I left her standing there and went behind my desk, pulled out the staple from the pages, and shoved them in the top tray of my all-in-one printer.
Ruby shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands. Visibly anxious. The scanner warmed up and pages rolled through the machine with a mechanical whine.
“Why have you only slept with three women since me?” she said.
I drew in a breath, grabbed the warm copies, and held the pages out to her. “Why have you only slept with three guys since me?”
She took the papers. “I asked first.”
“You did, but I’m not going to discuss it.”
Her tone was innocuous, feigning confusion. “Hey, what is this, right here?” She pointed to the line I’d handwritten about honesty. “I can’t seem to read it.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t talk about it.” I gave her a stern look before I went to the door and put my hand on the doorknob. Her clothes were back in place. The cute ball of hair at the crown of her head was undamaged, other than a few lose strands that framed her face. Unless someone had heard, no one would know what we’d been up to in here.
“We had a deal—”
“We have a deal,” I corrected. When I opened my door, it forced her to grab her briefcase and shove the agreement inside. “I’m sorry I can’t answer your question.”
“Why not?”
The muscle along my jaw flexed. “Because it’s a violation of the final paragraph.”
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
I ignored her shock and pressed on. “Thanks so much for coming, Ms. Carter.” Did she enjoy the innuendo as much as I did? “I’m looking forward to our next meeting. Until then.”