“Are you single?”
“Are youinterested?” she tossed back.
“Nope,” Samantha said, laughing. “Been there. Done that. Know the outcome.”
“The outcome is that we broke up.”
“Yeah, because you’re in love with your best friend. It was obvious,” Samantha replied. “Even three days in, I could tell, and I knew I would get my heart broken, but I kept going anyway because I am a masochist, apparently. Which is why I’ll rent these rooms to you now using my discount, but only if you agree to stay away from me whenever you’re here.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’re exactly my type, and you know it. We’re on speaking terms and friendly when wedotalk, but I know myself… I’m not falling back into bed with you, Harlow.”
“I didn’t ask you to. I came here to rent a conference room for a few hours.”
“Have you told her?”
“Toldwhowhat?”
“Larissa. Have you told her that you’re in love with her?”
“No, but that’s not really your business anymore because we’re, as you just pointed out, not together, and I don’t want to sleep with you, so we’re all good in that department. I’ll pay full price for the rooms to avoid any–”
“You’ll get twenty-five percent off the monthly membership, and I’ll get you room credits. Best I can do.”
“Room credits?”
“The monthly membership only comes with one credit a month. I’ll give you ten, and if you need more, you’ll have to pay per credit. On the plan, they’re only twenty dollars per hour.”
“So, I need to give you two hundred and twenty-five bucks today?”
“Yeah. You’ll get free coffee and water with fruit in it, plus all those free credits I just gave you that would run you twenty bucks an hour on the monthly plan and forty without one. Deal?”
“God, that’s confusing, but fine.” She pulled her wallet out of her back pocket. “And thanks.”
“Is Larissa paying for this, or are you?”
“I am. Why?”
“Shouldn’tshebe if she’s the one writing the book?”
“I work full-time. She doesn’t. She’s in school. She only owns the house that she’s in because her parents bought it for her.”
“Wow. Everybody’s buying things for Larissa, huh?” Samantha remarked and took Harlow’s credit card. “There’s paperwork to fill out. I’ll email it to you. Same address?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. And it was a grad school graduation present. Her father literally flips houses for a living. It was one he was working on and planned to give her. It’s not like they bought her this mansion or something.”
“My parents didn’t buymea house,” Samantha replied as she typed something on her computer.
“Does your dad flip houses for a living?”
“No.”
“Well, there you have it. Neither did mine. But I’m not mad at Larissa that hers could buy her something and did.”
“I’m not mad at her. I don’t care enough about her to be mad at her. So, are you single?”
Samantha swiped her card.
