Page 76 of Too Good to Be True

“Brown or white rice?”

“Brown.”

“Eggroll?”

“Please.”

“Beer, soda, or water?”

“What are you having?”

“Beer.”

“I’ll have one too.” The last time she’d drunk beer with him had been a disaster, but this time, she’d eat a full meal and limit herself to one.

Nick brought everything to the table and then sat down beside her.

“Thanks. This looks delicious.”

“Fran gets all the credit.”

“She’s really sweet with you,” Stacy said as she speared a bite of chicken and dipped it in the sauce.

“She’s a lot different at the office.”

“I didn’t mean to insinuate that.”

“It’s true, though.”

“I never even knew she had a nephew until she asked me to train you. I didn’t know much about her personal life at all.” The same could probably be said of her.

Nick bit into his eggroll and chewed thoughtfully. “I think a lot of people feel like they have to wear a mask at work. It’s almost like they’re afraid to show who they really are.”

She took a swig of beer. “I guess I fall into that category too.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay. I know that about myself. I just don’t know how to fix it.”

She wished she weren’t so concerned about what people thought of her and anyone finding out about her and Nick. If only she could believe that her boss and coworkers would still respect her despite who she was dating… Wait a minute. Dating? Is that what we’re doing?

She mulled it over while they ate.

“Another beer?” he asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

“No thanks. I’m sticking with one this time.”

He chuckled, effectively lifting the mood. “More food?”

“I’ll take another scoop of rice if there’s enough.”

“There’s plenty. Fran tried to pawn this off as leftovers, but I think she purposely bought an extra portion for me.”

“I agree.” What would Fran think if she knew she’d fed Stacy too?

After they’d finished eating, she insisted on helping clean up. She’d enjoyed being served, but she didn’t want to take advantage of his good nature. By the time they’d loaded the dishwasher and wiped the table, she realized it was getting late. Well, late to an older woman like her.

“Do you want to watch a movie? I don’t have cable or Netflix yet, but I have some DVDs.”