“Okay,” I drawl out. “Let’s, uh … talk about it.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Grace says as soon as I sit back down.
“Our parents will expect you to be living together,” Faith says, and I’m figuring out now why she became an attorney. “It’s something they’ll expect. If you’re not married, it’d at least show that there’s a commitment somewhere.”
“This is all new to us,” I croak. “We’re pretty much playing it as we go.”
My head scrambles.
Could I do that?
Live with her and not want her more?
Play house before jumping ship and acting like it never happened?
“Are you going to keep working at Twisted Fox?” Faith asks, clearly in charge of the conversation.
“Jesus, Faith.” Grace releases an exasperated breath. “The only interrogation Finn expects is from our parents, not you.”
Faith shakes her head. “Mom and Dad will never believe you’re dating if he’s not there with you at night.”
Grace’s face pales. “Finn can’t exactly move his work schedule around. People don’t go barhopping in the morning.”
“What if you had another job, Finn?” Brian asks, looking me straight in the eye.
I hold his eye contact. “What do you mean?”
He leans back in his chair, gripping the neck of his beer. “You can work at Luxury Imports.”
Luxury Imports is a chain of dealerships that specializes in selling high-end and hard-to-find luxury cars. You nearly need a black card to test-drive a car there. I’ve never been inside, but Archer purchased his car from them. Pretty sure Lincoln did too.
I bend my neck forward to hide the shock on my face. “Man, I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered.” There’s no hesitation in Brian’s tone—no, my wife is making me do this. No, the dude is genuinely offering me a job at one of the largest chains of car dealerships in the state.
As much as I’d love to take the offer, I can’t.
“My best friends own the bar I work in,” I say, raising my chin. “I can’t up and leave them.”
“What about working at the bar only a few nights a week and supplementing that income by working at my place? I have a few different positions that I think you’d be perfect for.” He smiles. “Your pick.”
Silence passes over the table.
“How about this?” Brian finally says, knocking his knuckles against the table. “I’ll pay double what you make at the bar, and you won’t have to work nights. You’ll get benefits, a 401(k), all that good stuff. I know you don’t want to let your friends down, but this is a great opportunity for you.”
I hide my shaking hands under the table. “What about when Grace and I break off”—I refuse to glance at her—“whatever this is?”
Brian sits up straight. “You’ll still have a job for as long as you like. I think you’ll be a good fit. Trust me, I wouldn’t have offered if I’d thought you’d be a shit employee.”
Grace’s voice is frantic as soon as we get into my car. “Don’t feel obligated to take that job, Finn. I know tonight was a lot, and I hadn’t planned on any of that going down. I’d figured they’d have questions, but I had no idea. I swear, I had no part in it.”
I place my hand over her trembling one.
“Are you mad?” she asks at my silence.
I sag against the seat. “I didn’t earn it.”
I don’t like favors.
They always come with a price, an I did this for you.
Blame it on a father who throws every damn thing in your face—I made sure you were fed, I bought you clothes to cover your back, I gave you a roof to sleep under. Every time my father did me a favor, it was thrown in my face.
That’s why I never ask for help.
Why, sometimes, my pride bites me in the ass.
“Finn,” Grace says, her voice softening, “sometimes opportunities come as luck. You’re putting your life on hold for me. You deserve this. You’ve earned it. It’s not easy to land a job at Luxury Imports. It’s not your typical car dealership. It’s a big deal.”
“And what about the moving in with you thing?”
Chapter Thirteen
Grace
Silence is in the air while Finn walks me to my front door.
I turn to look at him and fiddle with the keys in my hand. “Cass and Lincoln are home. Unless you want to be interrogated by them next, I wouldn’t suggest you come in.”
We only spent a few hours at Faith’s, but Finn appears as if he’s been through the wringer.
It’s the same with me.
Topics came up that I hadn’t expected.
My life has become a spinning wheel of answers to endless questions.
He scratches his cheek. “Text me later?”
I nod. “Thank you so much for doing this, Finn. It means a lot.”
“Grace, anything you need, I’m here. Good night.”
He pecks a kiss to my forehead and waits for me to walk inside before returning to his car. As I drop my keys on the entry table, thoughts of how much my life is changing hit me.
I enter the living room to find Cassidy and Lincoln on the couch, snuggled as usual and watching TV. Our living room is where we spend most of our free time. Cassidy and Lincoln are homebodies, like me. We binge-watch shows, eat junk food, and have our friends over for game nights. It’s on the smaller side, but the open floor plan is great for entertaining.
Cassidy raises her head from Lincoln’s chest and sits up. “How’d it go, babe?”
Collapsing onto a chair, I rub my forehead. “I’m done with questions for tonight … or heck, even the next year.”
She laughs. “All right, I’ll wait until the morning to drill you on how well Finn played the boyfriend role.”
“Not only did they tell him to move in with me but they also want him to work for Luxury Imports.”
Cassidy and Lincoln stay quiet, staring while waiting for an explanation.
I give them what they want. “They think it’ll be more believable to my parents.”
“What did Finn say?” Lincoln asks, stroking his jaw.
“He’s hesitant about the job because he doesn’t want to bail on Cohen and Archer after he’s worked for them for so long.” I stop myself from slapping a hand over my mouth.
Archer is Lincoln’s brother, and I’d feel terrible if he told Archer about Finn’s job offer before Finn had a chance to talk to him. I gulp before remembering this is Lincoln, and he’s one of the most trustworthy people I know.
“Is it better pay?” Cassidy asks.
I nod.
Lincoln settles his gaze on me. “I guarantee you, if Finn tells them it’s a better opportunity, they’ll be happy for him.”
He’s right. Our circle of friends is supportive of each other, no matter what. We will step up and do anything to help because we’re like family.
“I promise I’m not saying this to stress you out,” Cassidy starts.