Page 22 of You're The One
Ryan this. Ryan that.
I’m pretty sure the only reason he tolerates my presence is because of some allegiance to his friend.
“I’m going to help you stay, get the full vacation experience. In exchange…” he continues.
Ah. There it is.
“…you help me.”
I frown. “With what?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “You’ll be my spy.”
“Your… spy?”
“Back to repeating?” he quips, shifting his weight until his shoulder hits the wall. He leans there like he’s posing for a photographer, not pitching me a half-baked, one-sided deal.
“Apparently so. Explain… maybe quicker, so we can get out of this tiny closet.”
“Oh, do tight spaces bother you?” He takes in the space for the first time. If he spread his arms, he could probably touch both walls. “Claustrophobic?”
“Maybe you should’ve asked that question…” I glance at my non-existent watch. “Oh, I don’t know, ten minutes ago?”
“We’ve been in here ten minutes?” He lifts his wrist, the glow from his actual watch lighting up his furrowed brows and stupid face.
“Focus, Dominic!”
“You’re the one getting sidetracked.” He lets out a breath and drops his arms to his sides. “I need someone on the inside. Not all these girls are here to find love. I need help figuring out who’s real. You help me, I help you.”
When I stay silent, he adds, “Let’s call it matchmaking. You’ll help me findthe one.”
I blink at him, surprised he honestly cares that much. I still don’t fully buy it. I’m sure this holier-than-thou act will fade the second the women start throwing themselves at him.
“So, I get a flower every week, and in exchange, I get the full-time job of playing matchmaker?”
He shrugs. “When you put it like that…”
“I want something else. A better deal.” I scramble for a bargaining chip, but I come up empty. I’ve never been good under pressure.
“All right. What do you want?”
“An IOU. No expiration date. When I call it in, you accept. Think of it as a future addendum to our contract that you can’t dispute.”
He scratches his chin again. “Fine. Deal.”
“Great.” I reach for the doorknob. “I’ll consider your proposition.”
His hand closes over mine before I can press down. His palm is warm, firm, and most importantly, stopping me from opening the door.
“Wait, what?” His voice pitches up.
“I said I’ll think about it.”
“So, you just negotiated with me and now you’re backing out?”
“Shouldn’t you know all about negotiations? Haven’t you signed a few contracts in your time?”
He grins. “Aw. I’m flattered you keep up with my career,la mia fiamma.”
