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