Page 49 of Doughn't Let Me Go

“Is that a yes?”

I can do this. I can be professional. It was one night. Just sex. It meant nothing. I won’t let a singular night of blowing off some steam dictate my future because I’m afraid of too much awkwardness. That would be dumb. This job is too good to be true, and I can’t pass it up.

Taking a deep breath, I look back at him. “It’s a yes.”

He pumps his fist in the air. “Yes!”

“But…” I add, “I have—”

“Stipulations? Of course.” He waves his hand. “Let’s hear them.”

“You can’t pay for my apartment. I’ll pay for that.”

The crinkles at the corners of his eyes appear as the gray orbs narrow into slits, and I know he’s about to argue. “Dory, I—”

“Don’t argue, Porter. It’s not happening.”

His gaze burns with irritation, but he nods once. “If that’s what you want.”

“It is. I’ll also provide my own groceries.”

He opens his mouth, then snaps it shut. He’s clenching his teeth together; I can see it in the way the muscles in his jaw tick.

He’s not happy with my conditions, but I don’t care. It’s important to me to continue to provide for myself. I don’t like taking handouts, and I definitely won’t take them from Porter just because we slept together.

“Fine. But for the record, these aren’t some special benefits I’m offering you,Doris.” He says my full name like he’s making a point. “These benefits would have been afforded to anyone who got the position.”

“You’d have paid for their apartment too?”

“If that’s what would have made them feel comfortable, yes.”

Part of me wants to believe him, but there’s this nagging voice in my head saying he’s lying and is only offering this because of what happened between us, to attempt to make up for it.

It’s the same voice that says it’s the only reason he’s offering me the job at all.

I know it’s going to be awkward working for him, but I can’t pass this opportunity up. I can’t go back to where I was before, and I can’t keep barely scraping by. It’s not that being a social worker is going to have me raking in the cash, but I know it’s going to fulfill me in other ways. Besides, based on what I’m making now, the salary I’ll earn is going to seem like millions.

I need this job. Ideservethis job. I’ve worked hard and I’ve earned a break in life.

Hopefully, if enough time passes, Porter and I can forget about our night together.

You can do this, Dory.

“I don’t like taking handouts.” I say it sternly, trying to convey that I’m not going to be his little pet project.

“It’s not a handout if it pertains to part of your job.”

Technically true, but…“I’m standing firm.”

“Fine.” He snaps the word out, and a chill moves through me.

Not because of his clipped tone, but because I really like getting under his skin and shaking him like he shakes me.

“Is that all?”

He’s still pissy, and my lips twitch.

His scowl deepens.

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