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His eyes sparkle with amusement. "She stole it from a neighbor's house half a mile away. There'd been missing posters up for that cat for three days before Mom found it."
My laugh bursts free unexpectedly. I liked Alice, but now I like her even more. "She stole the cat?"
He nods, smiling. It's the first time I've seen the man smile and holy wow. His whole face changes when his lips curl up and his eyes light. He was good-looking before, he's dangerously hot now. "She stole the cat. She cried so much when she had to give it back that our parents finally gave in and bought her a cat of her own."
"Wow. Diabolical way to get what she wanted."
"She's a force of nature. And James just isn't. I've had conversations with him where he's agreed with me to the point of being passionately invested, then I've heard him talk to someone else about the very same thing, but take the opposing viewpoint just as passionately because he thinks it's what they want to hear."
My stomach lurches. I've noticed RJ do the same in the past, but I never saw it as a sign of weakness. "He knows how to be diplomatic. It's necessary in his field."
"Maybe." He tips his chin down. "I could never play that game, but I understand some people do it to get ahead. And if that was the only red flag, I'd probably let it go. But I've also seen him be outright rude or hurtful to people when he thinks it doesn't matter. If the person in his orbit isn't someone he needs on his side for his own advancement or gain, he can be dismissive, even cruel."
I wrap my arms around my middle, trying to quiet the unease. "Maybe he was having a bad day when you saw him being rude."
"He must have a lot of bad days," Xavier says.
I pop to my feet, not wanting to have this conversation. "Let's pay for these clothes and get dinner, my treat. I'm nearly broke, so it can't be a five-star restaurant."
"I've got dinner with the family tonight. And I've seen you dancing to Christmas carols. That fall didn't cause any permanent damage."
Darn it. "I have an ulterior motive. I want to show you my ideas for your shop."
He gets to his feet, holding up his hands. "Nope. I'm not interested. Seriously, stop wasting your time."
I gather up my finds, including that awesome coat he found. "You need my help, Xavier. If you weren't so hardheaded, you'd admit it."
He crosses his arms over his chest, all defiance. "You're just trying to convince me to accept your help because you need a job."
I slump. "I really do need a job. Winning back RJ is taking longer than I expected."
He drops his arms and sighs like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. "If it'll get you off my back, I'll put out some feelers. This is our busiest time of year, so there's bound to be someone looking for an extra pair of hands."
For some weird reason, my throat gets tight. "Why are you helping me?"
"I told you, I want you to stop badgering me about re-branding my store."
I poke his chest. "I think it's because you're a big old softy under that gruff exterior."
He snorts. "No one has ever accused me of being a softy."
"Maybe no one else has been paying attention." As someone who's been easily dismissed all my life, I pay attention to other people. Sometimes, I'm looking for a mark, for a way I can get the advantage - that's what my mother taught me - but most of the time, I just want to know other people, to really understand what's going on in their lives and in their heads.
Xavier is oddly speechless.
I take the moment to go to the check-out and buy my new clothes, doing my best not to think about how much I'm starting to like the guy who's supposed to be helping win back my ex.
CHAPTER TEN
Xavier
My parents live in a small bungalow on the outskirts of Yuletide. They downsized after Alice and I moved out, but they still have a couple acres of land for their gardens and a koi pond.
James' car is in the driveway next to my sister's, which means he's here for family dinner night. I'm not in the mood to be friendly, or to pretend to like him.
I wish I took Cherry up on her offer for dinner, but it's too late now.
Behind me, a familiar voice whoops out my name. I keep walking.
