AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And… any hints on what it might be?”
“Maybe more of a so.” She swirled her drink, occupying herself, like she was trying to pull up the will to say it. “For example… maybe none of this would have happened if I hadn’t met you, so… why do I not regret that I did? So why am I not upset about it?”
The tension slipped out with a whooshing sensation, and I took a long breath, steadying myself. “Maybe something like… seeking joy is intertwined with facing pain?”
“There’s no good without the bad?”
“Maybe that’s a less pretentious way to say it.”
“Hm. You say pretentious, I say formal speech as befits an attendant to the Earl.”
I tipped a hand. “See, you get it.”
Her smile faded. “I’ve… very much enjoyed tonight. But we shouldn’t keep doing this.”
I laughed, surprising both of us. “Ah… what was it? Should, shouldn’t. I’m tired of those words. Let’s just do what we want.”
She shot me an incredulous look. “London. Are you really pulling my own words on me?”
I glanced down at my fingernails. “Hm. It would seem I am.”
“Unbelievable.” Still, that smile didn’t seem like she was too upset about it. “You know…”
“Tell me.”
“You have quite the force of will, London.”
I tucked a strand of hair back. “Is that a compliment, or a complaint? Could go either way.”
“It should be a complaint. It isn’t.” She set her drink down, leaning in and folding her arms on the table, her eyes sparkling. “Do you have any sense of consequences? Really, any?”
“Er…” I shrugged. “Maybe I don’t. My whole life’s been a series of things going wrong even when I do things right. But isn’t that all of life? If playing by the rules and doing things right means you still get into trouble, why not have some fun along the way?”
She smiled, eyes narrowed a fraction, and she watched me like that—careful, studying—for an eternity before she spoke in a low voice. “Six thirty on Thursday. I’ll pick you up. Don’t try to figure out where we’re going, and wear whatever you like.”
I felt something surge in my chest, but I schooled my reaction, fighting a smile and losing. “Oh, and you’ve decided what my answer is already?”
“I’ve taken a stab in the dark. Think I might be right.”
Well, she’d always had a good read on me.
Chapter 24
I had a hard time playing it cool before the date. I at least got to keep busy with work, a rigorous onboarding process that involved meeting with people from half a dozen different departments, and I wondered how much was because they thought I was an invaluable hire and how much was because they thought I was a terrifying hire.
Either way, Cameron had made it very clear they’d lose her account if they didn’t bring me on. I’d barely had to introduce myself to Allison Craig before she’d been tripping over herself to give me the position. But still, they weren’t letting me off easy, and between that and a night out on the town with Ruth and a coaching session with Fitri, I was able to keep myself from working myself into a nervous fit over Cameron.
At least until I took her for a tour at a place downtown, and she had that look in her eyes like she was undressing me when I stepped out of the car to find her there by the building entrance.
“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” I said, offering her the coffee cup. “Oat milk latte?”
Her eyes twinkled a little as she took the cup. “Aren’t we charming today? Arriving with gifts and everything.”
“Figure I might build some suspense that way. Leave you antsy, waiting to see what I’m going to bring next time.”
“Out of curiosity, what would you do if you’d showed up to find me holding a coffee?”
I laughed. “Drink two coffees this morning, I guess. Bounce off the walls through the tour. So let’s be glad it hasn’t come to that. Shall we head on in?” I nodded to the entrance plaza, faded red brick lined with palm trees and a fountain in the center, and she pushed off from the low white-brick wall to join me.
