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“The kitchen island.”
“Ah, right,” I said, nodding. “That was pretty damn cool.” I sighed and rubbed the sides of my head. “I never thought I would see the day where I was complaining about having too many nice places to choose from, but, that’s kinda where I’m at.”
“It’s fine. I don’t blame you. Honestly, I would put it between the first and second place.”
“Really?” I asked. “Or are you just saying that because that’s the one I had the biggest reaction to?”
“I did notice that you seemed to fall in love pretty hard and pretty fast.”
I blushed a bit. “I guess I was pretty enamored.”
“Is that what you want then?”
Something about the way he said it gave me goosebumps. Just the matter of factness to it, like he was willing to agree to shelling out thousands of dollars per year for me and it wasn’t some big deal.
But it was a big deal. It was literally life changing. I was going to have so much less stress, so much more cushion in case something bag happened. I just… I didn’t think he understood but I didn’t think that he could. He just wasn’t aware of what it was like to have absolutely nothing to where twenty bucks was going to make or break you.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. I can already see myself raising our bean there, looking out the window and reading them bedtime stories. It’s just… it seems perfect.”
“Then it’s yours.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” he answered smoothly. “I’ll make the call right now.”
I stared with an open mouth as he dialed Pamela back up and told her we would take the place. The next thing my brain comprehended, we were driving back to the place.
“Isn’t it after hours?” I asked. It was seven on a Sunday, I couldn’t imagine that they were happy to have their office open.
“She’s doing a favor for me. I guess we made a good impression.”
“Yeah, or your pocketbook did.”
He shook his head. “Stacy knows better than that. She always underestimates my buying power, so I don’t get shafted.”
“Ten points to Stacy then.”
“I’ll tell her you said that. I’m sure she’ll be pleased.”
It was amazingly how easily we bantered back and forth considering how terrified when I had been when he first showed up at my work. “I know I’ve only heard her over the phone once, but Stacy doesn’t seem like the type to care about what a strange woman thinks.”
“I guess you’re good at reading people then, because you’re about right.”
“Well, I usually am.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I batted my eyes at him, feel flirtatious. But then again, when didn’t I feel flirtatious around him? “Yeah, haven’t you noticed by now?”
“I guessed I missed that.”
“Huh, I guess you’re just not as good as reading people as I am.”
We continued on, the conversation light and fun and making my sides hurt from laughing so much. Why had I had to ruin everything by getting drunk married to this man? I felt like I had closed an amazing book before I even had the chance to enjoy its contents.
Then again, if we hadn’t, I’d still be toiling away in Vegas, either trying to desperately find a call center job or being miserable in one. I guess, for all of the bad choices I had made, they had turned out the best way possible.
We arrived at the office in record time and I was pretty sure that James had sped some of the time, but I didn’t mind. I was eager to get everything underway so I could feel secure.
Pamela was also pleased, of course, and she smiled all the way from greeting us at the door to copying the files and handing us the keys.
“Thank you again! I’m sure you’ll love it here.”
“I’m sure I will,” I said, waving as I walked out. I was tempted to go right back up into the apartment and curl up right then and there on the floor, but James was leading me back to the car and I belatedly remembered that there were no utilities either at my place.
“I’m going to need you to call off tomorrow,” James said, his tone not making it and order, but his natural dominance making it difficult to say no to.
“Why’s that?”
“Because we need to get you a bed and furniture. Unless you’re telling me that your car has broken all known laws of physics and that you’ve fit both a couch and a mattress in there.”
“You really don’t have to do that,” I said. With everything he had done, I couldn’t imagine him furnishing my apartment too. Surely there was a line somewhere.
“What, do you expect me to let my child sleep on the ground, or you to have to wait for several paychecks before being comfortable? That would be a pretty dick move. And, despite what my competitors say, I’m not a dick. Usually.”
