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She let out a little laugh. “It’s weird that I’ve worked for you for almost a month and I’m just now talking about my parents. Normally I’m a yapper and I would have told you everything about me in the first day.”

“I have noticed that you like to talk,” I said, but it wasn’t a criticism. Just an observation.

“Wow, ouch. The truth comes out. How have you managed to put up with me this long?” She was still laughing though.

“You do your job. And sometimes it’s nice to have someone to talk to,” I admitted.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, like she was trying to hide another smile.

“I really didn’t think I was going to work out. I mean, I thought I was going to crash and burn right away.” That wasn’t a surprise to hear. I’d learned a lot about Cadence during our acquaintance. That probably meant that she had learned a lot about me too and I didn’t know how to feel about that.

“You didn’t. You haven’t.”

“Not yet,” she said. “I know my trial period isn’t over, but I just…I’d really like to know if I’m going to need to find another job. Because trying to find a new job is really difficult.”

I could imagine, and I was grateful that I didn’t have to do any of that. Working for myself and my publishers wasn’t easy, but it was what I excelled at.

Guess we were doing this now.

“Well. I think we should sit down and talk more formally about what you do well, and what you can improve upon. How about tomorrow?”

She gulped her iced tea and her hand shook a little as she reached for the other half of her wrap.

“Sure,” she said. “That works.”

“Don’t worry, Cadence. It’s nothing bad. Promise.”

She was still for a second and then stuck out her hand with her pinky pointing toward me. “Swear.”

“Are you seriously asking me, your boss, to pinky swear that I won’t tell you something awful about your job performance at your review?”

This had to be a joke.

“Yup, totally serious. Come on, it won’t hurt.”

She stayed there with her hand up and I knew that she wasn’t going to back down. Cadence was stubborn to a fault. She’d brought food for me every day with my coffee until I finally gave in and ate with her.

I rolled my eyes. “This is so childish.”

“Who cares,” she said, and I linked my pinky with hers, but then she clamped around mine and wouldn’t let go.

“Wait! We have to do it right.” I struggled to break free. She had a freakishly strong pinky.

I glared at her. “Cadence, let go of my hand.”

“Not until you do it right.”

I was unaware there was a correct way to do a pinky swear, but she wasn’t letting go.

With a sigh, I stopped fighting. “Fine. Show me what to do so I can have my hand back.”

“Okay, so the pinky linking is important, but we also have to boop thumbs three times to seal it in.”

This was utterly ridiculous, but I did what she asked, tapping my thumb against hers three times and then she uncurled her pinky from mine.

“That was completely unnecessary, Cadence.”

She grinned at me. “You loved it.”