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“I’m not interested.” I cross my arms over my chest, trying to become small and invisible. But I shoot a look of distaste at Carter despite the fact that he’s barely spoken. His mere presence annoys me. Actually, his existence on the planet.
“I’ll pay you,” Carter offers.
Nostrils flaring, I stare at him. As if I want his fucking money.
Zack holds his palms up to slow my impending implosion. Yeah, I implode, not explode like most people. I hate it, but it’s how I’m built. “Not like that. He means he’ll pay you to tutor him.” I flick my eyes to Zack, silently questioning his sanity. “About art.”
Wait. What?
“What?” I echo my own thought.
“Carter is approaching a potential client who is particularly art savvy, a topic he has admittedly minimal knowledge on. Luckily, I know someone who knows more about art than virtually anyone in the world.” He smiles charmingly. “You,” he clarifies as if I didn’t know he was talking about me.
A laugh pops out before I can stop it. “Me? Help Carter?” Unconvinced, I wait for the punchline or a camera crew to pop out and say ‘gotcha!’ When neither is forthcoming, I realize Zack is serious. “No thanks. Like I said, not interested. Lydia,” I call out, “can you make my order to go?”
Lydia, who’s apparently been watching the whole show of Zack’s big reveal, drops surprised eyes to Zack and then to Carter. “Uh, sure.”
Carter leans back in his chair, completely unaffected by my denial. His eyes sparkle and his white teeth flash as he baits me. “Am I so repulsive that you won’t even hear me out?”
I’m quiet, my brain spitting piss and fire that my mouth would never say, even though I’ve been waiting for a chance to tell Carter what I think of him. Except this time, the words pour out in all their flat and dull honesty. “Physically, no. And you know it, which is part of the problem. Emotionally, I’m pretty sure you have the maturity of an eighteen-year-old boy on a Spring Break weekend, so despite your business success, I have no interest in helping you scam someone into signing their life and funds away to you.”
Whew! Guess I’ve been holding on to more than I thought about my brother’s best friend.
There’s a flash in Carter’s eyes, but I must’ve imagined it because he doesn’t have the emotional depth to feel hurt. Especially based on an insult from someone like me.
“Luna! That’s not what he does and not what we’re asking you to do!” Zack hisses.
Carter holds up a hand, and to my chagrin, Zack leans back and gives him the floor. “I’m hearing that you think I’m attractive and successful, but immature and immoral.” I’m actually surprised he could hear the negatives through the fog of his inflated ego. When I stay silent, he continues, “Give me the chance to prove you wrong. Please. I’ll make it worth your while, I promise you that.”
With that solemn vow, he stands, gives Zack a nod, and struts out of the café. I definitely don’t notice that his long legs eat up the ground toward the bookstore door. But Lydia must because she yells, “Come back anytime! Especially Mondays and Thursdays for the dinner shift!”
I glare at her, and she shrugs. “He’s cuter than Economics Alex, and definitely richer. Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
“She’s got a point.” Zack’s agreement only adds to my annoyance. “I don’t know why you’ve never liked Carter. He’s a good guy.”
I press my lips together, fighting the urge to argue with him. Zack depends on Carter to fund their real estate business, so he’s loyal. But when you get into bed with the devil, you’re going to get burned. No matter how many times I’ve warned Zack, he doesn’t see it.
“Agree to disagree.”
Zack sighs heavily. “Look, I’m asking as a personal favor, plus I’ll buy you all the books you could ever want, and Carter really will pay you. All he needs are a couple of tutoring sessions on art so he can approach this potential client. I know you don’t care, but he needs a win.”
My brother cannot be serious right now. But he seems to be. “Carter’s whole life is one big Powerball lottery prize.”
“I’m surprised at you,” Zack says with a judgmental frown. “You know better than anyone that money isn’t everything and doesn’t make you happy. Like you, you might struggle sometimes, but you stay strong on doing what you love because it’s what makes you happy. I’ve always admired that.”
That was actually . . . sweet, which is not something I’m used to hearing from my brother.
“For people like Carter and me, closing a solid deal is what makes us happy.”
There go any warm fuzzies I might’ve been developing. That’s part of the problem I have with Carter. He’s turned Zack into whoever this is sitting across from me.
