“But doesn’t it get dry or gross after a day?”
She laughed as she started opening the food.
“Yeah, but a little soy sauce and water will fix the dryness.And it only gets gross if you keep it too long.”She realized he hadn’t moved and turned to him.“What?”She frowned in concern.
Grant’s stomach tightened, and his mouth flattened in loathing.“Doesn’t the shelter pay you a decent wage?”
Jennifer nodded.“Yes, they offered me a substantial wage, but I chose to take less so other projects could get done sooner.I don’t need much, so I’d rather the money go toward the animals.Eventually, I’ll take a better salary, but there was too much to do and fix that the previous director never got to.”She didn’t wait for him and bit into some beef and broccoli.“Mmmm.This is good, Grant.Aren’t you going to eat?I thought you were starving.”
He pulled his eyes away from her and piled the food onto his plate.He didn’t know why this bothered him so much.He thought it might be that he didn’t like her to have to scrimp like this for food, and he wasn’t thrilled with the building she lived in either.Although not dilapidated, it was old and very worn.Thankfully, she was on the bottom floor because the steps at the front of the building really did look unsafe.
He looked around.She made sure the place was clean, but a person couldn’t hide the sense of poverty.He realized some of his disgust might stem from it bringing up bad childhood memories.Looking back, he would have been thrilled with Chinese leftovers when he was a kid.
“Grant, what’s wrong?Do you not like the food?”
“No, it’s fine,” he said, taking a large bite.“I forgot to bring beer.Do you have one?”he asked after he swallowed.
Jennifer shook her head.“Sorry.But there’s some milk or juice in the fridge, or I can get you water.Do you want some?”
He pressed down on her shoulder when she went to stand.“No, baby, I’ll get it.Do you want something to drink?”
She laughed around a mouthful of food.“Yes, juice, please.”
His gaze fixed on her.Everything she did was so damn cute.He couldn’t ever see himself not wanting to watch her.When she relaxed around him, she became animated.
“Dammit,” he snarled under his breath after he opened her fridge.Besides the small cartons of milk and juice, she only had ketchup, a bottle of dressing, jam, and soy sauce, and in the shelving in the frig door, twenty or so medicine bottles and syringes.What the hell?Was she sick?She didn’t look sick.He couldn’t see her taking anything illegal, and she certainly didn’t show signs of drug abuse.Grant shook his head.Her situation just got worse.He reached for the juice and filled two glasses.
“Here you go.”He handed it to her before he sat.“Tell me more about yourself.”
Jennifer choked and took a quick sip of juice.Her napkin twisted in her hands.
“Um, well, let me see.”She paused to decide what to tell him.“I went to college to be a veterinarian, but I ran out of money and scholarships, and I didn’t want to rack up a quarter-million dollars in loans, so I decided to get my vet tech certificate instead.I already had most of the classes done, so I only had to pay for a few more.When I got out of college, I worked for a vet in town for several years, and when the old director of the shelter retired, the board of directors asked me to take over.”
Jennifer took another small bite.“What about you?”
“Tell me more.What about your childhood?”
Jennifer turned away from him and wiped her fingers on a paper napkin.“I’ve already told you a lot, and you haven’t told me anything,” she said casually, but he could hear the emotions in her voice.
He studied her, his gaze was shrewd but void of feelings.
“There’s not much to tell.”He sat back and rested his arm along the back of the couch.“I went to college for finance, graduated, and started my own business.”
Jennifer waited for more.She scowled when he just sat there and stared at her.
“So, let me get this straight: I’m supposed to tell you everything about myself, and you give me the bare bones?That doesn’t seem quite fair.”
