Page 44 of Savage Suit

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Condolences?” I muttered. “That’s a little extreme. You make it sound like a close friend just died.”

“You get the point.”

I smiled at him. Sadly, our chat was the highlight of my day. “Yeah, I do.”

“In all honesty, you’re a brilliant and outgoing woman. I’ll bet money you’ll land a great gig somewhere.”

Noah Keegan flashing across my mind filled me with annoyance. That article had me doubly doubtful of going to the second interview. Except, I didn’t have much choice. No matter the article’s accusations, my financial situation was more pressing. My concern was paying my bills. If I accomplished that, I couldn’t care less who employed me.Legallyemployed me, I amended. I’m sure if I put out some feelers in my old neighborhood, I could find other means of earning money. And there was always the stripper pole. However, my sister didn’t need such an example. It would be a green light to decadence, and she already pushed the limits on mayhem.

Whether I liked it, the position at KMG might be my saving grace.

“Thank you,” I said, genuinely touched by the compliment.

After my fucked-up day, complaining to someone willing to listen worked wonders for my mood.

“No problem,” he replied, offering me a small smile as he pulled his phone out of the pocket of his jeans and fiddled with it.

“So, um, why are you here?” I asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Hmmmm. I wonder, for what reason would someone be in the waiting room of an auto repair shop?” he drawled, a cheeky grin on his face as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Shut up, smartass.”

He chuckled, and I giggled at his deep, joyous rumble. The atmosphere and banter were so relaxed that we felt like the best of friends.

“I’m waiting for my car,” he answered. “It was supposed to be ready half-hour ago, but a last-minute repair should be done soon, so I’m just chilling.”

“Oh.”

After the engagement he’d shown me, I could only think of that reply. He looked at me with expectation, but I didn’t know how to extend the life of our chat. Talking to Ian was nice. With the conversation coming to its natural end, we fell into a comfortable silence. I pulled my phone out of my bag and played Subway Surfers, a mobile game I’d enjoyed since high school.

“By the way,” he said, breaking the relative quietness of the small shop. “Can I get your number?”

“Oh,” I muttered, surprised by the request. “Um, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression, Ian, but I’m not looking for anything romantic right now.”

I wasn’t looking for anything romantic with him. The only man on my mind lately was Noah Keegan.

“Oh,” he said, disappointment plastered across his face. “Yeah, whatever. Can I still get your number?”

I nodded, relieved at his acceptance of the news. “Sure, yeah. Here, just type yours into my phone.”

“All right,” he said, getting his phone back out of his pocket and unlocking it before passing it to me. “You do the same.”

After exchanging phones, I quickly added my number and name to his contact list. I finished before Ian did, so I handed his phone back and patiently waited for him to complete inputting his info. The moment he gave my phone back to me, a shop attendant with gray hair came out to fetch him.

Ian stood from the chair, paying the middle-aged employee no attention as he continued staring at me. “I guess my car’s done. Will I see you again, Ryan?”

“Yeah, for sure,” I answered, thinking of when we could meet again. “Maybe I’ll swing by the bar this week.”

“I’d like that,” he said as the attendant cleared his throat. Ian rolled his eyes at the not-so-subtle hint to hurry. “See you later, Ryan.”

He picked up his Pepsi and followed behind the older man, leaving me alone in the waiting room, with only my thoughts as company. However, I no longer felt as overwhelmed as I had just twenty minutes ago. Even if ninety percent of my day had been shit, I had one positive memory, thanks to Ian.

Chapter Twelve

I’m still hiding the truth from my sister and my life feels like a big old dirty ball of lies. To top that off, my love life is affecting her job prospects. A guy I was dating was going to interview her for a place in the company he works for, then he pushed for a commitment from me, and we broke up. In retaliation, he rescinded his offer. I’m exceptionally good at hiding my emotions, but I’m feeling guiltier by the day. What can I do?

-A Concerned Yellow-Bellied Little Sister