“Woah, woah, woah.Hold up there.What makes you think I want to help?”
“You don’t?”
I’d definitely slipped into an alternate reality.“Why do you even want my opinion?”
“Because you know what I’m dealing with.What we’re dealing with.I have to believe, Tiffany, that you want this bar to be as much of a success as I do.If we have any hope of doing that, we’ll need to put aside our differences.”
“I’m not going to be your yes man.”
How was it that he could make a simple head tilt look so annoyed?
“And you’re going to have to, you know, actually listen to me,” I added.
“I understand that.”
“Because I know what I’m talking about.”
“Yes, I believe I already mentioned that earlier.”
“And I’ve been doing this a long time.”
“Tiffany.”The exasperation in his voice triggered my urge to smile, but I held back, still unsure of whether I even wanted to agree to help.
I took a deep breath, considering.My instincts were all over the place.On the one hand, it made sense, and what did I even have to lose (apart from all the time I would have to spend with him.Just because he could admit to needing help, it didn’t change all the other times he’d irritated me.Working together would likely be a nightmare.) On the other hand, the idea that the bar would change into something so unrecognizable that it became a flop broke my heart.
Without meaning to, I’d dedicated the last four years of my life to this bar, and I’d come to care about it deeply.
“I’d like to think it over.”
“Of course.”Ugh.He really needed to start being less accommodating.I might go and do something ridiculous such as start liking him.
“Just for the record, this doesn’t mean I like you.”There.That should stop me from getting any dumb ideas.
Unfortunately, the bastard actually smirked.Fucking smirked.
“The feeling is mutual.”
