Though it wouldn’t amount to much until she found a job, which led to her next condition. “I’m still looking for employment, so if I land something with a catering service, I’ll probably be working a lot of nights. If there’s a conflict, I’ll need to bow out.”
“For good?”
“No, only when necessary.”
He was quiet for a moment. So quiet, she was almost afraid he’d call off the whole thing. Almost. There was still a small part of her that welcomed the idea.
“I really am sorry about getting you fired,” he finally said, the sincerity in his voice taking her by surprise. “I hope you know I never meant for that to happen.”
Jo nodded. She’d blamed him, but deep down she knew she could have avoided the whole thing by never agreeing to talk to him in the first place. And later, in the van, she could have left at any time. Curiosity had gotten the better of her.
“You did nothing wrong,” he continued, “and I assured that woman nothing happened. I tried to get you reinstated.”
“Viv told me, and I appreciate it, but it would have happened sooner or later.”
“The raspberry?”
She sighed. “That and a hundred other imagined transgressions.”
“I have to admit,” he said, that sexy grin slipping back into place, “one word from you, and that van would have rocked across the parking lot.”
Ugh. Just when she thought there might be some shred of decency in him…
She sighed inwardly and held up two fingers. “Rule number two. No flirting or sexual innuendo.”
He winced. “Yeah, that one might be hard for me. It’s sorta second nature.”
Propping her elbow on the table, Jo held out the credit card and lifted a brow. “I believe this is yours.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
“Try really hard.” She retracted the card. “Rule number one, and this is the most important, so pay attention. No touching.”
He frowned, his fingers tapping the table. “None at all? Not even a little groping on the dance floor?”
She glared at him. “Zero. Zip. Nada. Or I’m done.”
“Awe, come on, Legs.”
“I have a name you know. You should learn it if we’re going to do this.”
“Your loss.” He threaded fingers through the hair on his forehead and pushed it back, and for a second, she wondered what it would be like to run hers through those thick waves. “But don’t get your panties in a wad when I look for fun elsewhere.”
And the wondering died a quick death—thank you, asshole—as the reminder of his fickle attention span and how the speedat which he’d found her replacement had stung. “Like you did with What’s Her Name?”
“Yeah, like her,” he said around a wolfish grin.
Her phone buzzed again.
“You can answer that if you need to.” He checked his watch and signaled the server. “I should be getting back, anyway. Unless you have more rules to castrate me with.”
A smile tugged at her lips before she could stop it. “I’ll let you know.”
The server appeared, and he handed her a hundred-dollar bill and stuffed the wallet into his back pocket. “Keep the change.”
The girl’s mouth dropped open, and so did Jo’s.
Should have asked for more money.
