it to gesture while she spoke, thought better of the words she intended, and tapped a finger across her lips.
“I don’t know how you do things?” For the life of her, she couldn’t get a grip on the rising anger. “So in other words, you waste food on a regular basis, un touched food, food that was slaved over in a hot kitchen for you, food that could have gone to someone else who would appreciate it, but instead, they had to be ousted because your family showed up unannounced at a restaurant where they require reservations.”
Nathan drew back as if she’d slapped him. The displeasure radiated off of him. “It’s not a situation we need to argue about, Alyssa. We just need to come to an agreement that—”
“Oh, an agreement!”
His eyebrows snapped together over darkened eyes. “Alyssa.”
“Don’t Alyssa me.” He had no idea of the many nights she had to do with ramen and green beans because she couldn’t afford meat when money got tight. That wasn’t his fault, but the man knew nothing of suffering, and she wouldn’t sit here and be made to feel ashamed of asking for a box.
He sighed, a long-suffering sound that pissed her off all the more.
“I’m not angry. Nor am I scolding you as if you’d made a mistake. I respect who you are and your experiences.”
“Yeah, I’ll just bet you do.”
He grabbed for her hand, but she moved it out of reach. Not to be put off, he slid a palm over her belly, and she could have cussed out her own flesh at the reaction of his touch. Short of fleeing the car, she sat stuck.
“Contrary to your assumptions, we do not make a habit of wasting food.”
“But you don’t eat leftovers. I don’t even know why we’re sitting here having this discussion. It’s pointless. Okay, I won’t ask for anything to be boxed again. Happy?”
He stroked her cheek, and his face softened. “How about we offer the food to the staff? Will that make you happy?”
As if he’s really my man and needs to make me happy. “Okay. That sounds good.”
“Great. Shall we go inside?”
He opened the door and gestured for her to precede him into the house. Alyssa wondered what else she’d have to learn about rich people and how their worlds did not mesh before the end of her foray into fantasyland ended.
Chapter Six
“Our turn,” Nathan announced and stood to pull Alyssa from her seat. She followed him to the middle of the floor and glanced over to his dad and mom, sitting side by side, with Piper sitting nearby in a recliner, bare feet drawn up to her chest. Alyssa could not believe they were playing charades, but she had to admit it was fun. Leo didn’t participate, but enjoyed laughing at their antics. Alyssa, who didn’t get out to social gatherings that much where she might have learned better skills at these types of games, sucked royal ass at it and despised whoever had suggested the entertainment. Then again, it might have been Nathan, and she glared at him. She speculated on whether he’d suggested the game because he thought it was something she as a middle-class woman would enjoy. On another thought, the three Cordes were decent at picking up each other’s clues, while she missed most.
“You can do this, honey,” he encouraged her. “Just remember tugging of the ear means ‘sounds like.’ If I hold up fingers, it indicates the number of words, or if we’re down to a single word, number of syllables.”
She grumbled at him, “I remember that part.”
“I can’t believe you haven’t played this more than once in your life, darling,” Lydia said, making her feel worse.
Alyssa stabbed an accusing finger toward her pretend boyfriend. “Nathan’s acting stinks. I need a better partner, that’s all.”
“You will pay for that remark, woman.”
“Gag,” was Piper’s single comment.
Nathan took the hat from his father’s hands. “It’s your turn to act it out, Alyssa, so make it good.”
The game continued, and Alyssa found out it
“I don’t know how you do things?” For the life of her, she couldn’t get a grip on the rising anger. “So in other words, you waste food on a regular basis, un touched food, food that was slaved over in a hot kitchen for you, food that could have gone to someone else who would appreciate it, but instead, they had to be ousted because your family showed up unannounced at a restaurant where they require reservations.”
Nathan drew back as if she’d slapped him. The displeasure radiated off of him. “It’s not a situation we need to argue about, Alyssa. We just need to come to an agreement that—”
“Oh, an agreement!”
His eyebrows snapped together over darkened eyes. “Alyssa.”
“Don’t Alyssa me.” He had no idea of the many nights she had to do with ramen and green beans because she couldn’t afford meat when money got tight. That wasn’t his fault, but the man knew nothing of suffering, and she wouldn’t sit here and be made to feel ashamed of asking for a box.
He sighed, a long-suffering sound that pissed her off all the more.
“I’m not angry. Nor am I scolding you as if you’d made a mistake. I respect who you are and your experiences.”
“Yeah, I’ll just bet you do.”
He grabbed for her hand, but she moved it out of reach. Not to be put off, he slid a palm over her belly, and she could have cussed out her own flesh at the reaction of his touch. Short of fleeing the car, she sat stuck.
“Contrary to your assumptions, we do not make a habit of wasting food.”
“But you don’t eat leftovers. I don’t even know why we’re sitting here having this discussion. It’s pointless. Okay, I won’t ask for anything to be boxed again. Happy?”
He stroked her cheek, and his face softened. “How about we offer the food to the staff? Will that make you happy?”
As if he’s really my man and needs to make me happy. “Okay. That sounds good.”
“Great. Shall we go inside?”
He opened the door and gestured for her to precede him into the house. Alyssa wondered what else she’d have to learn about rich people and how their worlds did not mesh before the end of her foray into fantasyland ended.
Chapter Six
“Our turn,” Nathan announced and stood to pull Alyssa from her seat. She followed him to the middle of the floor and glanced over to his dad and mom, sitting side by side, with Piper sitting nearby in a recliner, bare feet drawn up to her chest. Alyssa could not believe they were playing charades, but she had to admit it was fun. Leo didn’t participate, but enjoyed laughing at their antics. Alyssa, who didn’t get out to social gatherings that much where she might have learned better skills at these types of games, sucked royal ass at it and despised whoever had suggested the entertainment. Then again, it might have been Nathan, and she glared at him. She speculated on whether he’d suggested the game because he thought it was something she as a middle-class woman would enjoy. On another thought, the three Cordes were decent at picking up each other’s clues, while she missed most.
“You can do this, honey,” he encouraged her. “Just remember tugging of the ear means ‘sounds like.’ If I hold up fingers, it indicates the number of words, or if we’re down to a single word, number of syllables.”
She grumbled at him, “I remember that part.”
“I can’t believe you haven’t played this more than once in your life, darling,” Lydia said, making her feel worse.
Alyssa stabbed an accusing finger toward her pretend boyfriend. “Nathan’s acting stinks. I need a better partner, that’s all.”
“You will pay for that remark, woman.”
“Gag,” was Piper’s single comment.
Nathan took the hat from his father’s hands. “It’s your turn to act it out, Alyssa, so make it good.”
The game continued, and Alyssa found out it
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