“Stick it up your ass,” she retorts. “I want a week’s notice for every assignment. That’s non-negotiable.”
“I don’t think you understand?—”
“No,youdon’t understand,” she interrupts. “I have a kid. I won’t risk leaving him unattended. Not—” She sucks in a breath, likeshe’s swallowing back a word she hadn’t meant to speak. “Not ever.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time, from what I hear.”
She reels back as if slapped. I feel a slight, unfamiliar prick of guilt at her reaction.
“If you know that,” she says slowly, collecting herself just enough to speak rather than yell, “then you know why I need notice.”
Our staring contest resumes.
Goddamn stubborn woman.I haven’t got all day here—not by a long fucking shot.
“Fine,” I say. “Twenty-four hours.”
“That’s not—do you have any idea how hard it is to get a sitter on such short notice?!”
“Do you have any idea,” I murmur slowly, “how dangerous it is to keep pushing me?”
She blanches and falls silent. But not for long.
“Forty-eight hours,” she tries. “And you’ll send a sitter if I can’t find one.”
My instincts tell me not to give in. To get up and have Mia chase me down the stairs—to make herbeg.
But a part of me doesn’t want that. Somehow, this little game is proving more interesting than I’d anticipated. And besides, like I said—I don’t have all day.
“Fine,” I concede.
“Good. Okay.” She lets out a relieved breath. “Thank you.”
“If that’s all—” I rise from the table, but she grabs my sleeve.
“Wait!”
I look down. Her fingers are shaking where they’re holding on to me, her blue eyes suddenly terrified.
“I…” She swallows thickly. “I want an advance. On the payment.”
It’s a bold request. Even I’m surprised by it.
“That’s not how this works,” I tell her.
“I know, but?—”
“But what?”
“I need to know you’re serious about this.” Her gaze isn’t leaving mine for a second. It looks panicked, urgent. “About us.”
Us.I savor the way she says it. Like we’re not just playing pretend. It makes me wonder what it would be like—not to be playing.
“Name your price, then.”
She hesitates. “F-fifty thousand.”
I almost want to laugh.Just that?After having the guts to demand this of me, she doesn’t even want half the total sum? Fifty measly thousand?
