“You don’t like it anymore?”
“I do. I just don’t know how to refuse a contract, and I know everyone in my team wants a full schedule, so I agree to it all, and now there aren’t enough hours in a day to mow my lawn and take care of my daughter without having my friend come over to babysit.”
Friend. Such a weird feeling, to hear that word coming from his lips and referring to me. For all my teenage years, I spent each of my birthday wishes on having that word stop being attached to me. Now, hearing it feels like a gift.
“I have another task to get to in the next two weeks, then,” I say.
He lifts a brow.
“Get you to learn how to say no.”
He looks at me like I’m lucid dreaming, but I’ll get to him if it’s the last thing I do.
We finish our bowls, then I fill the sink with soapy water.
“I can do that.” He tries taking the sponge away from my hands.
“Over my dead body, Grant.”
“You’ve done enough.”
“What did we just say about learning how to accept help?”
“That’s not what we said. We said ‘saying no.’” He pulls on the sponge. “And I’m saying no to you helping with the dishes.”
I pull again, but this time, it surprises him, and the shock brings his body forward, enough that his chest brushes mine. I inhale sharply, that damn drawing creeping back into my thoughts.
The pulse in his neck is directly in my line of sight, beating so hard I can almost feel it.
When he steps back, he doesn’t argue over the dishes anymore.
Once we’re done, he follows me to the couch where I left my purse, and when I look up, he’s handing over a wad of cash.
“What is that?”
“American dollar bills,” the smartass says.
“What am I, your preteen neighbor? You’re not giving me anything.”
“You won’t babysit for free. This is for the week.”
I lean my back against the armrest. “I’m not babysitting, then. I’m hanging out with Zoe.”
“I think we need to find you friends older than five.”
“I like it that way.”
He stares for a long moment, then moves forward to push it in my hand, but I shuffle away in time.
“Eli Poldrick Grant, you keep that cash to yourself.”
He shifts again, and we’re both on our toes, at war. “Pulling out the full name? Really?”
“It just has such a nice ring to it.”
“I’m serious, Cass. You’re taking the money.” He lunges, but I move away faster.
“I think you’ve forgotten who you’re dealing with.”
