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His cheeks flamed red. “Of course not.”
Well, he didn’t have to sound so appalled by the idea. People wanted to date her. Occasionally. It wasn’t unheard of.
“I can’t, sorry. I can’t leave Sanctuary for the evening. I’m needed here.”
“I’m sure the guests and staff can manage on their own for a few hours,” he replied, nostrils flaring as though he hadn’t expected her to drag her heels and was frustrated by it. “Surely you’ve spent the evening away before and everything didn’t blow up.”
Probably far less frequently than he imagined. She’d hardly been away from Sanctuary since she moved here, and never overnight, except for when she ventured into the forest to camp, as she did when she desperately needed time away from distractions to mull over her thoughts. That was beside the point. She would not share her real reason for refusing to go to Figaro, which was a half-hour drive away. Some things were better off not shared with handsome strangers.
“I can’t,” she told him. “I’ll go out for dinner with you anywhere within walking distance, but I won’t go to Figaro.”
Sterling’s hands came out of his pockets and he smoothed them over his already immaculately groomed hair. “The point of going to Figaro is to show you that you could have much more than what’s available in the bay. How am I supposed to convince you of anything when you throw up barriers?”
I’m not intentionally being difficult.
She didn’t say the words. She didn’t owe him an explanation. She had her issues, just as he had his, and on this, she wasn’t budging. “You’ll have to deal with it and modify the plan. Isn’t that what business is all about these days?”
“Fine.” He pivoted away from her. “I’ll adapt. But I expect you to try to meet me halfway.”
When he left, she exhaled shakily and leaned against the wall for support. It had been a long time since anyone questioned her choices, and it made her uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there was no changing the way she was.
