Soft Skills by Cleo Peitsche

Author:Cleo Peitsche
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Pouch Productions
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Cunningham cooked dinner. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a tangy stir fry with lots of ginger. Still, it was delicious. Cunningham opened a bottle of red wine, and when Elle didn’t love it, he promptly opened one that she did enjoy.

A warm feeling fluttered in her stomach. A month ago, he would have lectured her on the wine’s merits. Still, knowing that he was biting his tongue didn’t make her feel more worthy.

Elle pushed back her plate. “I’d love to cook for you some day.” She laughed. “Just wish my place wasn’t so inadequate.”

Cunningham got that expression on his face, the one that meant he’d identified a problem to be solved as soon as possible.

“No, no, no, I don’t want to move again. And my place is nice, actually. But it’s messy. I’m only there to sleep and to change clothes. And no, I don’t want you to send over a maid.”

“I could reduce your hours if you prefer to be more domestic.” He was joking, but Elle gave him her most lethal stare, just in case. He shrugged. “Between now and when you decide who you want to live with, if you need anything, you only have to ask.”

Elle nodded.

Cunningham sliced ripe strawberries for dessert, and they went out onto his enormous balcony to eat. Winter was definitely over, but the night was cool. Elle sat close to Cunningham, letting his heat warm her, too.

“How many apartments do you have? This one, the loft…”

“Seventeen. Most of them are in cities that I’d love to live in one day. I bought them, and now rent them out most of the year.”

“Why rent?”

He shrugged. “Why not? They’re beautiful, and they shouldn’t be empty.”

“You’re so lucky.”

Cunningham nodded. “I am. And I work my ass off. Or at least I used to. These days I feel somewhat entitled to enjoy the fruits of my labor, but it’s hard to cut back to forty hours a week.”

Elle flicked her tongue over a sugar-topped strawberry, enjoying the slight crunch of the crystals. When she realized that Cunningham was watching closely, she slowly sucked the plump berry into her mouth.

“Keep doing that and see what happens,” he said.

“You know what I can’t figure out? Nolan has more money than you or Jonathan, right? So how come he works as the receptionist?”

“I wouldn’t say he has more money.” He sighed. “Ok, I guess he does. Even after all these years. The car was his idea, actually, but it’s from all three of us. You work hard. You deserve better than a company car.”

“Thank you. It’s kind of overwhelming.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it. I’m… yeah, overwhelmed is the best word. I can’t wrap my mind around it.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. Hopefully you’ll get used to being spoiled sooner than later, because a car is nothing.”

Elle gulped.

Cunningham entered the apartment and returned a few minutes later with another bowl of freshly cut fruit.

“So why does Nolan work that job?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Medium-length version?”

“His mother is married to my uncle’s brother-in-law.

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