NICOLE
After dinner, I get the words out. “I need to get a job.”
Roman, who’s sitting right next to me and actually has his hand on my thigh, gives me this look that confuses me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I return the look. “It means what it means. I need a job.”
He gestures around the space. “So, I’m just a joke to you?”
A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. “You don’t get it. I can’t have your money, Roman.”
“Then what’s all this for?” he questions, and I can tell that he’s being serious. “I’ve got more money than I can spend in this lifetime, Nikki. What do I do with all of it if you want to work for everything you want? How can I stand by and watch you deal with s**t bosses and work your was off for…I don’t mean to say peanuts.”
“But you already did.”
He sighs and plac
