Page 66 of Clued in to Love
“Yeah, but I live very frugally. I could make it work with those numbers.”
He tilted his head, clearly surprised by her drive. “Impressive.”
“I’m sure my salary goal is the equivalent of your ski budget.”
“Hey, that’s not fair.” He flinched. “I’m simply trying to get to know you better and learn what you want to do. You don’t have to be a jerk about it.”
Marissa felt bad. She looked away, pretending to scan the fairgrounds. “Sorry. I get uptight about money.”
“That’s obvious.”
“This is kind of my last shot. I gave myself until the end of the year to move out of my parents’ house, and the clock is ticking.” She’d gone too far. “I don’t know, maybe following your passion isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
William shifted his body weight and bit his bottom lip, as if he wanted to say more but wouldn’t. “I don’t know about that. Like I said before, money is just money. My family happens to have some, but money and passion are two completely different things. I thought you knew that, too.”
They finished their lunch in silence. Marissa wished she had kept her mouth shut or dared to ask him more about teaching and his family. William Graff was slowly working his way in, but she couldn’t let him. She had to guard her heart. Otherwise, she might get caught up in his spell like everyone else, and she couldn’t risk losing her heart—and the cash.
THIRTY-EIGHT
OLIVIA
Hugo figured out the float barn clue first. “I’ve got it, let’s roll.” He punched an address into his phone.
Olivia, Cass, Hugo, and, shocker of all shockers, Malik had met for coffee and to go over the latest clue. Malik, as usual, hadn’t said more than a couple of words, but the fact that he showed up at all had to mean something—at least Olivia could dream.
“We need to go to the float barn,” Hugo explained. “We can take my car.”
Hugo’s car, affectionately named the Blackberry, was a tiny purple EV, not at all practical for Bend’s snow season.
Cass scurried around to the front. “Shotgun!”
“You’re going to make me sit in the back?” Malik grumbled. “I have the longest legs.”
“Sucks for you. You should have called it faster.” Cass jumped into the passenger seat before Malik could beat her to it.
Olivia ducked into the back seat. There was no way not to touch Malik in the tight quarters. Their knees bumped, sending shockwaves up Olivia’s spine. Her cheeks flamed, and her mouth felt gummy.
“Sorry, it’s cozy back here,” she mumbled.
Malik let his leg fall against hers. “Cozy? Who says that?”
Hugo caught her eye in the rearview mirror.
Olivia couldn’t believe this was happening. She was sitting so close to Malik that she could practically be in his lap. It was too bad the fairgrounds were only a short drive away, but then again, she couldn’t think of anything to say to him.
Maybe she could have pretended to fall asleep on his shoulder. Car rides did make her sleepy.
“So have you read much Byron?”
“Byron?” Malik dragged his hand through his intentionally styled messy hair. “Who’s Byron?”
“That’s funny.” She giggled. “Who’s Byron?”
“No, really, who’s Byron?” Malik repeated.
“How’s it going in the backseat?” Hugo asked, turning the music up. “Can you hear this okay?”
“Fine,” Olivia replied over the blaring holiday ska. Was he teasing about Byron? She’d stalked his social enough to know that the book he posed with in multiple pictures was Byron.
