stomach isn’t feeling the best. I might be
getting sick.”
“A Sprite? Nah. We’re celebrating! Have a beer.” Kimberly looked at the waitress. “We’ll have
beers.”
“No, really—” I cut off as I felt a warm hand on my arm. I looked over at Jonathan, who was
making Tera sit farther back so he could lean across her to touch me.
“Hey,” he said with a warm smile. “You really designed that game?”
Confused at his touch and his tone, I stuttered out a “Yes.”
Jonathan took his hand back but continued to lean against the table, his full focus on me. “That’s
pretty remarkable. And how about Hunter Carlisle? Do you still work for him?”
“Yes. For now.”
“I can’t believe you moved in with him,” Jen said with stars in her eyes. “When Kimberly told me
I flat-out refused to believe it. Hunter Carlisle ! I didn’t think he could be caught.”
“Are you saying you’d dump me to get a piece of him?” Rick said with an annoyed expression.
“Does everything need to be about you?” Jen shot him a glower. “I’m trying to talk to Livy.”
“What do you mean, for now?” Tera asked.
The waitress showed up with a round of beers and distributed them before asking if we wanted
any food.
I leaned back, away from it. “That game is a lot of work,” I told Tera. “I’ll need to choose which
company I work for.”
“No-brainer,” Jonathan said. “Hunter Carlisle.”
“Well…” I shrugged. “That’s just admin work. I’d really rather do coding.”
Jonathan gave me a placating kind of smile then, in a condescending voice, said, “You get to learn
business from a genius. I think that is worth the price of admission. He can open doors others can’t.
You’d be a simpleton to walk away from that.”
“She lives with him,” Kimberly said with spice in her voice. “She’s not walking away from him; she’s doing something she’s obviously better at. She can still learn from him.”
“Dude, you’re full of shit.” Rick waved Jonathan away as he took a swig of his beer. “You have
no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Here, Livy.” Kimberly moved my beer closer to me as she picked up hers.
“No, I’m okay.” I lightly touched the bottle, nudging it away a little.
“You’re really not drinking?” she asked, hesitating with her own bottle.
Most people hated peer pressure. Kimberly thrived on it.
“Why aren’t you drinking?” Tera squinted at me.
The table fell into silence, all eyes on me.
“I have to work after this,” I hastened to say. “Beer makes me drowsy.”
“You still have to work?” Rick said. Tera was still staring at me, suspicion in her eyes. Her gaze
dipped to my stomach.
Suddenly, I knew exactly what she was thinking. I’d trapped Hunter with a baby. He was the
unattainable bachelor. No one had ever been able to land him. Except for me, a girl without money
and without awe-inspiring beauty. And suddenly I was pregnant.
It did look bad.
“Excuse me,” I said as I stood. Tera squinted again as she looked at my belly.
In a strange sort of panic, I made my way to the bathroom. This was silly. Who cared what people
thought? I knew that Hunter loved me. I’d known it before the baby. In fact, he’d been the cause of
this. He was the one who’d tried to get me without protection as often as possible. I certainly hadn’t trapped him.
But man, it sure did look like I had.
I washed up and analyzed myself in the mirror. I had a tiny paunch. Not at all noticeable. Most
people would assume it was chub. I took a deep breath and made my way back out. I was all sorts of
off balance with life. I needed to get a grip!
“Livy.”
I started and then stumbled into Jonathan. He caught me by the shoulders and directed me toward
the wall so people could get by. “Careful,” he said with a smile.
“What’s up?” I asked, taking a step away. He was standing much too close.
“Hey, you know, we don’t talk anymore. I
getting sick.”
“A Sprite? Nah. We’re celebrating! Have a beer.” Kimberly looked at the waitress. “We’ll have
beers.”
“No, really—” I cut off as I felt a warm hand on my arm. I looked over at Jonathan, who was
making Tera sit farther back so he could lean across her to touch me.
“Hey,” he said with a warm smile. “You really designed that game?”
Confused at his touch and his tone, I stuttered out a “Yes.”
Jonathan took his hand back but continued to lean against the table, his full focus on me. “That’s
pretty remarkable. And how about Hunter Carlisle? Do you still work for him?”
“Yes. For now.”
“I can’t believe you moved in with him,” Jen said with stars in her eyes. “When Kimberly told me
I flat-out refused to believe it. Hunter Carlisle ! I didn’t think he could be caught.”
“Are you saying you’d dump me to get a piece of him?” Rick said with an annoyed expression.
“Does everything need to be about you?” Jen shot him a glower. “I’m trying to talk to Livy.”
“What do you mean, for now?” Tera asked.
The waitress showed up with a round of beers and distributed them before asking if we wanted
any food.
I leaned back, away from it. “That game is a lot of work,” I told Tera. “I’ll need to choose which
company I work for.”
“No-brainer,” Jonathan said. “Hunter Carlisle.”
“Well…” I shrugged. “That’s just admin work. I’d really rather do coding.”
Jonathan gave me a placating kind of smile then, in a condescending voice, said, “You get to learn
business from a genius. I think that is worth the price of admission. He can open doors others can’t.
You’d be a simpleton to walk away from that.”
“She lives with him,” Kimberly said with spice in her voice. “She’s not walking away from him; she’s doing something she’s obviously better at. She can still learn from him.”
“Dude, you’re full of shit.” Rick waved Jonathan away as he took a swig of his beer. “You have
no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Here, Livy.” Kimberly moved my beer closer to me as she picked up hers.
“No, I’m okay.” I lightly touched the bottle, nudging it away a little.
“You’re really not drinking?” she asked, hesitating with her own bottle.
Most people hated peer pressure. Kimberly thrived on it.
“Why aren’t you drinking?” Tera squinted at me.
The table fell into silence, all eyes on me.
“I have to work after this,” I hastened to say. “Beer makes me drowsy.”
“You still have to work?” Rick said. Tera was still staring at me, suspicion in her eyes. Her gaze
dipped to my stomach.
Suddenly, I knew exactly what she was thinking. I’d trapped Hunter with a baby. He was the
unattainable bachelor. No one had ever been able to land him. Except for me, a girl without money
and without awe-inspiring beauty. And suddenly I was pregnant.
It did look bad.
“Excuse me,” I said as I stood. Tera squinted again as she looked at my belly.
In a strange sort of panic, I made my way to the bathroom. This was silly. Who cared what people
thought? I knew that Hunter loved me. I’d known it before the baby. In fact, he’d been the cause of
this. He was the one who’d tried to get me without protection as often as possible. I certainly hadn’t trapped him.
But man, it sure did look like I had.
I washed up and analyzed myself in the mirror. I had a tiny paunch. Not at all noticeable. Most
people would assume it was chub. I took a deep breath and made my way back out. I was all sorts of
off balance with life. I needed to get a grip!
“Livy.”
I started and then stumbled into Jonathan. He caught me by the shoulders and directed me toward
the wall so people could get by. “Careful,” he said with a smile.
“What’s up?” I asked, taking a step away. He was standing much too close.
“Hey, you know, we don’t talk anymore. I
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