"Of course I’ll do the dinner shift," Allie said.
"Thanks," her boss said sheepishly. "I don’t know what I’d do without you."
Later that evening, Allie returned to her apartment, smelly and very tired. She looked around the shabby room and the cruddy bathroom with mold in the corners. She wistfully thought about the Holbrook estate.
She checked her bank account to cheer herself up.
"I have enough for college, at least," she said. "I’m going to finally earn my degree and find a good-paying job. I'll quit bartending, rent my own place. It will be perfect."
Margot made little grunting noises as she rearranged her bedding next to Allie.
Stacy knocked and barged into her room before Allie could answer.
"I'm sleeping," Allie said.
"No. you aren’t. Tell me about Carter."
"He’s fine," she said, not looking up from her computer.
Better than fine,she thought. She hadn’t allowed herself to really analyze what had happened. Carter was…Not for someone like you.
"Was he amazing?" Stacy asked.
"It was a very enlightening experience," Allie said.
Stacy flounced out.
"You’re no fun. Next time, you need to send him my way!"
16
Carter
"Where’s Allie?" Carter asked when he returned from the emergency room.
"Gone," his father said, taking the engagement ring out of his pocket and handing it to Carter.
"What?"
"Carter, be realistic. You can’t honestly think that she’s a suitable match."
"What do you mean? What's wrong with her?"
"Her terrible manners aside, she tried to kill you."
The painkillers were kicking in. Carter felt woozy, but he didn't back down from a fight. "It was an accident," he said, swaying slightly.
Grant steadied him and started ushering him upstairs.
Carter wanted to defend Allie, but he didn’t want to admit that he had paid her simply to embarrass his parents. It sounded petty and childish when he ran through it in his head.
"You know what I went through with Danielle," his uncle said, following behind them.
"Allie is not Danielle. And you kicked my dog out."
"That’s not your dog. We’ll buy you a nice dog," Walter said. "Can you please just find someone else?"
"I thought you were warming up to her."
