Page 104 of Don't Quit the Day Job

"What are you talking about, Marie?"

"Don't think I haven't noticed how different you've been," she says, laughing. "Normally, you don't have that much time for me, and you certainly wouldn't have taken a week off of work. You're much more chill and cool, and I've noticed that you just seem happier."

I stare at her for a couple of seconds.

"What are you trying to say, that I wasn't happy before?"

"No, but I feel like you're really enjoying life now." She looks over at Lila. "And I see the way you look at her, I see the way she looks at you, she's your lobster."

I stare at her for a couple of seconds.

"What?"

"It's a term…oh my gosh, are you too old to understand what that means?"

"She’s saying that I'm your person," Lila giggles. "You're so sweet, Marie, but I don't want you to scare Max. I don't know if he?—"

"You are my lobster," I say softly. "Maybe I've waited my entire life for this moment, or maybe not. Maybe this is absolutely ridiculous and there's way too much estrogen in this house and it's making me go crazy."

"Tell yourself whatever you want." Marie says as she heads back over to the couch. "See you later, Lila."

"Sounds good." Lila turns to me. "So what did you want to discuss with me?"

"Come, I'll tell you in the bedroom."

We head down to my room, and I close the door.

"Is this your way of trying to make love to me again?"

I growl as I pick her up and carry her over to the bed and drop her down onto the mattress. She giggles as I get down beside her and kiss her, my fingers running over her breasts.

"Max, you shouldn't," she says, laughing as she reaches up and grabs my crotch.

"Actually, that's not why I brought you in here." I kiss the side of her face. "But maybe later."

"Are you telling me no to sex right now?"

"I'm telling you that there's something I want to talk about with you."

"Okay." She rolls onto her side. "What is it?"

I look into her eyes.

"So I have a proposition for you."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"You have no furniture."

"Yeah, I have no furniture, we've already established that."

"You need furniture."

"And I told you, once I get a couple of paychecks?—"

"You need furniture now," I say, staring at her.

"Well, I don't have the money, and I'm not taking the money from you." She glares at me and pokes me in the chest. "Don't even think about buying me furniture and having it shipped to my place. I will kill you. I will literally pull your heart out and eat it if you do that."

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