Page 70 of It Starts With A No

He checked the rear-view mirror before pulling the car over by the side of the road. “I thought you said it was a simple philosophy.”

“I think it is, but it must be complicated since so many people don’t get it.”

Seth’s lips hooked back into a smirk. “Okay.” They fell silent until he turned the ignition off and turned to her. “So?”

“Okay,” she said and tilted her torso toward him. “Listen carefully.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Good equals God. Bad equals either the devil or us—horrible human beings.” She fluttered her eyelids. “Did you get it?” She straightened. “Should I repeat myself?”

He rolled his eyes. “So if this dinner turns out great, God gets the credit.”

She nodded.

“But if it doesn’t, it’s the devil’s fault.”

“Or ours.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I’ll probably blame you.”

“Doesn’t seem fair,” he said.

“You’re the one who brought me here.”

“I meant your system. God gets all the credit for what’s good, then blames everything else on the devil.”

“Most people blame God for everything. Doesn’t it make more sense to blame the devil? Or us stupid humans for making terrible choices?”

“Like eating that apple that God said not to touch?”

Clary laughed. “My pastor always joked that Adam and Eve will have a ring-fence around their mansion in heaven.”

“They still get a mansion?”

“Yeah. God is generous that way.” She opened the car door and stepped out.

The car was parked next to a brown residential building, but further down the street was a large blue, green, and red neon sign. Burgers. Shakes. Fries.

“Not what you were expecting?” he asked.

“I’m not sure what I was expecting.”

“They have the best burgers in town.” He headed down the slope. “My brothers and I eat here all the time.”

“We won’t bump into Elton here, will we?”

Seth skidded to a stop.

“Didn’t quite think this through, did you?”

* * *

“We can go somewhere else.”

Seth glanced over at Clary. “Why?” He strode forward again. It isn’t as if we’re doing anything wrong. “Elton doesn’t own this place.”

“Are you sure?” She strolled alongside him.

“If he shows up and everything goes to hell, you can blame him.”

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