Finally (Neighbor from Hell #12) - R.L. Mathewson Page 0,68

even as she couldn’t help but wonder if she would be better off leaving her lunch in here from now on to throw Devin off.

“Sleeping with the boss,” Kelly said with a pointed look just as T.J. strolled into the room along with Scott and about half the upstairs staff, who were probably looking for their morning donut fix.

When Kelly’s words sank in, there was an awkward silence and then…

“There are?” Charlie asked, slowly blinking.

“Mmmhmm,” Kelly said around a sip of the acidic coffee that she was using an as excuse to try to humiliate Charlie only to add in a conspiratorial whisper, “It’s kind of pathetic.”

“Dating the hottest guy in town is pathetic?” Charlie said, earning a few chuckles and an outraged, “Hey!” from T.J.

“No, thinking that he’s interested in more than a free babysitter is,” Kelly said with a pointed look at Charlie as she went to take another sip of coffee only to choke on it when Charlie said, “Whores don’t work for free.”

“W-what?”

“I mean, not that I’ve really put much thought into it or anything, but I’d like to think that if I was a whore that I’d be a high-classed one,” Charlie mumbled thoughtfully.

“Wait. I didn’t say-”

“I’d like to think so at least,” Charlie said, nodding solemnly as she struggled to remember that bizarre conversation that she’d had with Ben on her twenty-first birthday when they’d argued over who would make more money as a whore. She didn’t care what he said, she’d definitely make more money than him.

“But I didn’t say-”

“That I was a whore?” Charlie said, beating her to it with a sad shake of her head. “No, it’s okay. I need to learn to accept my new station in life. It will make things easier so that I don’t get my hopes up when Devin grows tired of me and it’s time for me to find someone else willing to pay for my services.”

“This is so painful to watch,” T.J. mumbled as everyone nodded in agreement, watching as Kelly’s face turned an interesting shade of red.

“You’ve given me a lot to think about, Kelly,” Charlie said with a sad shake of her head as she headed towards the door only to pause long enough to grab T.J.’s arm and drag him behind her as she threw over her shoulder, “He’s my ten o’clock.”

Chapter 32

“She called Charlie a whore?” Devin demanded, dropping his hammer as he turned around to-

“No,” T.J. said around a bite of coffee roll as he stopped him with his free hand, “she tried to get into a battle of wits with Charlie and lost. What I really need you to focus on is the fact that your girlfriend dragged me to Dixon’s afterwards and made me buy her a dozen jelly donuts.”

“Why didn’t you come get me?” Devin snapped, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced back at his office to find Charlie working at her desk as she nibbled on a donut.

“Did you not just hear me? She dragged me downstairs and then tightened her hold on my arm when I tried to escape and dragged me all the way down the street to Dixon’s. I feared for my life every step of the way!”

“What’s everyone saying about me dating Charlie?” Devin asked as he struggled against the urge to put his fist through something.

He should have thought about this and kept their relationship a secret for Charlie’s sake so that-

“Not much other than they’re pissed that Scott won the pool,” T.J. said, shrugging it off as he finished off the last bite of coffee roll before reaching for the white bakery bag that Devin decided was rightfully his.

“What pool?” Devin snapped, snatching the bag off the table before T.J. could grab it.

“The pool we’ve had going since Charlie started five years ago,” T.J. said with a “duh” look as he gestured for Devin to hand the bag back over. When Devin only glared, T.J. dropped his hand with a sigh and walked over to his locker and grabbed an identical bakery bag and helped himself to another coffee roll. Narrowing his eyes on the move, Devin grabbed the last coffee roll out of the bag he’d stolen even as he couldn’t help but stare at the other bag, wondering what else was in there.

“Why would you have a pool on Charlie?” Devin asked, taking another bite as he found himself glancing back in time to watch Charlie grab her camera off her desk and head