Page 17 of A Billionaire Gentleman

And it wasn’t like there’d even been much of that time to begin with. Aurelia and I hadn’t even planned our second date when Grandad had announced that we’d be leaving for Seattle.

Honestly, I should have been grateful that she wasn’t angry that I hadn’t been around. I didn’t want her to think that I was trying to stay away from her, but I didn’t know how to let her know it other than to just say it flat-out, since any other things couples usually did when they missed each other weren’t even close to being on the table.

No innuendo intended.

I wasn’t going to push her. I’d meant it when I decided to let her set the pace, but I was starting to feel like the two of us were dancing around something neither of us wanted to be the first to say. Problem was, I didn’t know what it was I didn’t want to say, or if she was thinking the same.

“Do you think you’ll come back early if your grandad buys the hotel?”

“No.” I stared down at the fountain across the street from the hotel, realizing with a start that the water was orange. Or was it red? Maybe somewhere in between? It didn’t matter. “The main place Grandad wanted to see is what we have scheduled for tomorrow. We should be home Wednesday night, though, and he hasn’t told me about any trips coming up in the next week or so, which means we should get to spend some time together finally.”

“Oh. Well…”

Sensing her hesitation, I turned away from the window and went back to the chair I’d been sitting in earlier. “Is something wrong?”

“Not exactly. It’s just, with this being my first year living in off-campus housing, I wanted to get back to Vernon before my classes started up again.”

She was going to graduate school, which was great, but she was going back to where she’d gotten her BA, which meant she wouldn’t be staying in Houston. I was happy for her, but it was one more obstacle keeping us from moving forward.

Maybe I should take it as a sign or something.

“That makes sense,” I said. “When are you going?”

“Friday morning.” She sounded more frustrated than I felt.

“Hey, we’ll still have Thursday to get together.”

“Our dads have already planned a going-away dinner for me. It was your Grandad’s idea. It’s sweet of them to do that for me, especially since they haven’t known me that long.”

“That is sweet,” I agreed, making my tone more enthusiastic than I felt. “And then I won’t feel like I’m asking you to not spend time with your dad before you leave. We can all be together.”

I was nearly one hundred percent sure that my Grandad was cock-blocking me.

A sentence I’d never thought I’d use.

Eleven

Sofi

“Bitch,you don’t need to look like your shit don’t stink.”

I didn’t have to look up from fixing my boot to know that particular comment had come from Alexys. She’d been gracing me with those little pearls of wisdom from the moment she’d seen that I wasn’t running away.

I didn’t know what her problem was with me, but I honestly didn’t care. I’d been nothing but polite to her, and it wasn’t like Sanders wouldn’t hire someone else if I left, but something about me bugged her, and she wouldn’t let up.

What she didn’t know was that I’d had plenty of people in my life growing up who’d told me how worthless and talentless I was. People who were supposed to love me. Hearing it from a co-worker I barely knew was nothing. I wasn’t here to make friends or win any popularity contests. I was here to work.

“Pleasant as always, Alexys,” Pasha said as she tossed her top into the bin of clothes to be cleaned. She looked down at me, hands on her hips. “You know no one would blame you if you bitch-slapped her once, right? Probably not even if you did it a couple times. We’ve all wanted to.”

“I’m more of an ‘ignore until they get tired of it’ sort of person,” I said, angling myself away from Pasha as I swapped out my costume.

I’d gotten to where I didn’t go red every time someone flashed me while they changed clothes, but I still wasn’t at a point where I could stroll around with my boobs hanging out. In all honesty, I hoped I wasn’t here long enough to get that carefree about nudity, but there were times I feared I’d someday be where Pasha was, coaching the new girl about how to make the best of whatever circumstances had brought her here.

“Pasha!” Sanders called from the doorway. “Your fucking sister is here again!”

I looked over at Pasha, eyes wide. I’d heard Sanders curse before, but even that was usually done in his mellow way. He didn’t sound mellow now. He sounded pissed.

“Fuck.” Pasha yanked on the first shirt she grabbed. “If she’s stoned again, I’m calling the cops on her ass. I’ve had enough of this shit.”

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