Page 42 of Rich Girl
“Why do you care who I take home?”
She starts laughing now, too. “I’m super nosy. I’m sorry. I need something to talk about with Cal when I go home.”
“I want to know how you two met!” Carrie inserts herself in the conversation. “You make a lovely couple, I must say.”
I don’t have any secrets, but I still glance at Hayden, asking for permission with my eyes. She nods in agreement.
“Holidates,” I tell the girls.
They both gasp in surprise, an identical look on their faces.
“Oh my God, you found your girl,” Evie squeaks.
She’s walking our way now, and she looks like she wants to give us a hug.
“Hayden, I want to assure you that Ray is a great guy. I understand you’re together just for whatever events you two needed. But he’s really nice.”
“I think so, too,” Hayden chuckles. She is amused by the entire situation.
“Me and Carrie will come take you out for lunch one day,” Evie rambles on. “Where do you work?”
I feel Hayden’s entire body going stiff next to me.
“Uh, I’m in between jobs right now.”
I debate for a second how complicated I want to make things. It seems to me that making them complicated would possibly keep Hayden around for a little bit longer. I wouldn’t mind it at all.
“Hayden’s worked with flowers,” I tell Evie.
As predicted, she jumps up and down.
“Oh my God! I own a flower shop,” she tells Hayden. “And I’m looking for help! You’re hired!”
Hayden’s eyes get huge in her face. I almost feel sorry for her, but not enough to stop this train wreck from happening.
“I’m sorry, what?”
THIRTEEN
I am still holdingthe cup of coffee in one hand while my other hand is tucked into Ray’s much larger one. I can’t believe how much things changed since I walked into the coffee shop. All I wanted was to drink my cup in peace while doing some people watching. Instead, I was basically ambushed by two women who I’d never met before, one of whom is now offering me a… a… Oh my God, she is offering mea job.
“I’m sorry, what?”
I say a little silent prayer that I heard her wrong.
“I’m looking for someone to help me at the shop,” Evie tells me with way too much excitement. “You would be perfect for it!”
In an attempt to buy myself some time, I bring the cup to my lips and take the longest sip in history. Fear wraps its talons around my throat and threatens to choke me. I can’t believe this is happening to me.
“You could give it a try, babe.”
I about smash the cup of coffee in Ray’s face when he speaks. This is the worst day of my life after I experienced the best sex of my life with this man. How can it go from one extreme to the other in the blink of an eye?
My brain is working overtime, trying to come up with something to say. Preferably, something that would get me out of this mess.
“I-I don’t think this would work. I live in the city.” Excitement fills my voice now that I found the perfect excuse. “This would be too long of a commute for me.”
Evie’s face drops, disappointment filling her features.
