choked up, couldn’t go on for a moment. “It felt meaningful.” She pulled the napkin from under her drink, feeling dumb for crying over this after what Nathan had just confided. “Nothing in my life feels meaningful.”
Nathan nodded slowly, as if he really wanted to get what she was trying to say, while he subvocalized to a client.
“I know, I know,” Veronika said, shaking her head. “Veronika is feeling empty, her life a vast wasteland of ennui and coffee shops. As usual.” She flipped the napkin onto the table like failed confetti.
Now Nathan’s cup began to chirp. He checked the time. “I’d better get going. I’m sorry to leave in the middle of this. Maybe I can pop in on you later?”
“No, go.” She waved him away. “I feel like an idiot for kidnapping the conversation and making it about me, after what happened to Winter. Leaving now would be showing mercy.”
“No, really, I was relieved to move off that topic. Maybe you should join in on more of those sorts of events, like the bridge one.”
“I was thinking instead of working from home, or from coffee shops, I would work from a bench on Lemieux Bridge.” It sounded dumb, now that she was saying it out loud. “Then if someone comes to jump, I can talk them out of it. Save a life.” She shrugged. “That would be meaningful.”
“It would also be cold. It’s January.” Nathan leaned over and kissed her cheek, then headed for the door. Veronika watched him go.
She stayed awhile longer, since she’d already paid for the seat, and thought about the bridge.
Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Orbit.
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For more about this book and author, visit Bookish.com.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © by Will McIntosh
Excerpt from Love Minus Eighty copyright © 2013 by Will McIntosh
Cover design by Kirk Benshoff
Cover copyright © 2013 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the US Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Orbit
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
www.orbitbooks.net
www.orbitshortfiction.com
Orbit is an imprint of Hachette Book Group.
The Orbit name and logo are trademarks of Little, Brown Book Group Limited.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
First eBook edition: September 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-36894-0
Nathan nodded slowly, as if he really wanted to get what she was trying to say, while he subvocalized to a client.
“I know, I know,” Veronika said, shaking her head. “Veronika is feeling empty, her life a vast wasteland of ennui and coffee shops. As usual.” She flipped the napkin onto the table like failed confetti.
Now Nathan’s cup began to chirp. He checked the time. “I’d better get going. I’m sorry to leave in the middle of this. Maybe I can pop in on you later?”
“No, go.” She waved him away. “I feel like an idiot for kidnapping the conversation and making it about me, after what happened to Winter. Leaving now would be showing mercy.”
“No, really, I was relieved to move off that topic. Maybe you should join in on more of those sorts of events, like the bridge one.”
“I was thinking instead of working from home, or from coffee shops, I would work from a bench on Lemieux Bridge.” It sounded dumb, now that she was saying it out loud. “Then if someone comes to jump, I can talk them out of it. Save a life.” She shrugged. “That would be meaningful.”
“It would also be cold. It’s January.” Nathan leaned over and kissed her cheek, then headed for the door. Veronika watched him go.
She stayed awhile longer, since she’d already paid for the seat, and thought about the bridge.
Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Orbit.
To get news about the latest Science Fiction and Fantasy titles from Orbit, along with special offers and exclusive content, sign up for the Orbit newsletter.
Sign Up
Or visit us at www.orbitbooks.net/booklink/
For more about this book and author, visit Bookish.com.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © by Will McIntosh
Excerpt from Love Minus Eighty copyright © 2013 by Will McIntosh
Cover design by Kirk Benshoff
Cover copyright © 2013 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the US Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Orbit
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
www.orbitbooks.net
www.orbitshortfiction.com
Orbit is an imprint of Hachette Book Group.
The Orbit name and logo are trademarks of Little, Brown Book Group Limited.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
First eBook edition: September 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-36894-0
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