into my office and demanding to be removed from his accounts was the only shared experience that we had. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in the details. If they were divorced and he still wanted her to have his money, that could only mean he’d fucked up. He probably cheated, but that didn’t make sense because why would a man cheat on a woman like that? “How do you like your new apartment?”
“I like it a lot.” She rested her hand over the top of her glass, as if she were afraid someone would spike it if she looked away for a few seconds. “I got a good deal on it, and it’s close to work. It’s not in the best neighborhood and it’s a little small, but it has everything I need.”
I didn’t like imagining her in a dangerous area, so my initial impulse was to buy her a beautiful place. But that would offend her, and it would be totally inappropriate on my end. I didn’t even know this woman. It didn’t matter how many billions of dollars I had; I shouldn’t spend any of it on someone I hardly knew. “What are your plans for the future?” I assumed she didn’t intend to be a waitress forever, but I didn’t want to ask her what other skills she had because that would make me sound like an ass.
“What kind of question is that?” She turned back to me. “What are your plans for the future, Damien?”
I took a drink before I answered. “The same shit I always do. Work.” I didn’t have much of a life, but that had never bothered me until recently. I used to work, fuck, and then do it all over again. It was satisfying…until Hades left. Now, I was alone all the time, tortured by my guilt and regret. “To be honest, I don’t have a lot in my life. I don’t have a lot of friends or family. I’m a slave to my job.”
Instead of judging me, her eyes softened. “I don’t have anyone either.”
My other hand rested on my thigh, and there were times when I wanted to reach out and rest my fingers against her knee. I wanted to touch her like she was mine, but she was different from other women, so I couldn’t do those things. “I find that hard to believe. You’re a lovely person.”
“Even if that’s true, it doesn’t matter. After my divorce, people took sides. And of course, they sided with him.”
Why would they do that if he was in the wrong? Maybe she was the one at fault after all. “Why did they choose him?”
“He’s the one with the money.” She rolled her eyes and took a drink.
Since she didn’t elaborate, I didn’t pry.
“The bank closes at five, so I’m surprised you have to work so much. Don’t you own it?”
“True. But I have a second job.” If her husband used our services at the bank, he wasn’t a clean-cut guy. He must break the law in many ways. She was either aware of that or completely in the dark. The fact that she didn’t want his money made me wonder if his criminal activities were the reason she was opposed to it. If she knew I was a drug dealer, would she walk out right now? I didn’t want to lie, but I didn’t want to ruin this before we even had a chance.
Thankfully, she didn’t ask. “I might have to get a second job too, but I’m sure my reasons are different from yours.”
“What did you have in mind?” I could get her a good job somewhere with a nice salary, but I suspected she would reject my offer. Maybe after we got to know each other a little better, she’d be more receptive to it. I could tell this woman was too proud to take a handout. I admired her for it even though I didn’t like it. But the thing that surprised me the most was myself. Why did I want to help her at all? Why did I care?
“Maybe bartending.” She turned on her stool, and her knee gently grazed mine. She had beautiful tanned skin that didn’t possess a single flaw. Her body was toned like she did weights or some other form of exercise. “Maybe stripping.”
Both of my eyebrows rose up my face. “You’d be a damn good stripper.”