I checked my email repeatedly like I’d developed an obsessive compulsive disorder. Every time my phone would load a new message, I would hold my breath in anticipation. Much to my dismay, it was always either a client or Doug. My anxiety problems were answered, though, on a Wednesday afternoon in a board meeting. When I finally received an email.
From: Ean Hunter
To: Amy Black
Subject: Impending Father Inquiry
Hi Amy,
Did you get a doctor?
- Ean
I stared at the message, one of the partner’s voices rumbling in the background as I spun my pen between two fingers. Nervously, I tapped my heeled shoes under the long table.
I read it again, ‘Impending Father Inquiry’ he was probably smiling when he’d wrote that.
I hit reply.
From: Amy Black
To: Ean Hunter
Subject: Impending Mother Reply
Hi,
I called a few, one said yes, so I’m assuming that means; I have one. I still need to book an appointment.
- Amy Black
I hit send and then looked up to see Doug staring at me. I glanced away, feeling a bit like I’d been caught in the act, however, he spent hours on his cell phone in meetings so he could bite me.
I twitched at the thought of Doug biting me. My phone buzzed on the desk and everyone paused. I’d stupidly left the email app open.
I grabbed the phone and put it in my lap. “Sorry.”
They lightly acknowledged the apology and after I had figured I was back in the clear, I glanced at the phone under the edge of the table
From: Ean Hunter
To: Amy Black
Subject: cute.
I’m putting in my availability for work, I have till the fifteenth. If you can let me know what day is it by then, I would appreciate it.
-Ean
I stared at the message, was he serious? He sure was forward. He wanted this badly to be at some doctor’s appointment, he was trying to book work around it.
“Amy!”
I looked up. “Yeah?”
He lifted an eyebrow at me. “Do you have any thoughts?”
“Thoughts?” I paused, dropping my phone face down on the table next to my open notes.
“Yeah, on the oil company.”
“Uh.” I swallowed. “Sure, yeah, one second.” I had flipped through four companies worth of notes before I found the one we were on, I started to go over what I had written down and found Doug giving me a weird look the entire time.
The meeting wrapped up and I fled my office, only having to talk to someone once before I got there.
I sat down at my desk, not replying to Ean but picking up the phone, once I’d found the number I was after.
I waited as it rung a few times.
“Good afternoon, Grace Hildrem’s office.”
“Hi, my name is Amy Black, I called the other day about—”
“You were on my list to call today, Ms. Black. We need to make an appointment for you as soon as possible.”
As soon as possible? I hesitated with my reply, gulping, “Alright.”
“You’re already fourteen weeks?”
“About.” I breathed.
“Well, can you come in on Friday?”
Friday! My panic was lost as I realized Ean might not be able to make it. “I have to check with me—er, that’s fine.”
“Great, at five thirty?”
I agreed to the appointment and then went about answering Ean’s email when my secretary rang in.
I rolled my eyes and hit the speaker button. “Hi.”
“Amy, line one.”
“Who is it, Chantel?” I stared at the dotting cursor in my email.
“He said his name is Ean.”
I whipped the phone from the receiver. “What?” I shot.
“Ean,” she repeated.
“Thanks. I got it.” I hit line one. “Hello?”
“Hey.” Ean chirped into the phone.
I sunk back in the swivel chair, “I was just going to answer your email.”
“It’s been awhile. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Everything is fine.”
“That’s good.”
“I was in a meeting,” I explained, “at work.”
He let out a breath that sounded like amusement. “Okay, sorry.”
“You don’t need to call when I don’t answer your email right away.”
“The computer annoys me.”
“Right.” I grumbled, “So, I just got an appointment for Friday so . . . you know, if that doesn’t work, it’s not a big deal if you can’t come.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I’ll give my shift to Jason. What time and where?” He was perky about the whole situation.
“Friday at Five Thirty,” I growled into the speaker, “It’s downtown.” I went about explaining how to get there, even though I didn’t think he actually knew what I was saying.
“Okay.” He agreed. “I’ll figure it out.”
“If you don’t want to give up work—”
“Don’t mind days off.”
“Okay.” I waited for him to end the conversation but he didn’t.
“So, if it’s Friday night, do you want to go out to dinner?”
I stopped at the abruptness of his question, what was that! What was he talking about?
“Amy?” He said after a few moments of silence.
I looked around my office, but I wasn’t sure why, nothing there was going to answer for me. Just as the door burst open and Elizabeth sauntered in. She waved at me as I threw my hand at her.
“I’ll have to get back to you,” I said quickly in a hushed voice.
Beth walked over and lifted an eyebrow. “Who’s on the phone?” She mouthed at me.
I wrinkled my nose at her in a shut up.
She watched me curiously.
“Sure,” Ean said slowly, “I just think it would be good to talk about . . .”
“Yeah, yeah!” I agreed, “fine, okay?” Wanting to shut him up and get him off the line.
“So, you’ll go out to dinner with me?”
Elizabeth was making weird faces and my heart thundered from all the pressure.
“Yeah, okay. I will. I need to go, though, see you Friday.”
“Sounds good. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.” I snapped the phone to the receiver and Beth stared at me from the other side of the desk.
“Why are you blushing?” She pointed out.
I rubbed a hand on my cheek. “What?”
“You’re face is red . . .”
“I’m hot.” I fanned myself now.
“Who was that?” She chirped.
“No one,” I answered quietly, not making eye contact.
“Was that Ean?”
“No!” I snapped, then gave it u., “Yeah. He’s odd like I was emailing him and apparently didn’t answer him fast enough, so that meant something must be wrong and then, he calls me! At work!”
Beth smiled as my words failed.
“What?”
“Had to check on his baby-momma, huh?”
I wrinkled my nose. “There’s a doctor’s appointment Friday, he’s coming to it.”
“Oh yeah,” She sat down on the corner of my desk, amused. “Then what?”
I hated how she pushed and prodded. “Nothing.”
“Right.” She laughed. “You’re cheeks wouldn’t be this red over a doctor’s appointment.”
I grumbled, “we’re going out to dinner, he forced me into it.”
“Oh!” Her eyes lit up. “I knew he asked you out on a date!”
“It’s dinner. We’re talking about the baby.” I tried to shut her up.
“What are you wearing?”
“Elizabeth, it is not a date,” I explained.
“Uh-huh. How’d he ask you?”
I rolled my eyes at her.
“Did he say; let’s talk about the baby after or did he say; do you want to go out to dinner with me?”
“Those are the same thing.”
“No, they are not.” She pointed at me like a scolding teacher would. “It’s a date! He likes you still, Amy!”
“He doesn’t like me, trust me! He probably thinks I’m some pregnant cow he now has to put up with now.”
“Ten bucks, he tries to kiss you,” She smirked.
I stared at her. “Why would he do that?”
“Fine, Ean Hunter hates you. You’re such a pregnant cow, Amy!” She laughed through her sarcasm.
I growled, “I hate you, Beth!”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved me off, “So, movie tonight?”
“Where’s Steve?” I grumbled.
“Not home till Friday,” she said with a sigh.
“Fine, see you later.” I agreed, just as quickly as I had to Ean. I was bagging under pressure, I had this feeling it was going to become a serious problem too.
~~~
Friday morning came and I had a need for alcohol. I wanted to drink and I wanted the expensive wine sitting in my cooler. It was mocking me, horrendously.
I envisioned how smooth it would be going down my throat, relaxing my nerves and not presenting such issues like I was in at that moment.
I started in the red dress, then the black suit. The red dress. The black suit. The red dress?
I snatched up the red and pulled it over my head. It did up thankfully but it hugged any curve I possessed. I grumbled, wondering if I looked fat.
I turned to the side and sucked in my slight belly. “Ahh . . . he knows I’m pregnant. Whatever.”
An hour later and I was at work, passing by Doug as he chatted up one of the new interns.
“Amy.” He had caught me before I got more than ten feet from him. He patted the desk to whisk off the intern and I spun to him.
“Morning, Doug.”
He smiled and looked me over, “What’s the occasion?”
“It’s Friday?” I tried.
“Friday’s generally casual, Amy.” He glanced down to his jeans and tucked in polo shirt.
Shit! I swore to myself. “I have a dinner later,” I explained nonchalantly.
He lifted an eyebrow. “With the girl in marketing?”
“No.” I shook my head, “Doug, I’m not—”
“Ah,” Then put his hand on my shoulder as he walked me towards my office. “Maybe I got confused.”
I didn’t know what to say, my cheeks were getting hot though and I was choking on the bile rising in my throat.
“Have a good day.” His hand fell down my arm and he left me, waving at Chantel as he did.
I made a face and walked to my desk, after shutting the door firmly. I brushed off the fact that I felt weird about his touching, I didn’t need any more on my mind. I already had enough nervousness towards Ean later and because of that fact alone, the day dragged on.
By quarter to three, I was sitting staring at unopened emails and with a sharp headache to boot. I didn’t want to answer them, even though I knew one was time sensitive. I was procrastinating and badly too.
That was when the intercom buzzed and I snapped back to the real world. I hit the speaker button. “Hello?”
“Hi, Amy, there’s a man about to come into your office—”
“Who?”
The door opened, Ean walked in and I slapped the intercom off.
“What are you doing here!” I stood as he shut the door.
He glanced around. “Swanky office, hey?”
I stared at him, he looked so different. “Do you have trousers on?”
“Oh.” He patted the dark gray slacks and blue dress shirt. “Yeah, have to dress up, it’s the city.”
I stared at him and how generally city-pretty he looked.
He glanced at the couches. “Hope you don’t have white couches at home, they might get dirty quick.”
My eyes flew open at his suggestive remark. “What?”
He nodded and looked to me. “White furniture, and babies, not a good combo. My sister can vouch.”
“Funny.” I was relieved he hadn’t meant sex.
“You look pretty.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a lovely dress. You look beautiful.”
I decided to ignore the compliment. “Why are you here? I said I would meet you at the doctor’s office.”
“Well, I was early and your business card said where you worked. I realized it was close to the doctor’s,” he explained, sitting down. He was making himself comfortable and it bothered me.
I wreathed. “Ean, I’m still working.”
“Oh.” He paused. “I’ll come back.”
In all actuality, I had been about to leave. “No, it’s okay this time.”
Our eyes met and he smiled at me.
“Let just get out of here.” I went about shutting down my computer and collecting a few of my things, shoving them in my purse.
I noticed how quietly and patiently he waited as I found my jacket and slipped it on. Right as I was about to lead us out, the office door opened and Doug stepped in.
He paused, looking over Ean. “Hello?”
Ean gave him a stiff nod.
I swallowed. “We’re just heading out.”
Doug looked over Ean once more before he turned to me. “You didn’t deal with Maddison yet.”
I stopped. “Uh, yeah, I was going to do it tonight.”
“It’s sort of time sensitive,” Doug snapped.
I glanced at Ean, who was giving Doug a peeved look.
“I have a doctor’s appointment,” I told him.
“Can I talk to you a minute?”
I caught on Doug didn’t want Ean in the room. “Sure.” I walked to Ean and grabbed him by his shoulder. “Can you give us a minute?” I shoved him out of my office but he caught the door.
“I’ll be right out here,” He said loud enough to fill my office.
“Duh.” I closed it and turned to Doug.
“I need Maddison dealt with.”
“I know but we’re not closing anything till Monday—”
“It’s your job. Start doing it,” he shot.
He’d never talked to me like that before. I was his confidant, I made the choices, I bought the companies. Doug listened to me.
“I have a doctor’s appointment, Doug. It’s important.”
He tilted his head. “You know, Amy, these past few months have been ridiculous. I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Like what?”
“I’m just warning you. The partners are wondering what’s going on.”
If that was the honest truth, it scared me because never in my life had I let anything affect my work.
“There is some talk if you’re still the right fit for the company anymore.”
I almost blew up then and there, taking all my composure to not.
“So, if you can deal with Maddison tonight, that’d be awesome.”
I nodded and he nodded back, about to leave.
“Who’s the guy?” He asked.
I shook my head. “No one.”
Doug smiled and then left my office.
I put my hand to my temple and walked back over to my desk, sitting down and starting the computer as Ean walked back in.
“I have to do something.”
“Ah, ‘cause the asshole, says so?” Ean closed the door.
I looked up to him, wrinkling my nose. “What?”
Ean shook his head, staying quiet like he’d thought better of his words.
“I need fifteen minutes.”
He sat on the couch, watching me as I typed.
I tried to ignore him but every once in awhile, through my needed thinking breaks, I looked to him.
He had leaned back in the couch and put his hands behind his head. I was having a hard time not watching him from the corner of my eye.
I finally finished the email and though I likely should have called and confirmed up my proposal for Maddison, I wanted out of the office.
I stood once I shut my computer down. “Okay.”
Ean sprung to life. “Good, we were going to be late if you were any longer.”
I reached for my coat on the couch but he grabbed it and helped me slip it on. His hands settled on my shoulders as he helped adjust it to my shoulders.
“Thanks.”
“After you.” He motioned to the door.
I left first and walked out to Chantel. “If Maddison calls, tell them to call my cell.”
“Sure, Amy.” She nodded, looking at Ean more than me. “Have a nice weekend.”
“You too.” I walked forward and Ean followed behind me, staying close.
We waited for the elevator and I noticed his happiness.
“Why are you so giddy?” I asked as we stepped into the elevator. I hit the bottom floor.
“Am I?”
“You appear to be.”
I noticed his smirk and his reply never came. We were soon out on the busy sidewalk and Ean pointed in a direction to head in.
“I paid for parking, like ten dollars in coins, I didn’t know I had.” He wasn’t happy about that fact.
“Downtown.” I reminded him.
He grunted. “Got the memo.” He skipped in front and grabbed the door of the old truck. “There you go.”
I tried not to let the charm seep into my soul as I slid across the bench seat. It smelled like pine air-freshener and musky cologne. Woodsy-pleasant.
I watched him gauge traffic and then get in the driver’s seat, quite quick, apparently not one to trust other drivers but I guess, that made sense.
He started the engine and the radio came on, I wrinkled my nose at the country station and looked out the window as a distraction technique away from a conversation.
It didn’t work. “So,” Ean started.
I waited for him to continue.
“Is your boss always such a dick?”
“He’s not that bad.” I defended Doug and his Doug-ism, which was pathetic. He was a bit of pig if I thought about it but he had never bothered me much. I could handle him, it was other girls that were stupid for it.
“He’s a prick,” Ean concluded.
“You met him for a point of a second.”
He grunted. “Enough for his prick status to be highlighted.”
“Thanks for that, Ean. Had no idea my rich, idiot boss was a prick. Needed you to clear it up.”
He looked to me. “As long as he doesn’t touch you, we’re good.”
I stared at him as he looked back to the traffic, leaving me stunned by his words.
“You don’t actually control who touches me, Ean.” I retorted, blowing off his chest puffing.
He leaned back in his seat as he waited for a red light to turn. “Hmm.”
I wished he’d turn the music back up, even if it were country dribble. We drove the rest of the way there, awkward in silence.
When we got to the office building, I had to restrain myself from taking off. Walking into the bottom floor office, I stopped to talk to the medical assistant. She was warm, welcoming and handed me a clipboard to fill out.
I took an available seat as we waited and Ean sat next to me.
“What does that all that say?”
He was so interested in everything!
I looked it over. “Medical information.”
He looked over my shoulder as I filled it out.
“Do you mind?” I gave him a weird look.
He backed off. “Sorry.”
I adjusted the clipboard on my knee and continued to fill it out, less his prying eyes when abruptly my name was called.
I glanced across the reception as Ean jumped to his feet, surprised by his rapid response.
“What are you doing?” I asked, standing, hugging the board to my chest.
“Coming with you.”
“Uh, it’s okay. I can—”
He didn’t let me finish as he grabbed my arm and walked forward.
The nurse led us down the hall and brought us into a bright little room with a comfy looking couch.
Ean let up his grip once I wiggled from him, the door closing behind us.
“Hmm.” He glanced over a poster of something having to do with babies as I sat.
I watched him, uncomfortably but he sure didn’t seem to have the same anxiety like me. A very aware man. He turned to another poster and looked it over. My eyes trailed him, his broad shoulders in the dress shirt became mesmerizing. I wondered if he’d dressed like that for me and then it became a hope.
The door opened and it disturbed me away from Ean and his sexy clothing.
“Good afternoon! I’m Grace Hildrem!”
I stared at the doctor I’d chosen to look after our child and me.
She was forty something, long curly haired and hippie looking. I creased my brow as she introduced herself and greeted Ean.
“You’re a doctor?” I blurted out.
Ean smiled. “Amy.”
“No, it’s alright.” The doctor laughed him off. “I’m a registered RN and a midwife.”
“What?” I stared at her, “No . . . my . . . my friend Beth told me . . .” How had I gotten this so completely messed up, What the hell was a midwife!
I blubbered, this is what I got for trying to find a doctor this late into my pregnancy, I was so stupid!
Ean seemed more than happy, though, but of course, he did.
I sat in my panic as I took in the booklets and pamphlets I was given, all the while the hippie yammered on. I wanted to know why Ean looked so incredibly happy! And then their conversation caught my attention . . .
“So, we do a birth plan and we always try to encourage natural birth.” She held out a paper to me.
I stared at her. “Natural what?”
Ean took the paper being handed to me. “Natural birth, Amy.”
I glanced at him and back to the hippie, laughing. “Oh, no! I want to be put out.”
“What?” Ean shot.
The woman stared in silence. “Well, you’d like to plan a cesarean? You don’t want to—”
“No.” Ean interrupted. “She doesn’t understand, it’s okay—”
“No, no!” I held up my hands to stop them. “I understand perfectly and I am not pushing ‘anything’ out of me.”
Ean swallowed and moved in close to me. “Amy—”
“Nah!” I pointed to him. “Don’t even go there, Ean.”
He leaned back, annoyed, obviously—but I didn’t care at all about he wanted, it was my body.
“Perhaps we should talk about the benefits of a natural birth?” The hippie suggested.
I started to laugh. “Are you flipping serious? There are modern medical practices for a reason, okay?”
“Amy,” Ean snapped, “C-sections are major surgery. You don’t want to do that unless you have to.”
I turned to him, pointing. “I’m not pushing it out of me!”
“It?” He echoed.
“Well,” The doctor continued, “-perhaps we’ll let you two discuss that.”
You two? I was the only one that mattered. I was done with the conversation, I had made up my mind and I had also made up my mind that the hippie was not the right doctor. I needed drugs and major surgery, as Ean put it.
I started to switch off my brain, letting Ean have the conversation with her and then one more thing caught my attention.
They both looked to me, the hippie held an instrument on her lap.
“Amy?” Ean sounded exhausted suddenly.
“What?”
“Do you want to hear the heartbeat?” Grace asked.
I swallowed. “Oh.”
“Just lie down,” She instructed.
Ean got up and walked across the office. I had annoyed him, and I admitted, I felt some guilt seeing him disappointed with me.
I lied down under her instruction, still watching him.
Grace moved forward on her chair and brought a blanket to my legs, shimmying up my dress.
“This will be a bit cool.”
I flinched as the gel was applied to my bare stomach.
She flipped on the noisy little machine and put the end of the instrument to my stomach which made a whooshing sound. I’d heard it before, this machine sounded different but I had heard it before. Ean on the other hand . . .
It made a loud crack as she found the fast little heartbeat.
“There it is.” She chirped.
He turned slowly to the noise and I looked away from him, once again—I’d managed to kill a moment. Hunt it down, shoot it, stuff it . . . I mean, how many countless times in my life had I done this? And only now, with Ean, did I see it.
“It sounds perfect. Can you hear it?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, glancing to Ean. He swallowed and looked away, walking a few steps closer to the wall again, pulling at his hair.
I sat up as she wiped the gel from my stomach. “Thank you,” I murmured, watching Ean. He looked like he wanted to run.
“We’ll get you in for an ultrasound.”
“I had one,” I informed her.
“This is to check and make sure the baby is healthy, at nineteen weeks we’ll do that.” She continued, “You really need to go get a few blood tests as well, your gynecologist only did one. Plus we need to get an update on it.”
I wrinkled my nose at the idea of more needle poking. “Fine.”
“Here, these will be for the tests.” She handed me a few papers once she’d signed them.
“I’ll try to do them tomorrow,” I told her, attempting to find another doctor wouldn’t be worth it. This lady was raring to go and Ean had seemed to like her, but now he was distant—that likely had less to do with Grace and more to do with me.
I added the papers to the pile beside me.
“Any questions?” She finally was wrapping it up.
“No.” I shook my head, my eyes still looking to Ean as he walked back over.
“Ean?” She asked.
“No.” He shook his head, his voice soft, “Thank you.”
“Please, make the next appointment on your way out.” She smiled, sending us off and leaving the door open with her departure.
We walked out of the room without a word to one another and I hugged the papers to my chest quite protectively. I made another appointment and stuck the reminder in my purse as we exited the office. The spring air did nothing for me and it didn’t shake Ean out of his new mood either.
He unlocked the truck and we got inside, this time, I wasn’t privy to his manners.
After another five minutes of his silence, I just couldn’t take it.
“Did I offend you?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m fine. Sorry.”
I was confused about his apology. “For what?”
He shrugged, quiet again.
“Did you like her?” I asked in a weary voice.
“The midwife?” He sounded mildly interested in the conversation, I was quietly thankful for it too.
“Yeah.”
“I thought she was nice. Seems to know a lot about babies, which is a good thing. You didn’t appear to like her, though.” He pointed out.
Is this why he was mad? I sighed, “She’s not a doctor.”
“She’s like an expert in birthing and delivering babies, Amy, what more do you want? I mean for a minute there, I actually thought you’d chosen a midwife on your own doing but then I realized, it was a mistake. Doesn’t matter anyway, get a doctor if you need one to make you have more peace of mind.”
“Yeah, I’m just not the natural type.” I explained.
“City, concrete, swanky little job, had no idea.” He snapped.
I stared at him as displayed his ass-card. “What’s your problem? You were perfectly happy going in there? Did the witch doctor spook you?”
He snorted and stayed quiet.
“Well, Ean, spill it,” I shot, “I don’t have all day like those country folks do!”
“I’m confused why you even kept it. Obviously, you don’t want what’s best for the baby.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You only care about yourself!” He argued, “You’re a self-centered princess. I seriously want to know why we even met. What greater power needed to curse me like this?”
I stared at him and for some reason, he had hurt me. I wasn’t used to that cause and effect.
“I thought I could do this. I mean I like you . . . so, it should help but you make it so difficult, Amy. The more I get to know you, the more you—” He groaned, “You’re so stubborn.”
I felt a lump in my throat. “I’m a curse?”
“What?”
“You said I’m a curse.” I started to cry, seriously, I was crying about what he’d just said. “I’m like a witch doctor spell!”
“Err.” He tapped the steering wheel from my sudden change of emotion.
“I know I’m hard to deal with. Everyone’s always told me that. That’s why I have no friends except Elizabeth because she can deal with me. But I have no family, no other friends, no boyfriend and I can forget everything else associated with that. I thought I could—” Sobbing, I wiped my tears.
“Amy, I didn’t mean it like that.”
I cried harder.
“Amy,” He tried again, “I got weird in there because it just reminded me of things from the past. I’m over it.”
I swallowed and my tears only half way halted. “What?”
“Don’t cry, okay? I was just stupid. It’s a lot for me too.”
I nodded and looked out the window, I was so dumb, of course, the whole heart beat thing might have sparked the past in his mind.
I heard him shift in his seat. “All I’ve wanted to do is see you, Amy. This whole week and finally, I broke to the pressure and emailed you. I hate emailing, by the way,” he added, “I type really slow.”
I then pictured him looking for the correct letters, one index finger at a time.
“We’ll figure this out. If you don’t like that doctor, it’s okay.” He went on with the conversation, “There’s a lot—”
“It’s all right.” I cut him off, “She’s not that bad. I’ll give her another chance.” In some weird way, it made me happy pleasing him. I quickly caught myself in that act, though, “Anyway, where are we going?”
“A restaurant.”
“Well, which one.” I knew them all in this city, most of the one’s worth knowing that was.
He reached for the drink holder on the dash and lifted a ripped up piece of paper. “What’s that say?” He squinted.
I took it from him, rolling my eyes. I glanced at the name he had scribbled down and then I finally understood his beyond messy handwriting. “We can’t go here!”
“Uh . . .” He paused, “I made a reservation, though.”
“We can’t go here!” I repeated I was not setting foot in that place with Ean Hunter!
“Why?” He asked, confused.
I debated whether or not to tell him.
“Amy?” He pushed.
“Richard broke up with me there.” I finally got out.
Ean sighed, “Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously.” I snapped.
He took the paper from me. “I thought it would have been a safe bet.”
“It’s really expensive,” I also noted.
He shrugged.
“Like super expensive.”
“Okay.” He brushed me off again. “We won’t go there, not because it’s expensive though but because your asshole-ex broke up with you there. I had to beg for that reservation too. I got put on a wait list, that is very hard to get on to, apparently, according to the hostess; Stephanie.”
“So, you know it’s like six hundred for dinner?”
“I figured we’d have a nice time.”
I paused, Elizabeth was right, it was a date. I was on a date with Ean Hunter.
He looked at me for a moment. “So, you won’t let me try to override the dick-face experience?”
“With tax, you’re looking at—”
“Stop with the money.” He snapped, “I understand. It’s a day’s wage up on the rig. Let’s move on.”
A day’s wage! I echoed in my head, Ugh, expensive renovations on his house and his own woodworking shop, I guess it made sense.
“Fine.” I breathed.
He smiled, he’d more than won and I’d more than let him.