Page 63 of The Arrangement
All the plans we’d made were going up in smoke because some asshole thought he could squeeze more money out of the museum. The problem was that we didn’t have access to all the museum’s income. We were a small part of the whole, and we didn’t even get that big of a budget each year.
“Regardless, he’s attempting it. We need to hire on a law firm to handle negotiations and, if necessary, take him to court. Something I’m hoping we can avoid. I’d prefer to handle this amicably, but no matter how it is handled, it will take more funds.” She stopped and stared at me. The weight falling onto my shoulders was enormous.
If I didn’t get that money from Rome or another rich source, our plans to explore the region for new fossils stopped. There might even be cutbacks within the department, starting with my job.
I released the arms of the chair and folded my hands together in my lap, twisting my fingers until my knuckles turned white.
“Dr. Case, I appreciate the department’s desperation for a fresh investment of funds.” I swallowed hard, trying to work up a little saliva in my dry mouth. “It’s just…things have changed between Rome Ashbridge and me. We were friends as children, but now…I…”
The words got caught in my throat. Could I say this? Yes. For me and for Rome.
“We’re dating, and I feel it would be a conflict of interest to ask him for a donation.”
Holding my breath, I lifted my eyes to Linda Case. She sat perfectly still, her elegant face unreadable. As I was deciding this was a mistake, her lips broke into a bright smile.
“No! This is a wonderful development. Boyfriends and husbands are always so happy to invest in the passion projects of their partners.” She made a scoffing noise and waved a hand, brushing off my concerns. “All you need to do is tell him that this greedy landowner is trying to stop your dig. He’d be happy to write you a check.” She heaved a happy sigh and turned to her computer screen on her right. “That’s wonderful news. I’m feeling much better about all of this now.”
And she returned to her papers, dismissing me and my uneasiness from her mind. Because she didn’t have a problem asking for money from anyone, it meant that I couldn’t possibly have a problem with it either. If I wanted to keep my job, I had to suck it up and ask Rome.
I was trembling as I walked to my desk. Emily was missing, but I thought she’d mentioned earlier in the week that she was giving a talk to a group of high schoolers who were coming to the museum today.
Sick to my stomach, I opened up a blank document and stared at it for several minutes. A hundred times, I questioned whether in good conscience I could ask Rome for money. Eachtime, the answer came back no. Not as his friend, and especially not as his lover.
Sure, I’d done it when we were enemies and we’d created this stupid arrangement, but everything was different now. He wasn’t my enemy. He should never have been my enemy.
And he would not be my piggy bank now.
Dr. Case didn’t respect me or Rome. I couldn’t stay here.
The nausea faded as I typed out my resignation. I still had my part-time job at the university and some money in savings. That would have to be enough until I figured my shit out. Right now, this was the only way I could think of to protect Rome.
22
LIAM ROSE
Goingto Rome’s place the next night felt like a relief in some ways. He’d gotten caught up with family and friends things on Friday, leaving me to stew in the mess I’d made. My boss had attempted to call me several times after I submitted my resignation, but I’d ignored her calls. Emily had called as well to say that she missed me but completely supported my decision to leave. She still thought it was a bargaining tactic, so I could return to my old job with better pay and more autonomy. Or at least without having to do any fundraising.
My problem wasn’t fundraising. I was happy to shill for my department and gain money for something I believed in. We did a lot of educational good for our community and the children.
My issue was that I couldn’t draw the line when I felt there was a conflict of interest. If I felt uncomfortable, my boss should have stepped in and taken over. It wasn’t that hard, right?
But the job wasn’t the only problem. It highlighted a potential problem I hadn’t even considered with Rome.
Did dating a billionaire like him mean I would have to spend my life fending off people who wanted his money? How did he even deal with that? How did he know who wanted him for his money and who actually cared about him as a person?
How the fuck wasn’t he jaded and bitter?
Just thinking about it all made me angry on his behalf.
Scam artists filled the world. I had to search no further than my email and social media to see hundreds of cons and scams. Did anyone know how to tell the truth anymore?
Thisfrom a man who’d lied to himself about being straight his entire life.
I was in a pretty grumpy mood when I showed up on Rome’s doorstep. Naturally, the man took one look at me and knew something was wrong.
“It’s fine. Everything is fine,” I countered, stripping off my coat.
Rome took it and stole a kiss, instantly warming my cold lips. Some of the angry tension eased from my shoulder, and I leaned into him. Right. Being here, kissing him. It all felt right. The only thing that was wrong was how fucking long it had taken me to get to this point.
