Page 43 of Fierce-Matt

“It’s not about what I want,” he said. “There is so much more to consider.”

“Spoken like a true attorney,” she said.

Half her burger was gone and she was picking at her fries now.

“I’ve had a lot of training. I’m good at my job.” He held the last quarter of his burger up. “This is great too. I’m glad you picked this place. I’ll have to come back.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” she said.

He was looking at her. Hesawher. “Oh, I know that. I also think you are avoiding telling me about why you’re this changed woman when I haven’t hesitated to bare my soul to you.”

She laughed. “It’s hardly baring your soul.”

“I just admitted that at thirty-two years old my mother is still lecturing me, putting me in my place, and making me feel guilty about letting her down. How much more do I have to give you?”

Anya was still grinning at him, her blue eyes almost sparkling. He hadn’t seen that in years and was ecstatic she’d graced him with it now.

“Fine,” she said. “You win. You’re baring your soul. For me, it’s a lot of guys that I’ve dated that have taken advantage of me.”

He clenched his fist under the table. That was what he feared she’d say.

“I worried about that when you were younger.”

“Did you now?” she asked, popping a fry in her mouth.

“Yes. You were so naïve.”

“I was,” she said. “I won’t even take offense to that.”

He got lucky there with those words slipping out of his mouth.

“How were you taken advantage of?”

“I’ve had guys string me along. Make me pay for everything. I had someone borrow money and not pay it back. I picked a lot of losers.”

“It sounds it,” he said.

“I haven’t picked anyone in a long time. I’m on a sabbatical.”

Not exactly what he wanted to hear.

“How long have you been on one and are you still?”

That would have been good information to have.

“It’s been over a year. There was no set date for the length of time.”

“But you were at Ben’s wedding with a date,” he said.

“A date only. I’m sure you know he works at Fierce. His name is Brendan and he’s been overly friendly. I’m a friendly person.”

“And he read it wrong?” he asked. He’d make sure the next time he was in there no one would doubt his intentions.

“He did. I corrected it or thought I did. He asked me to go to Ben’s wedding. I politely declined twice. Then he said he didn’t want to be a loser by himself. He only wanted a plus one. I made sure he was aware that is all it was.”

“You didn’t look as if that was the only thing on the dance floor.”

She was out there busting a move to both slow and fast songs.