Page 79 of The Problem with Princes
He smirks. “I mean, you can come back, and we can date here. Like we planned to do in DC.”
I shake my head. “I can’t.”
“What? Why not? The only reason you needed to get back to DC was for your job. That’s not a problem anymore.”
“I can’t just run away from my problems, Ty.”
“It’s not running away. It’s running to…running to me.”
I wish so bad I could reach out and touch his face. Smooth the creases on his forehead away. “Just give me some time, okay? I need to do this on my terms, or we’ll be doomed from the start.”
He nods. “Yeah. As much as I don’t like it, I get it.”
A door somewhere around him opens and I hear whispered voices.
“It sounds like you need to go.”
He nods reluctantly. “I don’t want to.”
I put my fingers to my lips and then press them against the screen. “We’ll talk again soon.”
He blows me a kiss. “Goodbye, SCC.” All the doubts that have plagued me since reading the internet articles fall away. I know I’m not just a fling. I know Ty cares about me.
“Bye, Ty.” The screen goes black, and I stare at it for a moment. Now I just need to put my money where my mouth was. Or would it be my mouth where the money is? I don’t know. What I do know is I need to stop being a failure so I can get back to Atraxia. And more importantly get back to Ty.
ChapterTwenty-Four
It’s been morethan a month and I was right, no lobbying firm on the Eastern seaboard will touch me. They call me when they get my resume, and then I never hear from them. I can only assume I am not getting stellar reviews from HCF Strategies. Out of desperation I interviewed for a job today. It’s not my dream job, but rent doesn’t care about dreams.
My phone rings and I answer it, even though I don’t recognize the number. “Miss Martindale?”
“Yes.” I don’t recognize the voice, although they don’t sound like they are older than eighteen.
“This is Mr. Patton from Froth and Go. I just wanted to offer you the job and see if you were okay to start tomorrow.”
I bite my cheek. Yes, I interviewed at a coffee shop. Irony sucks. “That’s great. Yeah, I can definitely start tomorrow. What time?”
“Great. I need you for opening which means your shift will be from five to one-thirty.”
I cough. “Five in the morning?”
“Yes, is that a problem? You did not indicate any scheduling problems when we spoke this morning.” His voice gets higher in pitch.
“No, no. I just wanted to make sure I was understanding the times correctly.” My master’s advisor is surely turning in his grave at this. But a girl has to do what a girl has to do, right? “So I’ll see you at five.”
“Great, see you then.”
I hang up and look at my phone. It is like the gods think I need a little more humbling or something.
Guess I better check my supply of peppermint and lavender oil.
I don’t make it to my room before the door swings open and Texie pulls Jake in behind her, her other hand waving a paper in the air. She drops the paper on the coffee table. “Have you seen this?” Texie never used to buy a newspaper. But she has been buying them lately so she can show me every picture she finds of Ty. Because the internet doesn’t have enough. It’s not as helpful as she thinks it is.
I glance over but make no move to pick it up. “I only look at the help wanted section. And that’s only when the internet doesn’t pan out.”
Texie drops her purse and jacket on the chair and sinks onto the couch next to me. She reaches for the newspaper as her newest boyfriend, Jake, hovers awkwardly behind the couch. “You should read this.”
I give her a bland look. It is probably a picture of Tyrone with Lady Chloe or some other model-looking woman hanging on his arm. Since we haven’t been seen together in more than a month, and he hasn’t been out with anyone else, old pictures of Ty have been recirculating. It’s so annoying and terrible for my self-esteem when it’s at a low point. Which it has been lately, more than I care to admit.
