“There’s a rental place in Mason’s Hill.”
“And all it had left was three boring sedans and one of those electric cars that lock you in and then set fire to themselves.” They were worryingly hackable. “I prefer a vehicle with a good safety record and leather seats.”
“What’s wrong with fabric seats?”
“They’re hard to sanitise, and sometimes they smell weird.”
“Did you finally learn to drive?”
“Jez made me, but I hate it. There are so many morons on the road.”
Nolan smiled, the first time I’d seen him lighten up today. “That’s true. Someone reversed into Marielle’s car at the grocery store last week. The replacement tail light finally arrived today, so she’s gone over to the auto shop to swap out the cracked one.”
“She’s not coming back for dinner?”
“Nope. I’ll put her portion in the refrigerator and eat it for lunch tomorrow.”
“Uh, I don’t think it’ll keep well.”
Nolan blew out a long, huffy breath. “Alexa, what did you do?”
“How do you know I did anything?”
“Because I know you. Not as well as I once thought I did”—oh, he just had to get that dig in—“but nobody does petty the way you do. And I also know you’re not fond of Marielle.”
“Whatever gives you that idea?”
“The fact that her website keeps crashing?”
“Really? That’s a shame.”
“Enough with the bullshit. Please.”
Huh. He didn’t sound as mad as I thought he would be.
“Fine. I don’t like her, okay? And she should get a better firewall. I’m rebuilding your website, by the way, on a platform that has actual security.”
“Thanks, I think. Tell me you didn’t poison her dinner?”
“Of course not.” Should I confess? Might as well. “I just ordered her the extra spicy version, is all.”
“She hates spicy food. Half the time, I can’t even convince her to season her chicken.”
“What kind of philistine doesn’t season chicken? And don’t worry about the ramen—Chase can get the grocery store to deliver food for you each week.”
A sigh wasn’t the answer I’d been expecting.
“I don’t need your pity, Alexa.”
“Who said anything about pity? I just don’t want you to get scurvy.” No smile from Nolan. “Fine, I’ll lend you the fifty thousand bucks, and we can call it a long-term business loan.”
Still no smile, and worse, the scowl was back. Now what was his problem?
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough already with your ‘business loans’?” He used little air quotes around the words.
“Huh?”
“The million bucks and change?”
