Page 113 of The Bad Girl

“Is this your way of tricking me into working harder?” he asks skeptically.

“No, I wouldn’t joke about something like this. Harry, you’re incredibly good at what you do, when you decide to do it.”

The cashier hands me the bill, and I sign it, leaving a five-hundred-dollar tip.

Harry remains silent, expressionless. I can’t even say whether he is happy with the prospect of moving up the ladder or annoyed. He could very well be comfortable living life as he has been the last several years.

Finally, he says, “I want to make something of myself. Something I can be proud of. I’ll obviously never have the prestige of the Crummings’ legacy, but let’s face it, that legacy turned to shit the second my father cut me out of the will for being a homophobe.”

“Harry, you’ve already made something of yourself. You have a great job, and you do true good in the world. Heck, you don’t even brag about it. If you want the job, it’s yours; you just have to show me you know how to work for it.”

“Where do I start?”

“You’re already doing great managing Allison’s wedding shoot, see that through to the end.”

“Speaking of the wedding shoot, are you ready to see Nadine?”

We leave the shop, and I decide to take a short walk, not wanting to resign myself to the car just yet. Harry walks beside me, clearly deep in thought.

Ashton, my new bodyguard, trails us a bit too close for my liking, but with the recent kidnapping, the agency I’ve signed with has advised me that they must stay within fifteen feet when out in public.

“I really can’t say how it’s going to feel to be reunited with Nadine. She’s moved on. I’m going to have to learn to be fine with that.”

“Wait, if you think she’s moved on, then why the hell did you get those tattoos? That’s not the ‘professional’ look you go for.”

“No matter what happens in the end between Nadine and I, she will always be my greatest lesson in life. So these, I hold up my bandaged arms, could never be a mistake.”