Page 96 of The Bet
“I would get what I wanted if you came out and helped me celebrate.Please.”
“Why are you begging me? I didn’t think you were capable of begging.”
“Only when it comes to—.” He was about to make a distasteful remark—was about to say ‘girls-who-play-hard-to-get’ but something told him he would never see her again if he said that.
Smutty replies, and conversation loaded with innuendo was his hallmark, but try as he might to dull it down when Laronde was around, he couldn’t.
“Only when it comes to people who go out of their way for me,” he said. “That report you did was awesome, and all I want to do is show you my appreciation.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I behaved like a total jerk the other day, and I’m sorry.” He had thought about that evening long after she’d left. And he’d felt guilty about his behavior, especially in light of the fact that she’d only just been robbed. He could have handled things differently. He’d felt like a real shit that she’d been so determined to make it up to him that she’d done nothing but work on his report.
“You don’t need to take me anywhere.”
“I’m not taking you anywhere, Laronde. I’m takingmefor a celebratory drink, and I’m asking you to come along.” He waited for her to think about it some more. There were some girls who assumed, and some girls who wouldn’t have waited for him to finish asking, but Laronde needed to be persuaded. He had much to learn. And learning to woo her, fighting for it, seemed a whole heap more challenging and rewarding than anything else.
“Uh.”
Hell, yes, she was thinking about it. “And if you had a virgin mocktail or two, maybe some nachos and green veggie stuff, it might feel like a celebration.”
“I can’t stay out for too long. I’ve got coursework.”
“An hour, or two. Can you spare that?” He suddenly remembered what else he had for her. “Because of the new business, I’ll have extra work for you, if you want it.”
“A couple of hours extra?”
That was what baited her? The prospect of more money, more work, more hours? With this new line of business, he could give her exactly that.
“An extra 10, maybe 20 hours a week, if you can fit it in.”
“20?” she squealed, the way most girls did when he told them what sexy things he was going to do to them. “20 hoursa week?”
“At the most, yes, if you want it.”
“I want it, god, yes. Of course I want it.”
Jeez. There she went again, getting her panties wet about work. He’d consider it a major advancement if he ever figured out how this girl’s brain was wired. She talked about work the way most women talked about sex.
“I had a feeling you might.”
“Okay, so, where are we going?”
“The Oasis rooftop bar.” He gave her the address. “I can pick you up.”
“I’m old enough to ride the subway, Stone. You don’t have to worry about me.”
He wasn’t going to push it.
