Page 61 of The Lair

Her chuckle eases some of my tension. “I love you more, Allie. Recess is about to end, and I need to go back to the students, but you take care, okay?”

I smile, remembering my math classes with her. They were the absolute best. “Have a good day today.”

“You too, honey. We’ll talk later.”

My anxiety will only worsen if I don’t get out of my apartment right now. Getting in the car is a no-brainer, and I consider stopping at my favorite deli on my way to The Lair as a little treat for not having lost my shit yet.

The bar closes on Wednesdays, but I know boss man will be there doing all sorts of things he shouldn’t since it’s also his day off. So that’s why, twenty minutes after ending my call with Jada, I knock on the door of The Lair holding two takeout bags.

“Travis,” I call out. “It’s Allie.”

I’m not sure why coming here was my first instinct. Maybe because looking at the bracelet on Travis’s wrist makes me feel better about life.

His confused frown is the first thing I see when he unlocks the door.

“What are you doing here?” he half grunts. Because of course he does.

I don’t allow his foul mood—his usual mood—to deter me. Today has the potential to become one hell of a shitty day if I don’t turn it around now.

“I brought you lunch,” I tell him with a smile, showing him the bags.

His green eyes travel from the bags to my face, then back down. I know he can smell those chicken parmesan sandwiches because I’ve been salivating since I got them ten minutes ago.

“Can I come in?” I ask, in case my intentions weren’t clear enough.

In usual Travis fashion, he answers with a grunt but doesn’t shut the door in my face.

When I enter the bar, I spot a bunch of open notebooks, sheets of paper, pens, a laptop, and a calculator in one of the booths.

My math-geek heart leaps. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Accounting?”

“Do you need help?” I ask him as I place the takeout bags on an empty table.

Travis walks up to me, the warmth of his body seeping into mine. “You’re into that?”

“Are you really asking if I’m intonumbers?” I roll my neck. “This is my jam, boss man.”

The eyebrow raise he gives me is one of muted amusement. “You’re good with numbers?”

It’s not surprising that he forgot about my résumé. My previous experience in customer service probably did it for him, and he didn’t pay attention to anything else. So, I remind him, “I’ve got several certificates in finances and accounting.”

Over the last six years, I’ve been trying to keep an active mind by doing things I enjoy. Hobbies like bracelet making, and this. As soon as I got my first paycheck, I saved up until I could enroll in an online accounting course. For the first time in far too long, I felt useful, like I wasn’t wasting my life away.

I got my last certificate—my sixth one—five months ago, and Travis has just given me the perfect chance to let my inner math nerd loose.

“If you ever need help with the bar’s accounting, just let me know,” I offer, not bothering to hide the hopeful gleam in my voice. “I can sign an NDA or whatever you need.”

He looks at me with intent. “Yeah?”

“I’d be happy to help.”

“Accounting is a pain in my ass,” he deadpans. “You’re good at this?”

He’s really considering this. Somebody pinch me.

“I can help you today so you can see for yourself,” I decide, feeling giddy inside about the possibility of doing some real work with years of piled-up knowledge. “Free of charge, of course.”

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