Page 65 of The October Arrangement

“Maybe I just didn’t feel like cooking for you. I wasn’t sure if it was breaking one of the rules,” she smirked.

“Yet, here we are.” I pointed my fork at her.

“Keep insulting me, Montclair, and it’ll be the last time.”

I grinned and took another bite. She’d made lobster mac and cheese from scratch, and stopped at a bakery for freshly baked bread. I’d eaten in some of the best restaurants in the world, and somehow I was sitting in my kitchen thinking this was one of the best dinners I’d had in a long time. Maybe it had nothing to do with the food at all.

“So,” I said.

“Yes?”

“How much did you spend today?”

She was about to put her fork in her mouth and stopped.

“That much?” I smirked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, shoving the fork into her mouth.

“Bella.”

“Simon.” She slowly chewed her food.

“How much?”

“You told me you didn’t care.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why are you asking?”

“Because now I really want to know why you’re refusing to tell me. Forget it.” I reached inside my pocket and pulled out my phone.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I can find out how much you spent on the app.”

“Don’t, Simon.”

“Why?” I laughed.

“Because we’re having a nice dinner.”

“And you think my seeing what you spent is going to ruin it?”

“It might.”

I chuckled as I logged in. “Okay. That was expected.” I nodded. “Oh, I see you used my card at the grocery store and the bakery.”

“Because this dinner is for you.” She smiled.

“Fair enough. Let me just make one more comment.”

“Go ahead,” she said.

“For ten thousand dollars, that dress better be fucking spectacular.”

She grabbed a slice of bread and tossed it at me. I caught it before it hit me and took a bite.