“We’re coworkers now,” I say. “When do I start?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Your mother just offered me a job. I accepted.”
“No,” she says. “You’re fired.”
“That’s not how this works, princess.”
She locks her gaze with mine, showing a tumultuous storm. “I hate you. I’ve decided I hate you.”
“I think you’ve decided to do everything except love me.”
Her eyes twinkle. I’m glad to see a bit of levity in her now, after she was stressed when I first arrived.
“I don’t like you,” she decides, her hand on her hip.
“It’s the commitment issues, isn’t it?”
“I’ve realized it’s not.”
“Oh?”
“It’s the fact that you’re an assholeandyou have commitment issues,” Gigi tells me. “That’s why I don’t like you, let alone love you.”
“And because of my constant need for nicknames,” I say. “I like to be friendly, princess.”
She waves me off. “Screw off, Cade.”
The knot sitting in my stomach tightens. She’s still pissy. I want to know why she’s so frustrated.
“Did you have a date go bad?” I offer.
She scowls at me, placing a hand with a tired flourish on her hip. “I’m too tired, and way too busy, to deal with you right now,” she decides. “So, I’m walking away.”
She turns on her heel, leaving me to stare after her.
Gigi does as she pleases. And right now, for some fucking reason, she wants to stay the hell away from me.
Chapter thirteen
I’m exhausted. Mentally, thanks to Cade, physically, thanks to working at the diner, and emotionally, thanks to, guess who, Cade Deans.
I have a date with Shane tonight, and I wanted to call it off because of simply beingtired.But we’ve been texting all day; he’s excited to see me, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see him.
He’s sweet. He’s caring, attentive, and it seems like we want the same things. He’s the anti-Cade. And he’sperfect.
“Can you zip me?” I ask my mother, turning around and moving my hair away from my zipper.
“Are you headed to the bar with that friend of yours?” she asks. “The cute one with the smile.”
“No, I’m not headed out with Cade,” I tell her flatly. “I met someone at Beach Brew a few weeks ago. We’ve been out a few times, and we’re going out tonight.”
“I think you should try it with Cade,” Belinda urges. She fluffs my hair with meticulous hands. “You’d be better as a brunette, sweetheart,” she decides. She smooths out my hair.
“You’re blonde,” I tell her. “I think it looks great on you. Why not on me?” The ticket for someone like Belinda is to compliment her.
“And you’re keeping the color to maintain our similarities!” Belinda exclaims. She claps her hands together, bangles clanging. “You’re just the sweetest, always knowing how to make your mom love you even more.”