Page 74 of Comforting the Grump

“I’ll never be ashamed of you, sunshine. Ever.”

I had to clear my throat before I could speak again. “That means a lot to me.”

Marnin, obviously uncomfortable with my visible emotions, looked away as he dug his wallet out of his pocket. He took out a credit card and slid it toward me. “Buy something pretty for yourself. The dress code is formal.”

I felt like I’d somehow gotten stuck in a real-lifePretty Woman. “I don’t need?—”

“You need to outshine everyone. Please allow me to do this for you. I’d buy you something myself if I wasn’t the most boring dresser on the planet.”

He was, and I had every intention of adding some color to his wardrobe, but that could wait. “Formal wear isn’t cheap.”

“I’m aware.”

“I don’t want to spend too much money.”

He studied me for a few beats, then crooked his finger at me. “Come here for a moment.”

Hesitantly, I got up. What did he want? When I stepped close to him, he pulled me onto his lap, which was so unexpected I squealed. “What are you doing?”

He opened his phone and swiped a few times, then looked into the camera to open an app. Another few swipes, and then he held the screen in front of me. “See that?”

My eyes narrowed to make sense of the insane amount I saw, then widened. “That’s your bank account?”

“It’s the total value of my investment portfolio plus my savings, and it doesn’t include my checking account, which is another twenty thousand easily. I’ve been working extremely well-paying jobs since I was twenty-four, sunshine, and LeClerc paid off my student loans as part of a sign-on bonus. I don’t have a family, I rarely take time off, and other than this condo and my car, I haven’t spent a lot of money on things. I don’t care about clothes. I can’t remember when I last took a vacation other than a work trip, and other than the occasional splurge for presents for friends, I don’t spend money. So yeah, I have plenty to buy you a great outfit…and then some.”

He was a millionaire. Marnin was a millionaire…a few times over. If I wasn’t staring at the evidence with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. I mean, of course, I’d known he had a great job, but I’d never realized that… “I’m not after your money,” I said weakly. “I need you to know that. I wasn’t?—”

A firm hand over my mouth cut me off. “The thought never even occurred to me. You’d never do that. You’re much too honest for that, too sweet. So don’t even go there.”

That, at least, brought some relief. “I needed to say it.”

“Now you did, so let’s move on.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

He could be so dense sometimes. “For giving me money to shop for an outfit.”

“Oh, that. You’re welcome, sunshine. Pick something pretty and sparkling, okay?”

“What’s my budget?”

He gave me a pained look. “As if I would have any clue what clothes cost.”

“Don’t you buy a suit from time to time?”

“Yes, and I use a personal shopper who knows exactly what I want. I text her I need a new suit, and two days later, there’s a delivery. I have no idea of the cost, nor do I care.”

“Well, I’ll need a little more guidance than that.”

“I think the limit on that card is twenty-five thousand?”

I nearly choked on my own breath. “Jesus, Marnin, I’m not spending that much on an outfit! Are you fucking insane?”

He laughed sheepishly. “Spend whatever you want is what I’m trying to say. Consider yourself Julia Roberts on Rodeo Drive, okay?”

How funny that he’d made the exact same association. Didn’t mean I couldn’t play with him a little. My eyes narrowed. “She was a hooker. Are you calling me a hooker?”

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