AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She reached into her purse, grabbed her wallet, and handed over her Amex. He took it from her, his finger brushing gently against hers. Sparks ignited at his touch and traveled up her arm in an explosion of heat. A tiny gasp escaped her, and she cleared her throat to try and cover it up.
Shane took her card, seeming unaware of the things his touch had done to her body. He went to the credit card machine and swiped. Olivia took the second his back was to her to take a breath.
He returned with the card and slowly slid it across the bar.
She picked it up looking for the receipt to sign, but all he gave her was the card. “Don’t I have to sign the receipt?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Her eyebrows pinched in confusion. “I always sign when I come here.”
His gaze casted downward. “Your card was declined.”
“What?” Her eyes widened, and she shot off the bar stool. “What do you mean it was declined? Try it again.”
“I put it through twice. Both times it was declined.”
“That no good—” She stopped herself. Of course Daniel would cancel her credit card. It didn’t matter that she paid the damn bill for it every month. If it wasn’t for him, she never would have been able to get the card in the first place. When they started dating, she’d had no credit history. Her parents had taken out loans to pay for her schooling in their name and she never bought a car since she lived in the city.
She grabbed her phone, fingers ready to shoot off an angry text, but she stopped herself. It would only reinforce his stance on her acting like a child. She didn’t need him or that stupid credit card. She could figure out how to pay her own way. Maybe she could wash dishes… but her manicure was already chipping...
Her eye caught on the strip of white paper Shane slyly—or so he thought—slid beneath the machine. She pointed toward the paper. “Wait. I saw a receipt come out.”
His hand fell away, and he shrugged. “I put my own card through.”
Olivia stared at him, trying to figure this man out. “Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
“Thank you. That was very sweet of you, but I’m going to pay you back.”
“You paid for my ride the other night. Consider us even.”
“What ride…oh. I was paying anyway.” It would have been the same price whether Shane got in the car with her or not.
“We shared the ride; I should’ve paid my half.”
“Okay, fine. We’ll consider it even.” She placed her card back in her wallet and checked the cash slot, but other than a few singles, it was sadly lacking. “So, about tomorrow… I might need a rain check.”
“Oh no,” Shane said. “You promised me the best pie I have ever eaten, and there is no way I’m going to miss out on that.”
“But I don’t have…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. Embarrassment prickled in her throat. How did she go from living in a penthouse apartment above one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Manhattan to not even being able to afford a single slice of pie?
If she didn’t clear her bank account out during that sale last week, she’d be able to buy Karen’s entire day’s inventory. Maybe Daniel was right… Maybe she was a child.
Shane tapped the bar, drawing her attention back to him. “I’m treating tomorrow, and I don’t want to hear any arguments.”
Guilt edged at her gut. She was the one who offered, and she felt silly that she couldn’t hold up her end of the deal. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then it’s still a date?”
The corner of his mouth quirked, creating an unexpected dimple. “It’s still a date.”
“I can’t wait.” She slid off the stool and adjusted her shorts. “In the meantime, I have to go try to figure out how to make some extra money while I’m home.”
“Ever think about waitressing?” Shane asked.
