Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Make that two and just water. Thank you.” He gave her his menu.
As if just noticing him, the server ran her eyes down Rafe’s body and then shot me a nice one, sister look before she walked away.
Rafe sat back in his seat, eyeing me suddenly like a sleepy tiger. He was unfairly attractive. I swear heat bloomed beneath my cheeks with no warning whenever he looked at me. “So . . . where do we start with this getting-to-know-you stuff?”
I snorted. “We could start with you not avoiding my question. Why do you dislike my jobs?”
He stared impassively at me. “I really don’t want to fight.”
“Why will this turn into a fight?”
“Because my opinion will more than likely offend you.”
My mind whirred around the possible reasons for his disdain. As if mere disdain weren’t enough. “Well, now I need to know.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
His eyes narrowed. “Fine.”
I swallowed another “fine” and gave him a well, what are you waiting for? gesture.
“You’re an intelligent woman, and I think you could do so much more with your life.”
I hadn’t expected that. “Oh.” Then something occurred to me. “You didn’t know I was intelligent at Charmaine’s party and you were a . . . unpleasant about my job then too.”
“I was in a mood,” he repeated. “Though you were correct that day. A bad mood was no excuse to expect my rudeness to be acceptable. I don’t think anyone has ever lectured me in such a cheerful way before, let alone actually been in the right.”
I slumped back in my seat. “Wonders never cease.”
“Don’t make me take it back.”
Biting my lip and the laughter that trembled on it, I nodded for him to continue.
“While I heard you when you said you bring joy to people’s lives with the character acting—and I can see that—I still think you can do more. As for the line sitting, I think the entire thing is ridiculous, that people are ridiculous and greedy and lazy, but worst of all, I don’t think it’s safe for you. I don’t like it.”
To be fair, Roger didn’t like it when I had to line sit for days in a tent. In fact, he’d even joined me when he could, so I wasn’t alone. I carried pepper spray and a rape whistle, but I usually didn’t sleep much during the overnight waits. “Okay . . . maybe you’re not wrong about the safety issues. But you should know that my friend Roger usually stays with me when he can during those.”
Rafe’s eyes narrowed.
“As to your other points, maybe line sitting is a little ridiculous, but it’s not always because people are lazy. Lots of people just don’t have the time. They’re overworked and stressed, and these things that I wait in line for, for them, are the things that bring a little joy to their lives. And they deserve that joy. If I can provide that for them and make money doing it, I don’t see what’s so wrong about that.”
Those sexy denim-blue eyes studied me, sweeping over my features, as if tallying every little detail he found. Then he shocked me by replying, “You have a way of humbling me I’m not sure I like.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Humbling you?”
“You see people with a glass-half-full attitude and yet, from what I’ve gleaned, you didn’t have the best upbringing. I had a wonderful upbringing and yet—”
“You see people with a glass-half-empty attitude,” I finished quietly.
Rafe’s lips twisted and he nodded slowly. “I don’t know how that happens. Human beings are strange.”
“It takes effort, Rafe. I have to choose to see the world that way. Every day. But I think my life is better for it.”
“I still don’t like your jobs.” He shrugged unapologetically. “I think there’s more out there for you.”
A little bite of hurt cut through the warmth I’d felt growing between us. “Why aren’t I okay the way I am?”
For the first time, the hardness left his features entirely as his face slackened with remorse. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just . . . I don’t like the idea of someone as smart as you scraping by.”
My tone was steely. “I’m not scraping by. I’m happy. I’m not overworked or overwhelmed, sitting in some office, hating my work and turning into someone who sees the world with that glass-half-empty kind of attitude. Just because my life doesn’t fit into your idea of what a life should be doesn’t mean it’s bad. Haven’t we had this conversation before? You’re acting exactly like your mom and Pippa with you and this whole dating nonsense.”
That damn muscle in his jaw flexed as his gaze bored intensely into mine. Then he swallowed. “There you go . . . humbling me again.”
At his dry tone, I relaxed. “I think it’s a good thing I came into your life, Rafferty Whitman. If only because you’re about to taste the best damn bacon cheeseburger you’ve ever had.”