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“Because it was my stepmother. Although I thought she was supposed to be on vacation. I must have gotten my weeks mixed up.”
“Your stepmother?” When she nodded, he asked, “Do you two get along?”
Alina rolled her eyes. “Not at all.”
“Wow. That bad?” When she bobbed her head, he turned his attention back to his plate of food. “Is she the only family you have?”
“Yes. My father married her after my mother died. He was the building manager—”
“That’s how you learned to do everything.”
She nodded. “I always followed him around. He showed me how to replace pipes, paint apartments and everything else.” When she noticed Graham smiling, she asked, “What’s so amusing?”
“I’m just imaging you as a little girl with a wrench in one hand, a hammer in the other and a smidge of grease on your cute little nose.”
He thought her nose was cute? She wondered what he thought about the rest of her, but she didn’t dare vocalize her thoughts.
She swallowed hard. “That was me. A total tomboy. After some comments from one of the busybodies in the building, my father got it in his head that I needed a female role model—someone to teach me how to be a young lady. And so he married my stepmother.”
“I bet you weren’t happy about it.”
“In the beginning, she seemed nice enough, but once they were married, everything changed.”
Why was she telling him all of this? She never talked about her family with anyone. At least, she tried not to, but when they lived in the same building, it made it extremely difficult.
A yawn escaped her. And now with her stomach appeased, her eyelids grew heavy.
“You should go,” he said.
“I think you’re right. Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”
“You’re welcome.”
On her way to her apartment, she replayed her dinner with Graham. Had they moved from adversaries to friends?
Because only a friend would order her dinner and from an A-list restaurant no less. And only a friend would wait on her. Then there was their conversation; it was the kind that was far too personal to have with her enemy.
She would have to maintain her distance going forward. Because falling for Graham would be the biggest mistake of her life. All she had to do was look at what he’d done to his temporary home. New furniture. New electronics. And a new coffee machine with daily doughnut delivery.
It was a life far from hers. Hers was so much simpler. So much so that he wouldn’t even have bothered with her if it wasn’t for their agreement.
CHAPTER NINE
AT LAST A day off.
A morning to sleep without an alarming rousing her. Much to Prince’s chagrin.
While lounging in bed, Alina decided how she wanted to spend her Saturday. A big smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. Prince marched up the bed and meowed loud and long.
“Okay. Okay.” Alina ran her hand over his head and down his back. “I get it. You’re hungry.”
She rushed through her morning shower and dressed. She and Prince shared breakfast. He had seafood supreme while she opted for two frozen waffles and juice. As she ate, she thought of her plans for the day and then she got an even better idea—one that would hopefully fill Graham with some holiday spirit.
With her dirty dishes in the sink, she grabbed her purse and coat. She rushed out the door. She was a lady on a mission.
She stopped outside Graham’s door. She didn’t have to knock because the door was already open with a sign that said Free Coffee and Doughnuts.
Graham glanced up from his computer, a smile lighting up his face. “Good morning.” His gaze momentarily dipped to her outfit before returning to her eyes. “You aren’t dressed for work.”
