Page 345 of Rock Me All Night

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"What?"

"I tipped well." He runs his hand through my now chin-length hair. "You look great. Badass and sexy."

I look badass and sexy.

Deep breath. "Okay. I will pay you back as soon as I get a job."

"About that."

"Yeah?"

"Let's talk over lunch. There's a Thai place around the corner. Or would you prefer something different?"

"I don't want to talk over lunch. I want to pay you back."

"You will. Later. I trust you for it."

"Fine. Thai is good." My stomach growls at the thought of that spicy eggplant dish. "But I'm paying."

"Whatever you want."

"It's super cheap, isn't it?"

He nods.

* * *

After we order—the eggplant dish for me, shrimp curry for Tom—I check my email on my phone.

Oh, God. It's here. A reply to my application. I take a deep breath. That was too fast. It's either great news or terrible news.

Here goes nothing.

Dear Willow,

Thank you for applying. You show great promise. Unfortunately, we've selected another candidate with more experience.

Best of luck

No.

No, no, no.

I drop my phone on the table and look towards the floor. What the hell am I going to do now?

"Hey. You okay?" Tom

No. "I didn't get the photography job."

"Sorry, kid."

I need to clear my head before I think about this. There must be something I can do, something better than playing Drew's shadow indefinitely.

I grab my camera and line up a few shots. The neatly arranged hot sauce. The steam coming off a bowl of noodles.

And Tom, staring at me with an expectant expression.

"You sure we can't do nudes this time?" he asks.

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