Page 100 of Don't Quit the Day Job

"I still don't have much furniture," I laugh. "So it's not going to be super comfortable."

"It's fine," he says as we walk into the building and make our way up the stairs. "The elevator's out again?"

"Yeah," I say. "I guess I should be grateful because it's given me more definition in my glutes and my calves, but…"

"But you don't really want that definition, do you?"

I look back at him and laugh.

"Yeah, well, I mean…not because I have to walk up a bunch of stairs. I'd rather have it because I was going to the gym, and?—"

"You go to the gym?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know what that look is about. Are you saying that I don't look like I go to the gym?"

"No, I'm just saying that when we were at the spin class, it didn't indicate to me that you worked out frequently." His lips tremble.

"You're so mean, Max." I say, slapping him on the shoulder. "You're totally saying I'm out of shape."

"I'm not saying that you're out of shape. I'm just saying that you didn't seem to have a lot of breath when doing the sixty-minute cardio class."

"So you noticed that I was breathing hard?"

"I think the entire room noticed you were breathing hard." He starts laughing.

I can't stop myself from laughing as well. "You're making fun of me."

"Hey, I like to be honest with you, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I appreciate that," I say as I open the front door. "Come on in. Would you like a drink?"

He stares at me for a couple of seconds and shakes his head. "No. What I want you to do is grab your bag and pack some of your stuff."

I turn to him with a frown. "What are you talking about? Grab what bag and what stuff?"

"You're not staying here," he says, looking around.

My air mattress is flat on the ground.

"You deflated it this morning?"

"No, I didn't deflate it, but I told you before, it's kind of cheap so you have to keep blowing it up and?—”

“You're not staying here, Lila. This is a shithole."

I stare at him, feeling quite offended by his words. "It's not a shithole, it's my place, and?—"

"I know you love it, and I know it's the first place you've had by yourself and it means a lot to you, but this can't be comfortable. You have no chair, you have no couch, you have no bed. I'm not going to let you stay here."

"You cannot tell me what to do. I may be your assistant, but?—"

"I don't want you to stay here because I care about you, Lila." He grabs my hands and pulls me to him. He kisses my nose. "I care about you and your comfort and I want to spend the rest of the weekend with you."

"But I thought you said you had plans with your sister tomorrow…"

"I do, but that doesn't mean you can't join us."

"What?" I say, my eyes widening.

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