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Nothing.
“What if I throw in a thousand bucks?” he offered at last.
“Hm. Drive some rich dude over six hours one way to New Mexico or see my beloved brother get engaged to my future sister-in-law? Sorry. Nope.” I looked in the mirror, hoping my gaze sent the message loud and clear. Not happening, now pleaseget out.
“You drive a hard bargain. Ten thousand.” He now leaned forward, his dark sunglasses hiding his eyes, but I knew he was looking at me through the rear-view mirror.
I turned to glare at him in disbelief. “Who hurt you? Do I look like I can be bought?”
“Twenty-thousand, and you’re wasting time.” He slid his sunglasses down just enough to give me a hint of dark eyes. “Yours and mine.”
I sighed and swiped my phone, bringing up my text messages to Noah.
What time are you proposing tonight?
I changed my mind. I don’t want to do it right before Christmas. Doing it on the 26th. She totally won’t expect it.
My brother was an idiot. My gloved fingers flew over the keyboard.
Once done, I glanced in the mirror again. My passenger still sat there, leaning forward, his black beanie dusted in now-slightly melting snow. His gloved fingers thrummed on the edge of his bag anxiously in wait.
No pressure there.
I cast a longing look at my phone, willing for it to buzz with another notification from Noah, but it didn’t.
“Fine. Let’s go.” I added my swipe attachment to the phone, gave it a testing tug, and nodded in approval before handing it back. “As soon as that bonus processes, we’ll proceed to your destination.”
He took the phone, and a moment later, it chimed.
It had actually gone through? I’d kinda thought he’d been going for bravado…I mean, who did that?
“Thank you.” I grabbed the phone from him and stowed it away. “Buckle up.”
A moment later, we merged into the flow of traffic leaving the airport. The snow was starting to fall heavier. It had just been gray and overcast with a few scattered flakes up to that point. “Do you want a coffee or anything?”
“I’m good right now, thanks.”
“Okay, but it’s a long drive, and I’m going to need to caffeinate at some point.”
I glanced in the mirror to see him pull his gloves off and get comfortable in the back, playing with an earbud in his ear. Oh heck no, he wasnotgoing to leave me to drive that far with just myself for company. “What’s in Albuquerque?”
He barely lifted his gaze from his phone. “I have to fly to Miami.”
“Ew. Miami for Christmas.” I shook my head and almost shuddered. “No, thank you.”
“Where would you go?”
The crawl towards the exit meant this’d take so much more than that predicted travel time. I was honestly going to earn every dime of that tip at this rate.
“Is money a problem?”
“Clearly, no.” Amusement rang in his voice.
“Aspen, baby. I’d rent an amazing house. Invite all my friends and family. We’d live it up in one of those Aspen lodge-mansions, decorate the place up all nice and Christmassy and enjoy.”
No response came.
He fell into silence, and I sighed to myself, tugging at my gloves. He’d probably put the earbuds in, and I would be talking to myself. Great, that type wasn’t bad on short little drives around the city, but one this long? Not looking forward to it.
