Page 59 of Worth the Chase

A loud, unladylike laugh escaped my mouth. “Who said anything about getting married?”

“Me. I’m calling it. He’s never had a real girlfriend before, and he’s completely obsessed with you,” she said, her voice completely overdramatic in every way.

“Anyway”—I tried not to like the idea as much as I did—“how was work?” I bristled under the weight of the question as I wondered how many glasses had seen their end while I was away.

Anna shifted again, and I sensed that something bad was coming.

“Okay, I didn’t want to bring this up tonight and ruin your best night ever but…” She paused, and I cocked my head to the side and waited.

“But what?” I urged.

“Please don’t hate me, but my roommate from college called tonight.”

“Okay?”

I knew all about her college best friend. I wasn’t jealous or anything like that, but I could tell that they’d come up with some kind of plan that didn’t include me while I’d been off having the world’s best first date.

“You know how she opened a clothing store in the city, right? I told you that before,” she started to explain, going a mile a minute, which was her tell that she was nervous. “She needshelp. The shop has exploded online, and she can’t keep up with orders and run the day-to-day brick-and-mortar.”

I stopped myself from groaning out loud, but that was only because Anna had already adopted a whole new clothing store language. “So, what are you saying? Are you moving out?”

She bared her teeth while making a weird inhaling sound. “Yes?” It came out as a question.

“Are you asking or telling me?”

“Telling. Listen, I’m really bad at bartending. I think we both know that. I don’t know why I can’t keep a glass in my hand, even if it was superglued to it, but for whatever reason, I can’t,” she said, and I didn’t need her to tell me that.

“I want to say that you’ll get better at it, but I don’t think you will,” I said with a slight laugh that eased both of our tension.

I couldn’t be mad at her, and I found myself a little surprised that I wasn’t. But her moving out before our lease was up hadn’t been on my bingo card for the year.

Anna’s hands reached out for my mine, and she held them. “I don’t want to leave you in a lurch for rent, so tell me how I can help. Maybe I can still pay for part of it until the lease ends? I don’t know, but she needs me there as soon as possible.”

I nodded my head slowly, letting all the information sink in. We still had months left on the lease, and it was too long to ask her to contribute while not even living here.

“I get my commission check for Matthew’s house in a few days, so I’ll be fine,” I said because I would be.

I hadn’t planned on using that money for rent, but I was getting plenty. This apartment was affordable as long as it was being split in half, but paying the whole thing would put a nice-sized dent in my savings for the next six months. Thank God I was getting that commission check at all; otherwise, staying here wouldn’t have been an option.

“You wanted to buy a new car with that money.” Anna’s lips pinched together like she was in pain.

“I can still get a car and cover the rent.”

“What happens when the lease is up? You can’t move back home with your parents.” She threw up her hands. “I’ll tell her I can’t help. I can’t do this to you.”

I appreciated her offering to stay. It was the considerate thing to do.

“Anna, it’s fine. Really. I’ll figure it out. I don’t want you to stay here and be miserable. You actually sound excited about the store.” I hoped I was coming off as understanding. And even though I had every right to be angry, I truly wasn’t. My upcoming commission check helped with that.

“I am. Is that horrible? Do you hate me? Are you going to uninvite me to the wedding?” she asked, bringing up my nonexistent nuptials once more.

“I could never hate you. How soon will you leave?”

“As soon as I can pack everything up. I’ll still pay next month’s rent, okay?”

“Sounds fair.” I leaned over and gave her a hug, my stomach reminding me that I shouldn’t move around. Ever.

“What about the bar? You don’t need two weeks, do you?”

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