Asher parked the Jag in the garage at the house and encouraged me to be vigilant and stay out of sight since he had no idea what my parents’ plans were for the evening. He was gone twenty minutes, since he had to shower as well, but when he returned, my stomach did a little flipflop seeing Asher all snazzed up for dinner.

When he slid back into the driver’s seat, I whistled and nodded my approval at his black dress pants, white dress shirt, and evergreen-colored tie that made his eyes pop. His black wool overcoat completed the whole look.

“Shut up.” He didn’t mean it. His cheeks pinked from the attention.

“I think you like it when I suffer.”

“How so?”

“This will be two meals in one day where I’ll be eating with a full hard-on because of you.”

Asher snickered as he pulled out of the garage and back onto the street.

“I’m glad you find humor in my discomfort.”

“I can massage your dick under the table if you’d like?”

“How would that help me? Besides, you might have to fight Jay for the privilege. He has a tendency to get handsy under tables. At least that’s my experience with him.”

“He’d better not. I’ll break his wrist.”

“So violent.”

We rode in silence, and my thoughts inevitably veered to Jay and our conversation earlier. I wondered if Asher was thinking about his offer too.

“I don’t want to do it,” Asher blurted, his fingers wringing the steering wheel as he sat at a red light.

“We aren’t going to. I told him no already.”

A pause.

“But it’s ten grand. That’s huge money for you.”

“I don’t care.”

More silence.

“Stop thinking about it,” I said.

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Fine, I am. But only because I just spent the afternoon with you in Aaron’s basement, and holy fuck, Atti, that house is insane. How can you live there?”

“The money from this gig will help get me out and finish school. No big deal.”

“It won’t be enough.”

“Yes, it will. Once I graduate, I’ll find a job in the field. My master’s will have to be on hold. It’s a small sacrifice. At least I’ll get a bachelor’s degree.”

“No, I mean, it won’t be enough to live on after you pay a year’s tuition. It sounds like a lot, but living costs are steep, and we’re talking more than a year until you graduate. Between rent, food, and all the extra bills, that money is going to get eaten up long before then.”

“And you know about living costs how?”

Asher shrugged. “I just know it won’t be enough.”

“I’ll figure it out. I can keep the gas station gig too. It will help. We aren’t entertaining this Jay thing, okay?”