When he alreadyhada nice wine cellar.
Just not as nice as my father’s.
The desire to keep up with the Joneses—poorly, I might add—was Oliver’s father’s downfall.
Speaking of lying and cheating—“I told a friend I’d meet them for brunch today. If I don’t check in, they’ll worry.”
“What friend?”
Like hell I’m telling him anything about Bea or her family. I don’t think he’d hurt them, but he hates me enough that he’d hate them too, and Bea deserves zero hate,ever. She’s the best of the best. “My friend Denali from work.”
Distrustful hazel eyes slide my way. “Where do you work?”
“Local Cod Pieces. It’s a fish restaurant. A chain.”
“I know what Cod Pieces is.”
“So you know how awesome their hush puppies are.”
The way his eye twitches tells me he hasn’t ever set foot inside a Cod Pieces, or if he has, he wasn’t impressed.
Very on-brand for Oliver.
That is to say,boring.
With a side of poor taste.
Cod Pieces isthe best.
Ever.
“Where do youactuallywork?” he asks.
“To the best of my knowledge, my own parents don’t know that information. Why do you think I’d give it to you?”
“Because I’m not letting you out of this car until I trust that you’re not going to tell everyone you saw me. And if you lie to me about where you work, you’ll lie to me about what you’re telling people.”
“My own parents don’t know where I work. I never talk to them. Ever. For any reason. I can keep a secret.”
“You’d tell Margot you saw me.”
Oliver holds the power to shut down Beeslieve. Of course I’ll tell Margot and ask for her help. It’s been a source of pride for me that I’ve refused anything other than letting her take me out to dinner and occasionally stock my fridge with good cheese since I was disinherited, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
And I don’t mean asking Margot to find Aurora Gardens money to fund Beeslieve.
She’d do it.
ButI don’t want it.
Not when it’s money tied to my parents. All I want is for her to talk to Oliver about it.
I’m willing to accept that the funding for Beeslieve comes from Oliver and his company because he doesn’t know he was helping me. He definitely didn’t give me a job on purpose. I came to Beeslieveafterhe’d arranged funding for it.
“Afraid Margot won’t want you back if she finds out you kidnapped her sister?” I ask him.
“I’m not—I’m notkidnappingyou.You stowed away in my car.”
“To talk to you for five minutes. I climbed into your car to talk to you forfive minutes. How was I supposed to know you’d be running away right after the big welcome-home party?”
