Now it was his turn to be wary. “Uh, pretty much.” This wasn’t going the way he’d envisioned, and something told him he was either saying it all wrong or she was taking it all wrong. His alarm system fired up.
“Wow. Excuse me while I recover after being blown away over here,” she snipped.
“I get it now. You were in a difficult position with your boss,” he offered—generously, or so he believed—hoping to steer the conversation toward what said boss had done to her. He debated simply kissing her and stopping the conversation altogether, warming instantly to that plan.
“Too bad this insight failed you before,” she scoffed.
No kissing happening anytime soon, dumbass.
His anger stirred. “Hey, let’s not forget that little detail about you lying to me.” Her face fell, and so did his indignation. “Look, this isn’t easy for me. I just wanted you to know thatIknow it wasn’t all your fault.”
“You think it’s easy forme?”she warbled. Panic flooded him. Was she going to cry? Her voice evened out, and she continued. “You’re not the only one whose livelihood was affected here.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’tchooseto shut my restaurant down, whereas you had the option to stay or quit.”
Her eyes sharpened. “You can leave now.”
He gawped at her. “What?”
“You delivered your apology. Your conscience is now clear, so we’re done here.”
Her words slapped him across the jaw. The woman was infuriating. “Hang on a minute. You’ve taken my apology and twisted it around. I’m just telling it like it is.” His anger was taking over again, and while heknewhe was being a jackass, he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“Fine. I’m a jerk. Tell yourself whatever you need to believe andgoalready.” She waved a dismissive hand. “Bye, now.”
Though she was pushing every single one of his hot buttons, he remained rational enough to understand shewasn’ta jerk, but somehow, he couldn’t get the words out. Instead, he blurted, “I know how you can make it up to me.”
She jammed her good wrist on her jutted hip. “Are you serious right now?”
“Dead serious. I’ll even pay you.”
“What the hell for?”
“I’m planning on reopening, and I’ll need a re-inspection for that. I’ve never gone through this process before, and I want advice from someone who is … whowason the inside and knows how it works. Give me an hour or two of your time, walk me through it, and I’ll pay you. Like a consultant. Name your rate.” The idea intrigued her. He could read it in her eyes.
Though still guarded, she softened her tone. “When?”
“Now?”
She shook her head, and her sunlit strands swished around her shoulders. “Can’t right now.”
He groaned out his frustration. “Then when?”
She tipped her right wrist—the good one—where she’d apparently moved her Mickey Mouse watch. “I can stop by at five thirty and give you one hour.” She held up her pointer. “One. That’s it.”
“That works.” He nearly fist-pumped in triumph as he left her bungalow.
If he thought theirbad blood would be dried and buried by the time she arrived, he was sadly mistaken. When he opened the back door for her, she marched in with mad in her step.
“Let’s get this over with,” she ground out. Her hair was pulled back now in a tight ponytail, and he found himself wanting to loosen it and tangle his fingers.
How could a woman who exasperated him to his limits cause every nerve ending inside him to fire at the same time? He needed his head examined for the loose screw that was surely rattling around in there. “Wow. You hate me so much you can’t wait to get away from me?”
“Let’s leave personal feelings out of this and stick to business. Now tell me what you’ve done so far to get ready to reopen.”
Thank God they were alone so no one else could witness her verbally manhandling him.
“I’ve scheduled an exterminator. The earliest they could come is Tuesday.” He led her toward the pantry.
