“You researched this? Looked into everybody?”
“Yes. All the people who started my year or after.” I don’t add that I bribed my friend at HR with a box of Godiva and gossiped—casually, of course—to dig up the information.
He shrugs. “Still, that’s not enough to prove causation. Besides, who cares? There are plenty of other jobs.”
“But none at SFG. It wouldn’t be the same.”
“SFG?”
“The Snyder Financial Group. My dad founded it, and grew it into an amazing private wealth management firm.” Pride swells in my chest like it always does when I think about what the company means to him.
Court looks scandalized. “You want to work for your daddy?”
“Why not? It’s family. And I want to be part of that legacy. I’ve worked hard to be a part of it.”
He shudders at the word “legacy.” “That sounds hellish.”
“You wouldn’t understand because your family doesn’t have a company for you to help run,” I mutter. Well, I’m not sure if his does or not, but my money’s on not. Why else is he being so dismissive?
An ironic look crosses his chiseled face. “Of course not.”
“Definitely not. You—” A sudden burst of gas pushes up. Panicked, I put a hand over my chest, but it’s too late. A small belch slips from my lips.
He blinks. “Wow.”
Oh hell. Kill me now.
I bend over and bury my heated face in my knees, wishing I could teleport to some other planet, preferably in a different galaxy. Why hasn’t NASA invented beam-me-up technology?
“Are you okay?” Court asks, his voice full of amusement.
“No.”
“You know, it really wasn’t that bad. It was a…uh…a ladylike belch.”
I keep my head down because I’m still too embarrassed to face him. “Ladylike…? I don’t think you know what the word means.” I’ll buy him a dictionary. It’s only fair—he bought me the overpriced Coke.
“I have two brothers. What you did barely even qualifies as a burp.”
“Oh, well, that makes it better. I’m so thrilled to hear I don’t erupt as loudly as your brothers.”
“Hey, it’s an improvement. You’ve gone from chunky liquids to gas.”
“Just stop.”
He continues as though he hasn’t heard. “What, you think I don’t know women pee, poo, fart and belch?”
I flop onto my back and put my hands over my ears. I can’t listen to him anymore whether he means to make me less embarrassed or not, because it’s only making me feel extra humiliated. “Stop! Shut up! Aaah!”
My eyes squeezed shut, I roll around on the mattress, hoping the motion will make me unable to process whatever’s coming out of his mouth. I’m already pretty lightheaded from the stomach bug. The rolling motion will take care of the rest.
Except I feel sudden vertigo as my body goes over the edge of the bed. “Ah, shi—!”
But I hit a solid male body instead of the floor. Court has caught me. I blink and look at him.
“Thank you.” I clear my throat. “Those’re some reflexes.”
“Yeah.” His arms tighten around me.