! The Doc has me on lockdown, and I won’t be sparring anytime soon. I’m not even allowed to lift weights.”

“I doubt you’ll listen,” she said sagely.

“You’re right,” I admitted quietly.

She let out a sound of frustration. “Anyways, how’s Lincoln been?”

I laughed once more. I propped the phone onto my shoulder and cheek. I waited for Dawn to put the freshly fried and salted fries on the plates before I grabbed Noah’s plate and walked them over to Noah and Lincoln. “You barely said hello to him and asked for me. Why don’t you ask him?” I asked.

“You know what I mean!” she insisted.

I barely contained my yawn as I walked back over to the toaster to put mayo on Jemmy’s toast. “I know, I know,” I teased. “He’s in one piece, that’s a good thing.”

There was no way I was going to tell her we were currently under attack or all the other fun details of the day.

“Is he nice to you?” she asked.

I thought about it for a moment. He was still infuriating me, and he baited me, but he had helped out in so many ways today. “I plead the fifth,” I stated with another yawn, placing the bacon, lettuce, and tomato on Jemmy’s toast.

“Why are you so tired? Did he already carry you to bed and have his wicked way with you over and over again?” she asked hopefully.