Unrequited(49)

"Not my thing either," I admitted. While I liked things orderly, I couldn’t imagine a worse job than sifting through papers and bills all day. I resented even having to work the front desk and filling out the commission forms that Tucker required us to keep. He was a paperwork fiend. I blamed that on his law school training as well.

The McDonald’s was barely far enough for us to justify the drive. Finn put the order in for the largest Coke and fries they had. "Want anything?"

I nodded, because who didn't love the greasy french fries hot from the fryer and loaded with salt. "Make mine a small. I don't have the eating-for-two thing going for me."

On the way back, Finn was clearly thinking of something. He tapped the steering wheel absently and ate half my french fries. I made a mental note to order a large next time so I could actually get more than five fries.

"What would you think if I offered Ivy a job?"

"Doing what?"

"The paperwork. I could get Mal to come in and set up some firewalls so she'd only have access to non-essential things. No bank accounts or credit cards. But she could file, fill out permits, follow-up on stuff. Do secretarial work. I could put her on the payroll, and she'd be covered under the group health plan. She did that shit for your dad before he died."

He was right. Dad was an insurance agent, and Ivy had worked in his office every summer. Me? I followed after my mom, who taught elementary art. I’d thought for the longest time that was what I wanted to do, but then I only went to community college and instead found a place for my art at Tucker's. I think Mom would have been okay with that.

"Would that bother you?" he asked quietly. I realized then we'd returned to the parking lot of the apartment complex.

"I don't know." I sat back and reflected on it. There didn't seem to be any love vibes between them. Ivy had acted weird, but not because it seemed like she was peeved Finn and I were together but more that I was abandoning her. She didn't suggest I make the fast food run and Finn stay at home, like a girl would've done if she was crushing on a guy and wanted to get the extra girl out of the way. No, she wanted Finn to go and me to stay.

Finn showed no interest in Ivy either. He was polite to her, but I suspected he was treating her in that manner because of me, not because of any burning love. And I had to trust them. Finn didn't have a history of cheating. He didn't seem like the type to cheat, especially after the story he'd told about his dad.

And Ivy? I couldn't see her doing that to her own sister. Maybe she'd have done something crappy like that to Finn when she was drinking, but she was clean, sober, and loved me. No, I couldn't imagine that. And Finn's solution was genius. Even Tucker didn't offer health benefits, which Ivy sorely needed now.

"I don't think it would bother me." I shifted in the truck seat so I could look him directly in the eyes, as if somehow if I could see the truth. "Do I have anything to be worried about?"

"No, never," he said. His gaze never wavered. He never blinked. "I'd never do that to you. If it gets to be a problem, tell me, and I'll see if I can't find her a different job with another construction outfit. Besides," he leaned forward and tucked some of my hair back behind my ear, "you're first wife."

I met him more than halfway, plastering my mouth against his in a fierce, joyous kiss. Drawing back, we were both a little breathless. "We better get these fries in before they turn cold."

"Yup."

He didn't move.

I didn't want to either, but I did.





17





FINN


"Hope you know what you're doing, man," Mal said, shoving away from the desk and patting the back of the chair he'd just hopped out of. I took my place and clicked on the green plant icon Mal had picked for Ivy.

"Why does everyone but Winter and me think this is a bad idea?" When we'd gone in to deliver the fries and job offer, Ivy's reception had been chilly. She wouldn't have taken the job if Winter hadn't declared it the answer to all their problems.

Winter kicked me out shortly after, probably to make the hard sell, and I went home. I found all but one of my roommates chilling in front of the television watching Will Smith kill aliens. I laid out the business proposition and was met with silence. Noah had muttered "poor schmuck," and Adam looked at me and said, "Dead man walking." Confused, I looked to Grace for an explanation. "If Noah dated Lana before me, I wouldn't have wanted him within five feet of her ever, let alone working with him for eight hours a day," she'd said.

"I'm not going to cheat on Winter," I replied steely. I'd never cheated on anyone in the past, not even Ivy when I knew she was sleeping around to score extra drugs.