Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“No.” I shook my head. “I’ve just . . . I’ve probably heard them play.” Where on earth had he met this friend that did not sound like the kind of friend he’d meet via his family?
As if he heard the question, Rafe lifted the menu to peruse it as he offered, “I met him at vet school. He dropped out, but we stayed friends.”
“Cool.” Rafe had friends. First Owen, now Alfie. That was nice. I didn’t want him to be a truly unhappy bachelor with no social life who worked constantly.
But then I supposed that was what I was there to find out. After I divulged some illuminating history at his parents’ dinner table, Rafe realized I was previously correct. We should have taken time to get to know each other better before we pretended to be a couple in front of other people. Luckily, we’d gotten away with it with his family, but his mom and Pippa were insisting on his presence at a charity event next Saturday evening and Pippa had attempted to set him up on a date.
I tried not to feel insulted by that since this wasn’t real between us, but it was difficult not to take it personally that she didn’t want me dating her brother-in-law. Rafe had told her he was bringing me and now, a week after the family dinner, he wanted to meet me to “get to know me” and vice versa.
Since I was definitely getting more out of our bargain considering I’d only had to attend one date since he’d begun paying me, I, of course, cleared my schedule to meet him at my favorite cheeseburger place. Rafe had insisted on coming to Staten Island instead of making me trudge into the city, and that was really thoughtful.
Speaking of trudging . . . “Did you get a cab here? I didn’t see the Pontiac parked outside.”
The left side of his mouth curled up. “I don’t leave my baby lying around in strange places.”
For some absurd reason, those words in his rumbly voice caused a clench deep in my lower belly.
I cleared my throat. “Makes sense. Did you cab it?”
“No. I got the subway, then the ferry and the bus.”
“You did public transport?”
His lips pinched together for a few seconds as he kept his gaze on his menu. “Yes, imagine that: the rich boy worked out how to get on a bus.”
Wincing, I sucked in a breath. “Sorry.”
He looked up from the menu, his expression indecipherable. “I won’t pretend my family isn’t wealthy, Star. I’m not ashamed of it. But I’m also not a frivolous person and I try to be as aware of my privilege as possible. If I don’t need to take expensive cabs everywhere, then I won’t.”
I nodded and was about to apologize again when I realized that I’d never jumped to conclusions about people before I met Rafe. That wasn’t me. I was not a judgmental person. The dynamic between me and Rafe was different and, honestly, I wasn’t going to take all the blame for it. “I rarely judge people. It’s not in my nature, considering I’ve been judged my whole life. But I think you put me on the defense when we first met and it comes naturally to react to anything you say in that way. I’ll stop, though. I promise.”
Rafe studied me for so long I thought he might just get up and walk out. Then he said, “As I mentioned before, I was in a horrible mood when we met.” He sighed heavily. “I’ve been in a horrible mood for months. And you’re right. I might not understand your choices of profession, or like them, for that matter, but they are your choices and it’s not my place to judge. I’ll stop too.”
Not exactly a groveling apology, but it would do. Yet I couldn’t just graciously accept it, could I? It bothered me that he was so against my jobs, and I didn’t know why it bothered me. It shouldn’t! “What is so wrong with my jobs?”
He cut me a look and then lifted his menu. “What’s good here?”
“Don’t avoid.” I shoved his menu down. “And the bacon cheeseburger.”
“Hey, are you guys ready to order?” A gorgeous young woman in a tight polo shirt and an even tighter short black skirt stopped at our table. Her fabulous long legs were bare and she wore cute high-top sneakers because she didn’t need high heels to make her legs look like they went on forever. I glanced at Rafe. It wouldn’t be the first time I was out for a meal with a guy and he’d ogled the server.
Rafe didn’t even look up from the menu. He asked me first, “What are you having?”
“Bacon cheeseburger,” I answered, handing her my menu. “And a soda water and lime.”