“Thirty-seven,” he answered. “I would prefer to talk about you.”

He was fifteen years older than she was. That was a lot. Or at least, it was a lot for her. She’d only ever dated guys her age. She wanted to know so much more about him, but she’d grilled him enough. Fair play meant it was his turn.

“What do you want to know?”

He studied her for a moment before saying, “Tell me about your family. Do you get along with them? Do they support your studies?”

Yasmin loved her family and had no problem talking about them. She told him about how her parents had immigrated to Canada from India before she was born. She talked about her happy childhood and her sister, Aisha, who was older than Yasmin. Aisha was vibrant and fun to be around. As a child, Yasmin had been jealous of how easily her sister moved through whatever crowd she happened to be in, while Yasmin often felt awkward and out of place.

As an adult, Yasmin had grown into herself and could admire her older sister without feeling jealous. They were good friends and texted daily, often going for meals and shopping trips on the weekends.

“You love your sister,” Volkan said thoughtfully.

“Of course,” she told him, finishing the wine in her glass. “We’re several years apart, but we get along really well. Aisha is great. She has a good job and sometimes takes me shopping when I’m running low on money.”

“Loyalty is an excellent trait,” he said, then frowned. “What do you mean low on money?”

She laughed. “I suppose someone like you might not understand the concept.”

“Don’t make assumptions about me, Yasmin,” he said sharply.

She swallowed hard. He was right, she shouldn’t have assumed he was rich. Or at least she shouldn’t assume he’d always been rich. He could’ve had a rough childhood for all she knew. But he’d said his dad had bought the private island, which seemed to imply that Volkan had never known a lack of money.

“I’m sorry,” she told him sincerely, then attempted to explain her situation. “I have a job and I work more in the summer, but I save most of my money for living expenses when I’m in school. I use student loans for tuition and books. There isn’t enough left over for things like shopping trips.”

“Your family doesn’t pay for your education?” he asked, frowning.

“They would if they could,” she replied defensively. She didn’t want anyone questioning her family’s dedication to her. They loved her and would absolutely pay for her to go through university if they could. “They can’t afford it.”

“I see.” He glanced at the waiter who stopped by to refill her wine glass.