Page 77 of The Renter

“Annual recurring revenue.”

I laugh, not believing him.

“You could, easy.” He squeezes my hand. “I’ll intro you to Jed. He’s the best small business accountant out there. Heknows what you should be doing now and can also help you as you grow.”

It’s like I can see the future: my business growing and expanding. Adam believes in me and is doing everything he can to support me.

The flight attendant hands me a glass of champagne, and Adam looks up from his laptop. “Done. Email introduced you both.”

I take a sip, happy with how this conference went and where Adam and I are. It’s so serious.

“So, how much debt are you in?” Adam asks, grabbing for my hand.

“Excuse me?” I laugh nervously at the very personal question he’s asking.

“Like student loans, credit cards, how much?”

“Just student loans.”

He smiles, proud it’s just that. “How much are you paying a month in student loans?”

“How much is your mortgage?” I sass, not wanting to say.

“Like sixty grand.”

“Seriously?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, I have less than that in student debt.”

He nods, thoughtful.

“No,” I say, smiling.

“No, what?”

“No, you cannot pay off my debt.”

“I didn’t say anything.” He chuckles. “I wanted to know what I was getting into.”

We hold a flirty stare until I ask, “What did you think of that blockchain startup?” I’m curious about the guy who pitched him at the party last night.

“I passed it over to Declan to look at. He said the tech was shit, so we passed.”

Life with Adam includes Declan. Something I’m going to have to grapple with. “Do you guys talk like every day?”

“Greg is my work wife, but Declan and I have a lot of shared interests right now. We talk about one thing or another.”

I lean over, resting my head on his shoulder. I feel content. I can’t remember the last time I felt content.

“Please, stay in the city with me for a couple more days,” he begs before kissing the top of my head.

“I need to get back to Wisconsin.”

“Need?”

“I have so much work to do. I need a few days without distraction.”