I feel guilty when I place the tiny bottles of beauty products in my bag, and I hope I won’t get caught with them.
When I’ve cleaned the room, and everything I own is packed in my bag, I glance around the room one more time.
Feeling a little sad, I remind myself to be grateful for the experience. I take a deep breath before I leave the room, and with my energy replenished, I walk to the elevators.
When I walk out into the reception area, there’s no sign of Rhett. For the first time, I think that he might not come to meet me this morning.
Hoping that he will show up, I take a seat on one of the couches and watch the entrance.
As time goes by, I start to grow anxious. I glance down at the keycard in my hand as my thoughts turn to the deal Rhett has offered me.
I want to jump at the chance, but my pride keeps me from saying yes.
I can always pay him back.
I frown at the thought. I haven’t considered it before. If I take the deal, I’ll be able to study and get a good job. I can pay Rhett back once I start working. It could be a loan.
My heartbeat speeds up with hope as I consider all the possibilities.
But… can I trust Rhett.
The thought puts a damper on my excitement until I remind myself that Rhett could’ve hurt me already if that was his plan. He has been nothing but kind to me.
I glance up at the entrance, still undecided about what I should do. Rhett walks in, and just seeing him makes my heart skip a beat. A tremor of nerves sets in as my eyes follows him.
I’ve been so caught up in my troubles that I haven’t really looked at Rhett again since I saw him coming down the stairs at his house. Now that I’m feeling rested and I’m not so scared, I take a few seconds to examine him.
He’s wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt today. I notice the tattoo which covers his entire left arm all the way to his knuckles. Even though he’s dressed so casually, he still looks like a force to be dealt with. Every movement he makes exudes confidence which only adds to his already incredible good looks.
Never taking my eyes off Rhett, I get up and nervously clutch my hands together in front of me.
His dark eyes skim over me as he scans the area. A worried look crosses his features before he glances in my direction again. This time he doesn’t look away as he slows to a stop in the middle of the reception area.
I start to feel self-aware and painfully anxious as he continues to just stare at me. When it borders on awkward, he finally moves, stalking towards me.
I swallow hard and force a smile on my face when he stops right in front of me. He opens his mouth but no words come out, so I take my chance.
“Thank you, Rhett. I really appreciate what you’ve done for me.” I’m happy when I don’t fumble all over the words.
A slow smile starts to form around his mouth, which makes my heart do a somersault. At least it doesn’t look like he regrets helping me. That would’ve sucked.
“Morning, Evie, you look great. I forgot to ask last night, but can I see your I.D.?”
I didn’t expect that from him and feeling nervous again, I unzip the front of my bag and remove the card. I hand it to him and wait anxiously while he inspects it.
With a stunned look, he says, “Damn, you really are eighteen.”
He hands it back to me, and I quickly tuck it back in the front pocket so I won’t lose it.
When I glance up at Rhett again, there’s a sexy grin on his face which makes my stomach flutter. My eyes grow huge as I quickly look down at the floor. I can’t think of Rhett as sexy, or attractive. That’s asking for trouble I don’t need.
“Are you ready for breakfast?” he asks.
Still unsure about taking his deal, I hope that having breakfast with him will help me decide.