Withourhistory?
Not hardly.
I replied, "Well, youarepaying me, so…"
"That doesn't count."
He was wrong. It counted plenty. Over the last few months, I'd paid off a whole slew of bills, including Becka's tuition for the upcoming year. As far as my own tuition, well, that would have to come later, assuming I returned to college at all.
I tried to smile. "So this is it, huh?"
He frowned. "It? What do you mean?"
Just then, the waiter came to take our orders. Suddenly, I wasn't terribly hungry. But not wishing to be rude, I ordered pasta primavera and vowed to choke it down regardless of how I felt.
But first, I definitely needed a time out.
The waiter had barely left when I pushed back my chair and stood. "I'll be back in a minute."
Flynn stood. "You okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah, sure."
It was a lie, of course. Physically, yeah, I was fine enough. But emotionally? Well, let's just say that I needed a moment alone to make sure that I didn't make an utter fool of myself.
My plan was simple. I'd duck into a stall, catch my breath, and emerge ready to deal with whatever came next.
It was such a nice thought.
Too bad it netted such a nasty surprise.
