Page 7 of Not In The Contract

She paused and her eyes twinkled.

“No, whatever cruel form of torture just popped into your head, no,” I insisted.

“I think we should use this as a learning opportunity,” she said, heedless of my warning. “This student will be studying you in a psychological sense, yes?”

My lip curled but I nodded anyway.

“Then why not have her live with you?”

A beat of stunned silence circled the table before Cam burst into a fit of laughter.

“Because that’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard-”

“No, think it through,” Taylor said, cutting me off with a muffled laugh. “If she lives with you, that means she won’t have to disrupt your schedule at work. If she has questions, she can ask you at home, where it would be way more conducive to the topic. Hayden, it’s brilliant.”

“It’snotgoing to happen.”

“Spoil sport.” Hayden chuckled. “Okay, how about a bet?”

“How about no?” I insisted. But with the entire table watching me expectantly, I didn’t have much of a choice. I was competitive to a fault.

And they knew that.

“Let’s hear it,” Reid said, leaning back in her seat with a smug grin on her face.

Traitor.

“The stakes are as follows: if I win, Alex has to invite the student to live with her for two months.”

“And what do I get if I win?” I demanded.

“You won’t have to live with a stranger for two months.” She grinned.

“I already have that,” I pointed out. “I don’t see any benefit in it for me.”

“Fine then, if you win, I’ll tell you a secret,” she offered, and my eyes widened.

The rest of our friends went quiet again, their partners blinking in understandable confusion.

Secrets from Hayden were tantamount to state secrets. They ranged anywhere from where to find the best ramen in the city to the identities of crime lords in the state. The former was understandable in her line of work. The latter…

Not so much.

“Is that a big deal?” Elliot murmured, looking bewildered.

“The last secret she shared with us led to all of us doubling our profit in less than a week,” Reid breathed.

“Oh my God.” Frankie blanched. “How do you even hear about stuff like that?”

Hayden shrugged, a secret smile playing on her lips. “The hospitality industry is the one industry that people from all walks pass through at some point,” she said. “And good food loosens more tongues than you’d think.”

“Deal,” I said. “What’s the bet?”

Two months with a stranger or a secret that could potentially turn into something huge.

“I bet you can’t name more menu options than I can.”

My jaw dropped. “You dirty cheater!”