Page 55 of Give My Everything
His eyes drop to my lips. Just for a moment.
A brief second before he looks away, his jaw tight.
“You should call in sick tomorrow,” I say, the idea popping into my mind out of nowhere. “We can do something fun, maybe go up to Santa Monica for the day.”
It takes him a minute to respond, and when he does, whatever tension gripped him a moment ago is gone.
“I don’t take days off.”
He says it so matter-of-factly that I actually laugh, assuming he’s joking. But when he doesn’t join me, my own laugh cuts off abruptly.
“Are you serious?”
He nods.
“You never take a day off?”
“Not unless I’m actually sick.”
My face contorts. I don’t think I’ve ever known someone to just…workevery day.
“Butwhy?Like, why would you ever choose to work like that?”
He just lifts a shoulder in a half-shrug. “I like being busy.”
My chuckle is full of disbelief. “So get a hobby. Take up fencing or make those little airplane models or whatever. You don’t need to just live at your job. That’s not healthy.”
He snorts. “What makes you think I wouldevermake airplane models?”
“Oh come on.” I give him a shit-eating grin. “I might still be figuring you out, but you know you’re a big nerd. Always have been.”
“That is…” he scoffs. “That is absolutely false.”
I level him with a look that screamsI call bullshit.“You created the Young Entrepreneur Club when you were at Roth—nerdy,” I say, referencing a student organization that is still thriving.
“Because I wanted to go into business for myself—not nerdy.”
“You were voted Worst Social Skills for your senior year superlative—nerdy.”
“Excuse me, how do you remember that? That was definitely before your time, and it got taken down almost immediately after being posted because someone reported it.”
“Was it you who reported it?” I ask.
Ben pauses, and I can see a flush of red on his neck where his polo shirt parts at the collar. Polo shirt—also nerdy.
“So you’re a narc—nerdy,” I say.
His eyes narrow, and he leans forward again.
“You know, I don’t appreciate this little game you’re playing right now, Miss Wallace.”
I chuckle. “Well I’mlovingit.”
“Oh really? Would you love it if we flipped it around on you?”
My smile drops a fraction.
“I didn’t think so. Besides, if I remember correctly, I’m not the only one who’s had a shitty superlative in life. Didn’t I hear about you getting voted something your freshman year of college?”
