Before I could find my wallet, someone tapped the screen with their card from behind me, the scent of woods drifting through my nostrils.
“Don’t worry, babe. I got it.”
My eyes widened, and I looked up at Derek, who was now leaning against the counter with a small smirk across his face, ordering a drink from the barista, who giggled at how charming he was.
After straightening myself out, I found my wallet and pulled out twenty dollars. “Here.”
Derek stepped away from the counter and walked toward the pickup area with me, slipping his wallet back into his suit pants pocket and shaking his head. “Put that away,” he said with a small smile. “It’s my treat.”
“Come on. I can’t owe my roommate’s brother any money,” I said. “Take it.”
By the way Charlie had acted the other night at mini-golf when he asked about his brother, I’d thought for sure that he liked me more than friends or fuck buddies. Even last night, while he was recording, I thought he was talking to me. Hell, he had used my panties.
But … I wasn’t sure anymore.
Thankfully, Derek grabbed the twenty from me and folded it, but didn’t put it away. Instead, he leaned back against the wall and played with the money, folding it and unfolding it, his smoldering hazel gaze on me.
“You coming to the party?” he asked.
I arched a brow. “What party?”
Derek drew his tongue across his teeth, his gaze darkening. “Charlie didn’t tell you?”
My entire body tensed, and I thought back to seeing her name on Charlie’s stream last night. Whatever party Derek was talking about, Charlie had definitely not invited me, which meant that … maybe he’d invited her.
“No,” I said, pushing my shoulders back, as if it didn’t bother me.
We were friends after all. Nothing more.
“Of course he didn’t.” Derek shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Our parents are having a party later this month. Asked us to bring dates. I thought he was for sure going to bring you, but last time I saw him, he said he wasn’t interested in you like that.”
Ouch. I bit my tongue. That hurt.
“But …” Derek started with a smile, his cologne becoming stronger as he leaned closer to me. “I’d love to take you out, buy you a nice dress, and bring you to the party as my date.” He brushed his fingers against mine. “Can’t have a pretty girl like you sitting at home, all alone.”
My cheeks warmed at the compliment, and I looked down at the empty space between us. “Oh, no, no, no. I’ll probably be busy that night anyway. Work has really picked up lately, and I’m sure if Charlie doesn’t tell me about it, then he doesn’t want me there anyway …”
“Who cares what he wants?” Derek hummed. “And you can take a day off, can’t you?”
“No, not really.”
Derek leaned back against the wall. “How much do you cost a night?”
“What?!” I exclaimed, my face growing hotter. “I don’t work as a?—”
A low chuckle escaped his mouth. “I’m asking how much your job pays you for a day. I’ll give you a week’s worth of pay for you to consider it.”
Eyes widening, I shook my head. “Oh, no. Really, I’m fine. They don’t pay me anyway.”
“They don’t pay you?”
“No, it’s volunteer work.”
“For what?”
“Physical therapy.”
“Why do you volunteer there?”
