sorry, Marley. Please look at me. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I snapped, crossing my arms, refusing to look at him. “I’m just hungry. I skipped lunch.” He had given me a ton of work today, and it was all I’d been able to do to finish, even with staying late.
“Why would you do that?” There was censure in his voice, as if he might go into a lecture. I didn’t like it.
“Because, my boss is a big dick,” I blurted, before my mind could even comprehend the words. I cringed at my stupidity, preparing myself for the rage he would bestow on me. Rage I most likely deserved at this point. Instead, I only heard laughter. It was a natural laugh, without any reproach or hostility.
I glanced up at him. He was holding out a Zesty bar over my shoulder. “If I give you this, do you promise not to throw it at me?” His eyes looked hopeful, but he smiled tightly. It seemed like a fake smile, one he donned to put me at ease. It worked.
I snatched the protein bar and opened it hungrily. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have called you that.”
He moved to the opposite side of the elevator again and sat down. “It’s okay, I deserved it. Seriously, though, I don’t want you to skip lunch anymore. If I’m giving you too much work, you need to communicate that to me. I mean it.”
I nodded, nibbling on the Zesty bar. It tasted like heaven to me.
“Sartre?” Rick asked in a low, serious tone, after a few minutes of silence.
I gaped at him, unsure if I’d heard correctly.
“You quoted Jean-Paul Sartre, ‘Hell is other people’. Don’t worry, I don’t take offence—I was giving you hell after all.”
I had to admit it was a pretty awful thing to say to someone. Especially when that someone gave you a Zesty bar after you were so mean. “You’ve read No Exit ?”
Rick nodded. “Yes, I took the prerequisite philosophy course in college. For the record, I think you’re very smart. You’re able to extrapolate data to make sound business decisions like no one I’ve ever seen. Besides that, how many girls can quote a French existentialist philosopher? Also, I don’t know if your hair colour is qualified as blonde, but I do think it’s beautiful. And, although you look good in anything, my day is a little brighter when you choose to wear a skirt. But trust me, Marley, I would never reward you for it.”
His words should have been uncomfortable for me. Instead, they only relaxed the tension in my body. It felt like his admission was the release of deep secret and confirmed all my speculations. “So, you do notice the skirts.”
“I have eyes, don’t I?” Yes, glittering green orbs that exude sexuality.
I was shocked at how forthright he was being in that moment. The disguised innuendos and flirtatious advances were replaced with naked honesty. I wished I could be candid with him, but it wasn’t possible…not for me.
“Thank you for clearing that up.” I turned away from him, not sure what else to say. The air became heavier, permeated by our collective silence. Finally, I broke it. “I majored in philosophy.”
“I know.”
I looked at him perplexed. He smiled reassuringly as if he was accepting my change of subject.
“I read your résumé, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“What were you hoping to accomplish with a degree in philosophy?” he asked curiously, without reproach.
I chuckled. “I was hoping to find the meaning of life, but instead I just found the meaning of debt. Sallie Mae and I have a very close relationship. She writes to me once a month.”
He laughed heartily, getting my joke about the nickname for the student loan agency. A joke, which no one else ever seemed to get. “Is that why you live at home?”
I tensed. It wasn’t a secret that I lived at home—I’m sure any number of people could have told him that—but I wondered how he had obtained the information.
“That’s none of your business.” I bit down on my lip. I hadn’t meant to sound so cold. I should
“I’m fine,” I snapped, crossing my arms, refusing to look at him. “I’m just hungry. I skipped lunch.” He had given me a ton of work today, and it was all I’d been able to do to finish, even with staying late.
“Why would you do that?” There was censure in his voice, as if he might go into a lecture. I didn’t like it.
“Because, my boss is a big dick,” I blurted, before my mind could even comprehend the words. I cringed at my stupidity, preparing myself for the rage he would bestow on me. Rage I most likely deserved at this point. Instead, I only heard laughter. It was a natural laugh, without any reproach or hostility.
I glanced up at him. He was holding out a Zesty bar over my shoulder. “If I give you this, do you promise not to throw it at me?” His eyes looked hopeful, but he smiled tightly. It seemed like a fake smile, one he donned to put me at ease. It worked.
I snatched the protein bar and opened it hungrily. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have called you that.”
He moved to the opposite side of the elevator again and sat down. “It’s okay, I deserved it. Seriously, though, I don’t want you to skip lunch anymore. If I’m giving you too much work, you need to communicate that to me. I mean it.”
I nodded, nibbling on the Zesty bar. It tasted like heaven to me.
“Sartre?” Rick asked in a low, serious tone, after a few minutes of silence.
I gaped at him, unsure if I’d heard correctly.
“You quoted Jean-Paul Sartre, ‘Hell is other people’. Don’t worry, I don’t take offence—I was giving you hell after all.”
I had to admit it was a pretty awful thing to say to someone. Especially when that someone gave you a Zesty bar after you were so mean. “You’ve read No Exit ?”
Rick nodded. “Yes, I took the prerequisite philosophy course in college. For the record, I think you’re very smart. You’re able to extrapolate data to make sound business decisions like no one I’ve ever seen. Besides that, how many girls can quote a French existentialist philosopher? Also, I don’t know if your hair colour is qualified as blonde, but I do think it’s beautiful. And, although you look good in anything, my day is a little brighter when you choose to wear a skirt. But trust me, Marley, I would never reward you for it.”
His words should have been uncomfortable for me. Instead, they only relaxed the tension in my body. It felt like his admission was the release of deep secret and confirmed all my speculations. “So, you do notice the skirts.”
“I have eyes, don’t I?” Yes, glittering green orbs that exude sexuality.
I was shocked at how forthright he was being in that moment. The disguised innuendos and flirtatious advances were replaced with naked honesty. I wished I could be candid with him, but it wasn’t possible…not for me.
“Thank you for clearing that up.” I turned away from him, not sure what else to say. The air became heavier, permeated by our collective silence. Finally, I broke it. “I majored in philosophy.”
“I know.”
I looked at him perplexed. He smiled reassuringly as if he was accepting my change of subject.
“I read your résumé, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“What were you hoping to accomplish with a degree in philosophy?” he asked curiously, without reproach.
I chuckled. “I was hoping to find the meaning of life, but instead I just found the meaning of debt. Sallie Mae and I have a very close relationship. She writes to me once a month.”
He laughed heartily, getting my joke about the nickname for the student loan agency. A joke, which no one else ever seemed to get. “Is that why you live at home?”
I tensed. It wasn’t a secret that I lived at home—I’m sure any number of people could have told him that—but I wondered how he had obtained the information.
“That’s none of your business.” I bit down on my lip. I hadn’t meant to sound so cold. I should
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