“As a matter of fact, yes. I have a question.”
“How can I help you?”
My virus wanted him to help me by getting naked and jumping into my bed. She’d be disappointed when she realized we’d be taking him, but we wouldn’t be taking him in a way that led to mating or marriage. “Where might I find you if I want to talk to you in person about the contract? You will be sending it to me tonight, right?”
“I can meet you somewhere if you’d like to talk. Pick the place, give me a call, and I’ll let you know how long it’ll take me to get there.”
“I have a second question.” Unlike the first, which would allow me to bag him for twenty thousand, I genuinely wanted to know what he’d meant to do if I had taken up evening entertainment. “Just how had you been intending to help with my non-existent evening entertainment problem? Did you have a work opportunity in mind?”
“Yes, there’s a potential work opportunity.” Wayne hesitated. “I should apologize for not just extending the offer considering your current work situation. We can discuss it tomorrow should you have questions about the contract.”
I could swing by a CDC office for the materials needed for my job, skip the perfume, allow my virus to get a little rowdy and encourage her for a change, and wait for Wayne to show up. Any other day, I’d feel guilty about the ploy, but the CDC had vetted the job, and when the CDC vetted a job, they had some reason to do so. The NDA didn’t bar me from questioning my target and finding out why the CDC would have interest in a snobby wolf of a businessman.
Then again, maybe the CDC was tired of supplying my damned perfume and wanted me to get caught by a lycanthrope. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the CDC concocted such a plan to take care of two birds with one stone, since the CDC didn’t like single lycanthropes.
Single lycanthropes caused problems for everybody. I suffered from a shorter temper when around eligible males, and uninfected but flirtatious human males tended to annoy the hell out of me on a good day.
Single lycanthrope males viewed uninfected women as prizes almost as precious as a single lycanthrope female.
“Joyce?”
Shit. I’d gone straight to woolgathering while still on the phone with Wayne. “Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
“I expect so. At least thirteen days in a row of twelve hour days is enough to wear anyone out, even a lycanthrope, and you’re no lycanthrope.”
I loved and hated my perfume. How would Wayne have treated me if he knew I was a wolf, too? “I’d make a terrible lycanthrope.”
“I’m sure you would make a lovely lycanthrope.”
My virus wanted me to read a lot into his statement, whereas I knew better. From the day he’d come into my life, we’d annoyed each other. I resented he wanted to evict me from my home so he could continue to build his fortunes. He resented my ability to prevent him from building his fortunes.
Of the two of us, I’d inevitably lose, but if I pushed on the contract, I might win for a few years. Five, to be specific.
“Did you fall down the steps after leaving my apartment?”
Wayne chuckled. “I did not.”
“You’re talking like you suffered from a severe head injury since we last spoke, which was not very long ago. You shouldn’t drive your fancy car after hitting your head on something. You might get into an accident. You’re not talking on the phone while driving, are you?”
“I pulled into a parking lot when I saw you were the one calling me.”
How did that rate me among other people who called him while he was driving? “How’d you know it was me if you weren’t checking your phone while driving?”
“My phone is hooked to my car, and instead of ringing, the car announces who is calling. When it said your name, I pulled over. Do you have work tomorrow?”
“I’ll be doing my second job,” I admitted. “But I should be able to make the time to see you about the contract and that job offer.”
“When was the last time you had a day off? An actual day off, not one where you worked a second job.”
Something about Wayne’s tone annoyed me, as though he implied I hadn’t been able to accomplish enough with just one job. Growling might reveal my secret. I took a few calming breaths so I wouldn’t expose my second nature. “It’s been a while.”
“I can promise you’ll be able to afford all of your bills in addition to paying your rent on normal working hours with the arrangement I’m bringing you tomorrow. I’ll have to talk to someone about realistic income figures. It seems my version of reality is greatly different from yours.”
“Well, you can afford to buy out entire apartment complexes. I can barely afford my apartment.”
“And you can only afford your apartment because you’re working the equivalent of three or four jobs,” he replied.
Ouch. While accurate, did he have to say it? “New York isn’t cheap.”
