Vince smirked. “Pretty sure I’m still pushing my luck.”
I tilted my head, meeting his gaze. “You trying to get fired or something?”
“Maybe. But then again, maybe I’m just trying to make today a little more interesting.”
“In what way?”
His eyes dropped to my lips before quickly meeting my gaze again. “You ever get bored, Carmen?”
“Bored?” I scoffed. “Again. In what way?”
“With life. Work. Your friends.” He paused, wondering if he should push further with this line of questioning. “Your relationship.”
“You’re asking me if I’m bored with Theo?”
He nodded once.
Doubt: Get out of this office.
“No. I’mneverbored.”
“Not even a little?”
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you really asking me?”
He smirked. “Curiosity, Carmen.”
The very thing that killed the cat.
Doubt: Something tells me that he has another cat in mind that he wants to kill.
“I promise you all this curiosity is wasted,” I sighed. “I’m not as interesting as you think, especially in that way.”
“In what way, Ms. Reyes?”
Only then did I notice that he was the only one in Theo’s office who called me Ms. Reyes, not Mrs. Clayton. It was small, but I appreciated the respect for my autonomy. That has been seriously lacking since I landed in Italy. Maybe that’s why I liked talking to him; he tried to get to know me outside of just being Theo’s girlfriend, and I appreciated that.
“Why don’t you think you’re interesting enough, Carmen?
“I—” My mouth opened, but the words were lost. “I—I, I don’t know.”
He stared at me. “Hm.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Just—”
“Curious.” We said together. That made him smile.
Doubt: Get out, Carmen. This is dangerous.
Calm down. It’s just a conversation.
“I am curious too, I think.”
His gaze softened. “Really? About what?”
You and what you saw in me that was so interesting. But mostly. You.
