“Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”
“Well, okay then.” He stabs two blueberry pancakes with a fork, transferring them to his plate, then does the same with twochocolate chip ones. His nose turns up as he drowns them in syrup, cuts through the tall stack, and takes a bite.
His eyes open wide as he chews.
“Told you.” I smirk.
“I’ll check on your parts this morning,” he says around another bite.
“Excuse me?”
He laughs. “Why, Kenna, I do believe your mind might be in the gutter.” He motions to his chest. “Would it have anything to do with my lack of attire? I was talking about yourcarparts.”
I roll my eyes. “I knew what you were talking about.”
He chuckles again. “Sure you did.”
“I did. I just couldn’t understand you with your mouth full of carbs. I don’t speak Neanderthal.”
He smiles, his mouth still full of pancakes. When I cringe at the sight, mocking disgust, he laughs, then starts coughing as he nearly chokes on his breakfast. I attempt to shoot him ayou deserve itlook, but quickly devolve into laughter myself.
Wiping a tear from my eye, I try to get us back on track. “So they haven’t shipped yet?”
“Not as of Friday afternoon.” He shrugs, like this is normal. “But they did say they’d rush ship them. Hopefully by mid-week.”
Talking about my car has me staring at the money again. Am I going to have to get more cash to cover the repairs? Does my bank even have a branch in this small town? “So, how much do you think the repairs will be?”
“Seven to eight thousand most likely. But don’t worry, you only have to pay your deductible once the claim goes through.”
“I’m not worried.”
Or maybe I am, but more about leaving than having to stay.
CouldI stay?ShouldI?
No. It’s impossible. We’re too close to the city. Besides, it’s a ridiculous thought. I can’t stay in the man’s basement indefinitely. But if I move into a hotel or rent a house, Cyrus will undoubtedly find out about it. As his former employee, I know better than anyone the resources he has at his disposal for finding out how, when, and where people use their credit cards, sign contracts, and request lines of credit. As a divorce lawyer, he has all kinds of tricks up his sleeve, and I’ve no doubt he would use all of them to get what he wants from me.
Then again, what do I think will happen when I get to Florida? Will being a thousand miles away make a difference if I still have to sign a contract for a lease? Maybe. Maybe not. But the more physical distance I can put between us, the better. Still, the thought of being that far away is starting to be less and less appealing.
“I can pay the full amount for the repairs if I have to. I just need to know so I have time to get the cash.”
He stops eating and puts his fork down. “Okay, Kenna, I have to ask, because not that many people carry around or have access to that kind of cash… how are you able to afford all this without a job? I mean, I grew up in a town with a lot of trust fund kids, and you for sure don’t seem like one. Not to mention your dad is a pastor, which wouldn’t add up. Do you, I don’t know, run an Only Fans page or something?”
I almost spit out my bite of pancakes. “Oh my God. You think I get naked online for money?”
“Not necessarily. I’ve heard there are Only Fans pages for things like influencers, fitness trainers, and musicians.”
“Oh, you’veheard, have you?”
“Kenna, I assure you, I have better things to do with my time than subscribe to online adult content websites.”
“Well, I suppose it’s good to know I’m not sleeping under a creeper.”
He laughs heartily. Oh, how I love his laugh. “Kenna, I promise you, if you were ever under me, there would be zero sleeping involved.”
My cheeks instantly flame.
“You’re pretty cute when you’re embarrassed, you know that?”
