“Got bigger than I could handle. I hold stock in it though, and I go to investment meetings often. Now they’re introducing paid services for companies who want to offer the users a unique drinking experience. Influencers are getting on board, and a recipe section is being updated as we speak. Kind of cool seeing a small idea turn into something so large.”

“That is pretty nice.” She shifts on her feet. “So then when you sold it, you retired, right?”

I nod.

“Why did you retire if you’re so bored?”

She’s really going for it on these questions. I kind of like it. “Thought it was what I wanted at the time. But it got old pretty quickly, so that’s why I volunteer a lot.”

“Where do you volunteer?”

“Well, mostly for Green Roofs in the City. Also, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I volunteer at a few different animal shelters. I’ll take dogs for walks, sit with the cats, clean out a lot of shit. Just started learning how to administer medicine. And then the other days, I split my time between Green Roofs, helping with maintenance and awareness, and then I sometimes volunteer with a few out-of-school STEM programs.”

“That’s…that’s a lot of volunteering.”

“Yeah, but I like it.”

“Have you had any serious relationships?”

Switching gears, okay.

“Not really. Nothing earth-shattering. I had a girlfriend in high school, but she broke up with me our senior year because she was going to school in California, and she didn’t want to try to make it work. I mean, I don’t blame her. She’s actually married and has a kid on the way now. Then there were some girls in college, but nothing that’s worth talking about.”

She nods, her lips twisting to the side. “What do you think about someone who is twenty-nine and lies about being married to gain favoritism in her job?”

“I think if you were able to realize that putting yourself in such a position would help push your career forward, then you’re pretty damn smart.”

That seems to encourage her, because she stands a little taller.

“Music of choice?”

“Anything but hard metal and screaming.”

“Do you listen to audiobooks?”

“Love them.”

“Well then”—she drops her arms—“unless you have any questions for me, I think we can be on our way.”

Huh, it was easier to win her over than I expected. Her standards must not be very high.

“Two questions. Is the money thing going to be weird for you? And what are the instructions for these next eight days?”

A smile tugs on the corner of her lip. “Absolutely not. Kind of find it funny. You don’t give off rich snob vibes…especially when going to Target for socks.”

I chuckle. “Not who I am,” I say with a shrug. “And what about the instructions?”

“Let’s discuss in the car.”