What was this? A dismissal?I gave him an expectant look. "But…?"
"But you should fly home. Or better yet, go see your sister. I'm betting she'd love to see you."
What the hell?
So not only was he firing me, he was sending me away?
I didn't believe it.
Beyond confused, I asked, "What's gotten into you, anyway?"
"Nothing." His gaze didn't waver. "I'm being smart."
"No you're not," I said. "Because if you were, you wouldn’t be sending me all these mixed messages."
"I know," he said. "But trust me, it's better this way."
"For who?"
His voice was very quiet. "You."
What a load of crap.
I recalled our conversation in the car, and suddenly it all made sense. With a bitter laugh, I said, "Oh, I get it."
He studied my face. "No. You don't."
"Oh yeah? How do you know?"
"Because I can tell."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, so you're a mind-reader now?"
"No. But I can read your face."
"Great." I gave him a stiff smile. "So what am I thinking?"
"You're thinking I don't want you here."
"That's no mystery," I said. "You just told me that yourself."
"No." His jaw tightened. "What Itoldyou was that it would be smarter if you left. That's not the same."
"Oh, give me a break," I said. "What, you think I forgot what you said in the car?"
"Sorry, but you're gonna have to be more specific."
I lowered my voice. "You said 'starfuckers' weren't your thing. Is that what you think I am?"
"You?" He frowned. "No."
"Oh, please," I said. "You don't have to be nice about it." I made a show of looking around, taking in the candle-lit tables and romantic view. "What was this? Some sort of test? To see if I'd swoon if you turned on the charm?"
He stiffened. "What are you getting at?"
"You know exactly what I'm getting at," I said. "You ran a fun little test, and I failed. So now you're giving me the boot."
He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "That's what you think?"
