Page 25 of Until Tomorrow
“Fuck them,” he retorted. “Do you want to put find a job on here? I mean, it feels kind of… defeating the purpose of finding yourself. Who wants to subject themselves to a lifetime of crappy work when trying to redefine themselves?”
“What about… find a career I love?” I suggested. I’d need one. “I don’t plan to rely on Logan for money for the rest of my life, so I need to figure out money. But I want to do something I love.”
“Done deal.” He wrote it down. “On behalf of your ass, I’m adding… buy real fucking pants—”
“I have pants!”
“You have dresspants.”
“Those are pants.”
“Buy several pairs of jeans and wear them out of the house into the general public where real people can see,” Elliot elaborated, laughing. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in non-dress clothes in years. Time to change that, short stuff. Put that ass in jeans. It’s long overdue.”
“You’re so dramatic,” I snorted.
“I know. I see no issue with that. We’re getting sidetracked. Jeans and a career. What else?” he asked.
“Find a way to cope that doesn’t involve eating cereal,” I said quietly. That gave him pause.
“I’m not putting that on there, Eva,” Elliot replied. “Not when I know what it means to you.”
“I have to stop clinging to the past.”
“There are other ways. You can move forward without giving up the things that bring you comfort. Maybe it comes from a hard point in your life, but you don’t have to give that up. Maybe just find… additional ways to cope that don’t involve cereal, but don’t get rid of the cereal. Deal?”
“You’re pushy,” I muttered.But I loved him all the more for it.“I want to start cooking again.”
“Do you know how to cook?” He glanced at me, and I shrugged. “Take cooking lessons… putting that under personal needs. What else?”
“I need a hobby… how do I find a hobby, Elliot?”
“Watch reels? I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it. I’ll steal you for my book club. We can add reading spicy books to your list of potential hobbies.”
“I’d like to not schedule sex,” I blurted out, my brain glitching before I could stop myself. His pen stopped.
“I’m not touching that with a ten-foot fucking pole,” Elliot muttered. “Shit. Get Eva laid whenever the fuck she wants is going on the top of the list. Add in more kinky time.”
“I don’t have any kinks,” I said, frowning.
“Discover kinks is going on the list,” he said. “This is good. We’re making progress. Keep giving me stuff.”
“I want to get my driver’s license,” I admitted. Elliot dropped his pen on the table and just stared at me, completely judging me. “What?”
“Evangeline Marie, you are not telling me you don’t have your fucking driver’s license!”
“You’ve never seen me drive!”
“I thought you were just a road trip princess!” He sighed, running a hand over his face. “You and me, I’m teaching you to drive.”
“I know how to drive. I just need to take the test.”
“When was the last time you were behind the wheel of a car?” He waited for me to say something, but I didn’t have an answer that’d make him happy. I hadn’t gotten behind the wheel of a car since I was seventeen. I hated driving. It gave me anxiety. “Exactly. It’s back to the parking lot with you, short stuff. Shit.”
“No need to get worked up over it,” I said.
“No, but I’m going to need better insurance for this leg of your adventure,” he shot back with a grin. “Let’s keep going.”
We kept at it, scribbling down random notes and joking with one another. Elliot had a way of making me feel comfortable about something stressful. The sheet filled with things I never would’ve thought of by myself—things that scared me, but I was a little excited to explore too.
