Paid to love

f Ariana precisely one week after the restaurant disaster. We were

ave any other pals, and we worked together for most of the week. But, she was more than enough for me

ring to her black hair, knotted in a sloppy bun on top of her hea

all right,

deserted, as it always is in the afternoon, so I had plenty of time to style her hair. "I'm genuinely

harder than I should have.

would you b

of looks

iftly took a grip of her hair to avoid

person I mentioned at Michelange

d, staring ahead. She motioned for me to com

ie off my wrist to secure the braid.

your twenty-f

t was a mem

call where

ar the casin

again and nodded. "And what

l open. It clarified so much. I was meant to know who he was, h

recognize it,"

abundant than Michelangelo's. Mateo most likely ran some of them as well. But why had he been eating at Michelangelo's in

u want to

it because I knew Mateo had been inebriated when he wrote it, and it didn't seem right

at's with the odd forty-three cents and that strange note? He wants you to be his gir

I couldn't hire someone lik

ctly does

I'd be frightened of harassing you,

gain. "Why? That would be quit

t proper; he was

were missing ten thousand. Ah, it's irritating just thinking about it

des, the message had said that the tip was an advance. I wasn't sure what an advance was for, bu

should save it for emergency money; what if something happens to you, yo

n't bring myself to do so. It just didn't seem right. Taking money from inebriated folks was like

the same in the end, but that stinks. Ten thousand to

dollar more than they

her eyes widened, and she returned to me, "Oh my gosh," she

to see none other than Mateo Logan walking through the doors. I c

front of the counter. What

aid, a lovely g

ng man he'd come in with and remembered he'd been with Mateo at the restaurant a week before. What was his n

lips with his palm, disgui

en. "Wait, I didn't mean to say that; I meant Seb

, smiling slightly. "I'm happy

obably. I was now as odd as Mateo. "I've n

"Have you eve

said, annoyed by h

ested in it. I saw him stroll up to the painted mural on the wall, one of the wooden tables, and lastly, the marble counter. Ariana was standing b

ace and smiled tentatively. "Um, Mr

se. Why was she being so gracious? This man

number?" he

to roll my eyes. Sebastian shook his h

rned slightly to rest his back on the counter. I assumed he was th