“See. This is a candy-coated, star-studded disagreement. A trial run for us. Tell me why you agreed to do this.”
“Boy, you’re like a dog with a bone not letting go for another. Fine. Because it sounds like fun.”
“That’s it?” he asked. He expected something deeper than that. “It sounds like fun?”
“Why does it have to be more? Didn’t you put that as part of your rule? I’m already in the mentality.” There was a knock at the door. “And that’s our food.”
He stood the same time she did as if she was going to make a dash away from him. “Don’t even consider that the end of this conversation.”
10
GOOD FOR THE EGO
Natalie hadn’t expected Arik to question her motivations.
The sad truth, she wasn’t so sure what they even were.
And when he brought it up, she doubted it more.
She took the five-minute reprieve to set up their dinner and gather her thoughts.
But once they were seated at the table, his gaze didn’t waver and his fork remained untouched.
“Truthfully, I’m not sure why I said yes. I have a million reasons to say no and yet once you told me the dress code, I looked at my work schedule and decided. I don’t go back on my word.”
“Hmm,” he said. “So you’re being spontaneous?”
“You could say that.” At least he wasn’t insulted she’d said she agreed once she had the proper clothing.
She’d have to figure out how to let her parents know. Could be that was playing in her mind also.
She had to be nuts to go through with this. They’d want to know where she was.Neededto know. She’d never been this irresponsible before, never left the island without telling them. What if something happened to her?
But she would be flying over on the helicopter and there would be a record of that.
Not enough of one and she was even more messed up in her mind to think she could keep this quiet and use that excuse.
Her plan was to tell her parents when she returned. She’d fill Avery in prior sosomeonehad the knowledge and plead with her sister-in-law to keep the information to herself.
“And you’re not a spontaneous person?”
“No. I’m not someone who opens up with people often. Or at least those I’m not close to.”
“But you did with me on Sunday. And even last week. You admitted that. You let down that big steel wall and got sarcastic too.”
“It felt good,” she said, smirking.
She wouldn’t say she wasn’t a happy person. She was fairly content in her life.
But she was bored.
There was something undeniably appealing about the idea of waking up and doing whatever you wanted. Not that she’d ever be in that financial situation. But shouldn’t she at least try to do something entertaining now and again?
Everyone was right. Work was her life.
It didn’t need to be that way.
“I’m glad,” he said. “I hope to make you feel even better the more time you spend with me.”
