Page 119 of Sing For Me

“No.”

“Finally hiring an office manager?”

“No.”

He stares at me. I stare right back. Finally he groans. “You’re annoying as fuck to get information out of, you know that?”

“Maybe because it’s not information you need to know.”

He swings his legs back to the floor and leans forward to rest his elbows on my desk. “Seriously, dude, what’s up? Is there some kind of trouble with the shop? Are we not doing as well as I thought?”

Great. The last thing I want is for there to be rumors about the shop’s well-being spreading through the staff.

“I’m just trying to pay off my primary loan, that’s all.”

He gapes at me. “Hang on. Isn’t your primary loan from your uncle?”

I grit my teeth. “Yup.”

“And you want to pay that off. With a bank loan.”

I throw my pen onto the stack of papers on my desk. “Is there a point to this, Quinn?”

“I don’t get it, man! Why in the hell would you pay back a family loan—with next to no interest—with a bank loan? That makes no sense.”

Because I shouldn’t have taken his money in the first place.

“It’s complicated. And if you don’t mind, I have to get back to it.”

He stares at me for a long moment. “Listen, Will,” he finally says, and for once there’s no trace of amusement in his voice. “I really thought you were doing better once you started dating Eva. But this week…I’m worried about you.”

Jesus. I don’t need this from him too.

I take a deep breath, trying to keep from losing my temper. “I appreciate your concern, Quinn. Seriously. You’re a good friend. But everything is fine. There’s some…complicated family stuff I’m trying to deal with. But I’m fine.”

He doesn’t look like he’s buying it but we’re interrupted by Lulu’s voice over the intercom. “Quinn, your two o’clock is here if you’d like to grace us all with your presence,” her dry voice intones.

And there’s the familiar smirk he usually wears. “She tries to deny it, but that girl has the hots for me.”

That gets the first genuine laugh of the day from me. “Uh huh. You keep telling yourself that, buddy.”

He pops up from his chair. “Gotta go make the people happy. Try not to stay cooped up in here all day.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Turns out, I’m forced to follow his advice just a half hour later. There’s a knock and I look up to see Lulu in the doorway again, an almost nervous expression on her face.

“Uh, Will? Sorry to interrupt.”

I turn to face her, determined to be less of an asshole than last time. “What’s up?”

She winces. “I called your uncle back, like you asked…”

My stomach twists. “And?”

“He, uh, he’s here.”

My mouth drops open. “He’s here?” I snap. “Are you serious?”