“And…?”
She shrugged. “It’s enough.”
“It’s not enough to feed a hamster, baby. It is absolutely not enough.”
She giggled. “A hamster?”
He felt a smile pull at his lips. “It’s all I could think of.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to propose something to you, and I want you to wait until the end before you say anything.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to quit your jobs and move in with me. I don’t want you out on the street at night. It’s too dangerous. I don’t want you overdoing it like you’ve been doing. You’re exhausted and malnourished.”
He held a hand up when she opened her mouth. “You said you’d wait until the end.”
Her mouth snapped shut.
“You’re getting too thin, baby. You’re going to get sick if you keep it up.”
He watched her stare at him and waited.
“Are you done?” she asked.
He snorted. “Yes.”
“Why do you think any of this is your problem?”
“Because I want you to be mine.”
He didn’t think anyone’s eyes could get that big. “Well?”
“What would I do?”
“You’d live with me and work in my office. Are you good with a computer?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Good.”
She stared at him for a long time, and he couldn’t wait another moment. “Well?” he asked again.
“I want to, but I feel bad leaving the bar and the center without giving them time to find someone. Am I going to be your maid? What about my apartment and my things? What happens if you get bored with me or I do something bad, and then you won’t want me? What if—”
He covered her mouth with his hand. “Baby, let me answer one thing at a time. We’ll see what the bar and center say and figure something out. You’ve got nothing to worry about with your apartment. I can get you out of any lease, and a couple of my friends can pack and move you. There is no way I will get bored with you. In fact, I think you might get bored with me, and there is nothing you can do that would make me want to push you away. Did I answer everything?”
“What would I be?”
“I don’t understand,” he said.
“Will I be your secretary and maid?”
He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “No, baby girl. You’ll be my little woman.”
“Like in real life?” she asked.