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“Sarah is great, don’t get me wrong, but I’m used to working in a hospital. I like being busy. I like helping as many people as possible.”
If the perfect job landed in her lap, Lenore would look at it and think meh. Baris’ bizarre and unexpected offer and their subsequent argument put her in a strange mood. Who knew he’d get so weird after a one-night stand? Who knew she’d be so hurt when he listed all her flaws and announced that he still desired her, regardless of her value, like she should be grateful?
That was why she didn’t do hookups. They got messy.
“You were on top of your girl boss game yesterday,” Lydia said, which Lenore assumed was a compliment. “So do that.”
She made it sound easy, like Lenore just had to go for it. There’d be a montage with the kind of peppy music played in gyms, and by the end, Lenore would be striding down hospital corridors in a white coat with her stethoscope around her neck, looking successful and very girl boss.
“If only it were that easy. I’d probably need to take some classes, maybe an exam, and that costs money.”
“So, use the grant money,” Lydia said around a mouthful of eggs. She had her typical high-protein, low-carb breakfast. Meanwhile, Lenore had all the carbs.
“What grant?” Lenore spread a thick layer of jam on toast.
“You know, the king’s grant.” When Lenore didn’t immediately make an ah-ha noise, Lydia continued, “The money from the royal treasury to help displaced humans? To help us be independent? We can use it for training or setting up a shop or whatever. There’s a human restaurant in Farhaven already. They do Korean fried chicken. You remember Joy and Ha-Joon?”
“No.”
Lydia rolled her eyes. “High blood pressure and heart murmur?”
“Oh, Joy.” Now, she remembered a middle-aged woman with dirty blonde hair and faded purple streaks.
“You know, people might like you better if you remembered their names and not their medical conditions.”
“True, but rude of you to say,” Lenore replied in a mock-serious tone.
Lydia wasn’t impressed and rolled her eyes. “Seriously. There’s money on the table. No strings attached.”
“I doubt that,” Lenore muttered. Baris was definitely the type to attach strings.
That wasn’t fair. Their conversation—if you could call a surprise dual proposal and insult a conversation—soured her mood all day yesterday and followed her when she woke up the next morning. The only good thing that happened yesterday was her backpack turned up and all the extra stuff she boxed up for recycling was delivered back to her room. She had clean underwear again.
That wasn’t the point. The point was Baris didn’t strike her as petty. He had been clearly upset, but he didn’t twirl his villain mustache and vow revenge. Then again, he never said he respected her decision.
Oh, Lord. She pissed off the most powerful man in several solar systems. He could make her life miserable if he were so inclined.
Lydia missed nothing. “What’s that look?”
There was no point denying the look because Lydia tracked gossip like a bloodhound. Once she was on the trail, she wouldn’t give up.
“I’m not so sure I’d be approved for a grant. I had…a disagreement with the king.”
“Spill. Now.” Lydia pushed her plate out of the way and leaned forward.
“Not going to happen. Doctor-patient confidentiality,” Lenore said, slipping into her stern, super-serious doctor voice. As much as Baris pissed her off yesterday, she wasn’t going to spread his business around.
Lydia glanced over her shoulder for eavesdroppers. She leaned in again. “Is he going to behead you? Like—” She ran a finger over her throat and made a croaking noise.
“What? No,” Lydia protested. “Why would you even think that?”
Lydia shrugged, leaning back in her chair. “Just little rumors I’ve heard.”
“Baris isn’t like that.”
“Oh, it’s Baris now?”
Lenore added an icy glare to her stern voice, doubling her attack power. “No one is getting beheaded. I don’t know why you would think that.”
