“I’d be willing to pay him something, of course.”
“As you saw, he doesn’t need your money, Tate.”
“Obviously. I know I’m nothing more than a tenant and I shouldn’t expect a benefit that the rest of the tenants don’t get, but…”
“But you’re asking for that anyway,” I finished for him.
“Maybe you can put in a good word. As a favor for me?”
“You ask friends and family for favors. I’m neither of those, Tate. I’m not your anything,” I reminded him. And also myself. Because I feared the steel coating around my heart was beginning to develop holes just like the rusty spots on his Corolla’s fenders.
“I get it, Roe. I do. I was only asking for a simple favor, that’s all. I understand if you’re not willing to put yourself out there for me… Just forget I asked.”
Did he miss the part where I was already doing him a big favor by taking him to work?
I clenched my teeth together to prevent me from telling him he could park below the building. He wasn’t getting any special treatment from me. Instead, I concentrated on the traffic as we headed north on I-279 and toward the Summer Hill area.
For a few awkward minutes, the Range Rover was only filled with the annoying GPS lady barking out orders.
As we got closer to our destination, my attention was pulled from the road to Tate’s knee bouncing like crazy in the passenger seat. Then it was drawn to his long fingers spread over his left thigh. I noticed his nails were neatly trimmed and taken care of.
He might be broke but he still made an effort. But my guess was he likely sat at the news desk at wherever he now worked, so he had to keep up with his appearance.
I wanted to put my hand on top of his. To lessen his jitters about whatever he was nervous about and… quite frankly, simply to touch him.
I missed the feel of those hands and fingers.
I missed—
I mentally shook myself to rid myself of that next thought. I couldn’t go back down the rabbit hole of memories. So, when I finally opened my mouth to prevent that, I asked, “In front or behind?”
I glued my eyes back on the road when his head twisted toward me. “What?”
Then it hit me how that question came off and I groaned under my breath. In the past, I would have turned it into playful teasing. Not this morning. “The camera. Are you in front of or behind it?”
“Oh. Uh… Behind. I have to earn my spot to sit at the news desk.”
That statement surprised me. Toward his senior year at Duquesne he had decided he wanted to do some investigative reporting first but eventually be in front of the camera, not be in the background.
“I want to be the star, Roe, not the supporting actor.”
I swatted that memory away. “You didn’t already earn that elsewhere?”
After he graduated, I never followed his career. If I had seen him on the evening news, I would’ve smashed my television.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed his bouncing knee abruptly stop and his fingertips dig into his thigh. “This isn’t elsewhere.”
“You’re right. It’s not,” I murmured. I turned where the annoying female voice told me to turn and pulled up to the curb in front of the building to drop him off at the entrance.
He opened the passenger door. “Thank you.”
I didn’t respond. I was busy reading the large sign over the glass doors as he climbed out.
The Burgh Media Group.
“For everything, Roe,” he added, his voice thicker than normal. With what? Regret? Sadness?
My gaze dropped from the sign to him where he stood outside my vehicle. He simply stared at me like he was waiting for me to say something.
For shit’s sake. It hit me that the man probably had no way to get home.
I kicked myself as I asked it, but did it anyway. “What time are you done?”
My question stopped him from shutting the passenger door.
Tate leaned into the car with his hand braced on the door frame. “After the six o’clock news. Usually around seven or so.”
“I’ll pick you up then. Eat early.”
Tate blinked twice as he stared at me. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to get sick.”
His head tilted and his brow furrowed. “Why?”
I simply gave him a look that he should have no problem understanding. We had communicated a lot back then simply using pointed looks and body language. It was one way to keep our secret safe when we were around other people.
With nostrils flared, he gave a single nod and slammed the door shut.
I twisted my mouth so I wouldn’t grin, stomped my foot on the accelerator, and pointed my Rover back toward the city and my office.
CHAPTER 14
Tate (Now)
Ronan didn’t pick me up like he said he would. However, he didn’t leave me hanging, either. When I walked out of the building, I expected to see the Range Rover but a car service was waiting for me at the curb instead.