Page 41 of Fifty-Fifty

“In private,” Slater finishes, shutting up Ricky faster than I ever could’ve imagined.

I clear my throat, though my gaze is glued to Ricky. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

He steps into his room without a comment, shutting the door behind him a little harder than necessary without technically slamming it. The pictures hung on the walls shake from the impact, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out he’s pissed that he’s missing out on our little pow-wow.

My nostrils flare, but I ignore him, turning back to Slater, who’s busy staring at Shane. He was so quiet, I’d almost forgotten about him.

Shane lifts his chin in acknowledgment and heads into his room. His actions are a hell of a lot quieter than Ricky’s from only a few seconds ago, leaving Slater and me alone.

Awkwardly, I shift on my feet as I wait for him to say something.

Slater’s the most difficult person to read that I’ve ever met. He’s like a steel vault. And right now, it’s not any different.

That being said, I’ve also never been one to take his shit, and I patiently wait for him to speak up instead of crumbling under the silence like any other guy might.

His stone-cold gaze glues me in place before scanning the hallway.

“How thick are the walls?” he asks, bluntly.

I smirk. “Probably not thick enough if you’re wanting complete privacy.”

Nodding, he starts walking down the stairs before tossing over his shoulder, “Let’s take a walk.”

My boots stomp along the steps as I follow him to the front door. When we get outside, he starts talking. “It’s a nice place.”

“Yeah. I think it definitely has some potential.” My legs move in sync with his as we head down the driveway and under the maple tree out front, letting the brisk air clear our thoughts.

He raises his eyebrows. “So you’re not selling?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, yet. I told Beau that if we hit a certain number in the next month, then we could consider keeping it open.”

He pauses in his footsteps and turns to me. “And if you decide to keep it open, what then?”

I tilt my head as I consider my options. “I guess I don’t know, yet.”

“Can I be blunt with you right now?” he asks before crossing his inked arms across his chest.

I smirk. “Didn’t know you were one to ask permission.”

“Good point.” He laughs before continuing, “Look, Shane told me you were down here getting ready to sell the property so you’d have enough money to buy into the franchise. I’ve been patient because I think you’re hands down the best candidate. But now I hear that you’re considering keeping the place, and it makes me wonder if you’re really serious about the opportunity or if you’d rather stay here and pretend you’re a small-town kind of guy.”

I rub the back of my neck, feeling like I’m sitting in the damn principal’s office and being reprimanded for skipping school.

“What do you want me to say right now? You know I’m serious. You know I’ve wanted this. You definitely know that I’d be a hell of a lot better than Ricky. He’d run his shop into the ground within a year. So what do I need to say to prove to you that I want in?”

Slater taps his finger on his chin while studying me, searching for a chink in my statement that would render it false. We both know he won’t find one. After a minute, he releases a sigh. “You’re right. Ricky would be a terrible partner. But he’s shown his loyalty by showing up to work for the past three weeks. You, however, have been a little busy.”

“Yeah. Busy getting the money to invest,” I growl. My annoyance spikes at his accusation.

“Busy getting the money to invest? Or busy playing house with your new business partner?” he probes.

I tilt my head to the side, trying to figure out where he’s going with this. Before I have a chance to respond, he adds, “How long have you been sleeping with the help? Is it since you came down here? Or is she some old flame that you’ve started seeing again?”

“And what makes you think I’m sleeping with her?”

He scoffs. “Because it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why you’ve become so invested in an opportunity that you were so adamant about selling in the first place. She is a pretty sight. I’ll give you that.”

My nostrils flare as I attempt to keep calm. “Look. My relationship with Beau is just a fling. She knows I’m not sticking around. She knows where my priorities lie. I want in. And I’ll do whatever it takes to be part of it.”

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