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He glared at her, feeling practically man-handled anddiscomforted as he realized that his time had just been auctioned off like a haunch of meat to a butcher.
Nodding, he dug out his wallet and quickly handed over everything he’d withdrawn from the ATM the day before, intending to get a few things for an apartment he was hoping to lease very soon, that now would just have to wait until next payday…
“Can I have a list of the stupid rules for this farce?” he muttered – and was handed a sheet of paper with the details lined out for him. “Thanks.”
“Thankyou, Mr. Rimes…” the mayor said in a saccharine voice. “Ms. Mattingly? If you’ll pay the cashier – there is a small picnic bench where you can discuss your upcoming ‘date’…
“Meeting,” Kyle corrected as the woman walked up.
“Meeting,” the winner of the auction agreed coolly, still not looking at him as she dug out her wallet and paid the cashier. “I’ll need a receipt for taxes – please, and thank you.”
“Of course, Miss Mattingly.”
“Thanks, Dolly…”
The woman turned and looked at him, spinning carefully as to not dig her heels into the grass – and he felt something move within him as he realized she had the most beautiful turquoise eyes he’d ever seen.
“You can paint?” she asked candidly.
“Yeah?”
“Wonderful,” she began, and held out her hand in a businesslike manner. “I need your help – and quite a bit of painting done.”
“You don’t want to go on a date?”
“No,” she said nervously, her hand remaining out as shewaited for him to take it. “I need help with my café – and I can’t do it alone.”
“But we arenotdating…?” he reiterated, arching an eyebrow, feeling slightly disappointed and a little relieved that he was off the hook. He could definitely do manual labor, but a part of him kind of wished that maybe she wasn’t so disinterested… because she was really pretty.
“One date doesn’t make people ‘dating’, you know… besides, it really makes things quite sordid, if I’ve paid for your company. Don’t you think?”
“So, thisisa date?”
“No, Mr. Rimes… this is me, hiring you, to help me with some manual labor.”
“Is that code for something?” he asked warily, thinking of his partner Austin immediately. Austin was always throwing out things that had a different meaning – and frankly? So did Andy. Those two men spoke an entirely different language sometimes.
“The mayor twisted stuff, so are you doing the same thing? Ismanual laborcode for some weird, kinky thing that I’m too dumb or naïve to understand?”
The woman, Miss Mattingly, smiled nervously, and her cheeks reddened even more than he thought possible as she held his gaze.
“No. Manual labor is just that: manual labor,” she replied. “You are going to work with your hands - painting.”
Kyle nodded and listened distractedly as the crowd suddenly roared in delight as the auction continued in the distance, and he gave the elusive Miss Mattingly his phone number and accepted her business card.
“Text me when you have a day off this next week, and we’ll get this out of the way, okay?” the woman said bluntly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me? I’m late for a meeting…”
Kyle stared as she walked off. She was crossing the street, heading into the bank at the corner of Main and State Street, leaving him more curious and mystified than before at seeing her – and her reaction to his questions.
She looked almost like she was as bothered as he was regarding the auction, and the fact that she’d just purchased his time and company.
… And he was fascinated.
