Maid for Each Other(46)

Dex: I have never been described as delightful before.

I texted: I’m sure that’s true but I had a delightful time with you at the hangar.

Dex: I had an OK time ;）

I sent: I’m pretty sure it’s like Munchausen syndrome or something, the way I’ve grown to tolerate you after hating you so much.

Dex: （a） You never hated me, and （b） isn’t Munchausen’s when mothers poison their own children because they want medical attention?

I snorted because he was right. I texted: I meant the thing where hostages start to like their captors.

Dex: I knew that’s what you meant. Btw I left your check on the desk in the bedroom.

I walked into the bedroom and wanted to vomit when I saw the check sitting there, on top of the desk across from the bed. The symbolism of that made me feel like trash. Now that I thought he was a decent person, the fact that he was paying me a small fortune for basically nothing felt super ick.

Like I was extorting him or something.

I’d realized at the hangar that I had a decision to make about that. I desperately wanted my student loans to be paid off, to be able to start fresh on my future without that hanging over my head, but I hadn’t earned forty thousand dollars. I mean, I had barely earned forty dollars, if I was being honest.

I’d slept in a fancy apartment and went to fancy outings wearing fancy clothing that I would never be able to afford in real life; how was that something I thought I could charge someone for?

I hadn’t come up with my definitive answer yet, but I was beginning to think I wasn’t going to cash that check.

I walked out of the bedroom and texted: That reminds me—I’ll leave your necklace on the kitchen counter when I head out on Friday.

Dex: Don’t. It’s yours.

I groaned and went into the kitchen, raising a hand to touch the chocolate diamonds that hadn’t left my neck since he’d bought me the necklace. How was I supposed to keep my wits about me when the man was giving me jewels? I could not keep that gorgeous necklace that he’d so charmingly said reminded him of my freckles, which was why I’d already taken about a hundred pictures of it.

I texted: It most definitely is NOT mine. I saw the price tag. It was a great idea—Warren and the gang ate it up—but there’s no reason you should be stuck for that money.

Dex: I’m not going to return it so you might as well keep it.

The man was an absolute ghoul about money. A fifteen-thousand-dollar necklace that he was going to let sit in a drawer because he didn’t want to return it?

I texted: Save it and give it to someone else.

Dex: I’m not going to do that. It was fun, and if you like it you should have it and wear it.

I sighed and opened the fridge. Texted: You really don’t care about money at all, do you?

Instead of texting, my phone started ringing. It was him, of course.

When I answered, he said, “I don’t care about stuff.”

Stuff. He considered a fifteen-thousand-dollar necklace “stuff.”

I didn’t want to get into it, so I said, “This is random, but do you mind if I use your kitchen implements? I’ll buy my own groceries, but I would really love to bake in your fabulous kitchen one more time before I go.”

“I thought you said you only know three recipes,” he said.

“That’s cooking.” I leaned down to peer into the back of the fridge. “Baking is another thing entirely.”

“Of course,” he said, sounding amused. “Yeah, uh, feel free to use whatever you want and if I have the things you need, don’t go buy groceries.”

I stood back up straight. “Why are you being so nice? Are you so happy this is over that you’re kissing my ass in celebration?”

“I suppose that’s part of it,” he said. “And now that I sort of know you, I guess you feel a little less like a threat.”

“Did you see me as a threat before?” Was I threatening? I kind of liked that thought. “I don’t know that anybody has ever called me that before.”

“It was your attitude. I wasn’t scared of you causing me bodily harm, but I was a little terrified about what you might do to my life and reputation.”

I shut the fridge and wandered over to the pantry. “Is this the part where you’re going to admit that I was fantastic?”

“This is the part where I’m admitting you didn’t destroy everything.”

“I guess I’ll take it,” I said, stepping into what was basically another room. His pantry was stocked from floor to ceiling with dry goods and ingredients, and I’d never be over it.

“So what are you doing with the rest of your day?” he asked, and I thought how weird it was that he was chatting with me on the phone like a friend. Like, what was that? And even weirder was that it felt so…comfortable.

Was Declan my friend now?

“I want to get some ideas outlined before class tomorrow, and I have to work at Benny’s tomorrow morning and clean a unit in your building down on five tomorrow night.”

“Is it weird that I kind of forgot you do that?” he asked.

“Yeah, it is weird,” I replied. “What’s weirder will be the first time I have to clean this place now that I know you.”

“I might have to become a slob,” he said teasingly, “just to ruin your life.”