With a roll of her eyes, Zoe pushed the treats towards him. “Just take them.”
“Thanks,” Trevor said, grabbing them before she had a chance to change her mind.
As he ripped open a cherry pie and dug in, Trevor watched as she grabbed a plastic shopping bag and held it out to him. “Put them in here,” Zoe said.
His eyes narrowed on her and the bag. “Why?” he asked cautiously, afraid she was trying to steal his treats.
Just what kind of sick game was she playing?
“Forget it,” Zoe said with an exasperated sigh, heading back to her cabinets. As he snacked away, he watched her go through each cabinet and pull out yummy treats that caused his poor neglected stomach to rumble.
A few minutes later when all his treats were long gone and he was downing her last Coke, she handed him three shopping bags full of junk food.
“What’s this?” Trevor asked, taking them.
“I’ve decided to go on a diet,” Zoe said, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.
He visibly winced, remembering what he’d said last night and felt like an asshole all over again. “If this is about what I said last night, I’m really so-”
“It has nothing to do with you,” Zoe said, cutting him off. “I’ve just decided to make some changes in my life.”
Guilt was a real bitch, he decided.
“Are you going to my uncle’s for an interview?” Trevor asked, hoping that she would go so that he could get rid of some of this damn guilt that he had over insulting her. He still didn’t know what the hell he’d been thinking last night. He’d never been that rude to a woman before and he’d dealt with some real bitches over the years. If his aunt ever found out what he’d said...
Oh shit, he really hoped she didn’t tell his aunt.
Zoe shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”
“You don’t sound too sure,” Trevor noted, leaning a hip against the counter.
“I’m not expecting a good reference from my old boss,” she sighed. “I don’t think I’m going to find a job anytime soon, so you might want to start looking for a new tenant.”
That wouldn’t work for him, Trevor realized as he looked around the meticulously organized kitchen. Not only would he still feel like an asshole for what he’d said, but then he’d be stuck with either one of his cousins living here or some tenant that would annoy the shit out of him. He wasn’t about to lose his perfect tenant, not if he could help it.
“How about this?” Trevor suggested as Zoe picked up the plate of muffins and tossed them into the trash, “if my uncle doesn’t hire you, which I’m sure he will,” he’d make sure of it, “then, you can work for me.”
“Doing what exactly?” Zoe asked, washing the plate and putting it in the dish strainer.
“Cleaning, laundry, running errands, taking care of the lawn, shit like that,” he said, feeling quite proud of himself for coming up with the idea.
She narrowed her eyes on him. “Would I have to cook?”
God, no...
“Um, no, that’s okay,” Trevor said, clearing his throat.
“How much an hour?” she asked hesitantly.
“Eight bucks an hour?” he suggested, liking the idea more and more. It would certainly free up his time and let him enjoy what little free time he had. This could definitely work for him. Too bad she couldn’t cook. “Actually, even if my uncle does give you the job, you can still have this one to earn some extra money.”
He could tell the prospect of having extra money appealed to her, but she was trying not to let him know.
“Ten dollars an hour,” she finally said.
“That’s highway robbery!”
“No, that’s the price for going near your dirty drawers.”
