Chapter 55: I Need To Know My Target
"Can I get to know you?"
She didn’t answer right away.
She kept one hand on the café door and studied him for a moment before letting it close.
"Why?"
Adrian blinked. "Why what?"
"Why do you want to know me?"
He almost went with You seem interesting. No. Too easy. Even a baby wouldn’t fall for that line.
"Because." He straightened. "I feel like we got off on the wrong foot."
Shit. That was still common.
Dina’s chin tilted slightly. "The wrong foot? You mean when you tried to grope me?"
"Yeah..." A weak chuckle escaped him as he rubbed his neck. "That’s what I meant."
He left it there. No excuses. No attempt to make it sound better than it was.
Her eyes narrowed. Her arms loosening slightly. "So what are you expect from me?"
"Nothing."
She raised a brow, crossing her arms again. "Guys never want nothing."
"Well... I’m not most guys," he said. "I’m not exactly expecting you to forgive me or anything. I just... don’t want one bad night to be the only thing I know about you."
A few seconds passed.
"Hmm." Something in her posture settled. "What do you actually want to know, then?"
Adrian lifted a shoulder. "I don’t know. Talk, I guess."
Dina’s stared for a moment. Then she took a quick step closer to him.
"Fine." She looked at him directly. "One question."
"
One?"
"One." She held up a finger. "But there’s a condition."
Adrian waited, already certain that he was going to regret it.
"After I answer yours, you answer mine."
Huh. That actually didn’t sound that bad. "Alright. You’ve got a deal."
Dina glanced toward the café door, then back at him. "So where are we doing this?"
Adrian looked around. The planter beside the entrance was the closest thing they had to a seat. Didn’t look like a bad choice either.
He walked over and sat on the low edge. A second later, he tapped the empty space beside him.
Dina looked at the spot. Then at him.
"What?" Adrian said.
She stared for a moment, then came over and sat down.
There was still a little space between them. Close enough that Adrian caught the faint scent of her perfume when she shifted. Something sweet and floral.
Dina folded her hands in her lap. "Well?"
Adrian looked at her. Her eyes were on his.
Is she for real? She’s not gonna let me figure out my question?
Naturally, every question he actually wanted to ask was unusable. He searched for something normal. The Maya link? Fuck no. What else could he...
"Hurry up and ask already." Dina cut in.
He ignored her as he pondered for another moment. What was he gonna ask? Her likes and dislikes? Nah. Too cheesy. What about... he paused.
Adrian finally looked at her. "Why are you working at a clothing store?"
Dina frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Yeah. I mean, Northgate isn’t cheap. Neither is New York ." Adrian glanced at her. "So I’m wondering why you’re working on the side on a job that doesn’t pay so..."
"I’m not answering that."
Adrian blinked. "You said I could ask one question." He said. "That’s my question."
Dina gave him a look. "It’s personal."
"You made the rule."
Dina looked away.
Yeah. That’s a soft spot.
For a second, Adrian thought she’d leave it there.
Then she sighed and faced him. Adrian waited.
"I was raised by a single mom. She passed recently." Dina said, her tone shaken. "So now, It’s just me and my sister."
Adrian’s expression changed before he could stop it.
Dina rubbed her thumb along the edge of her phone. "So I handle most of the bills. Rent. Food. Basically everything."
"That’s...." He mumbled. "I’m sorry."
She didn’t respond. "So the store... was it a family business?"
"No." Dina shrugged. "It just pays, I guess."
"Oh." Adrian replied. "And Northgate?"
Dina looked away, her lips twitching.
"My mom already paid the tuition... She wanted me to finish at Northgate." She looked down at her phone. "So I’m finishing."
Adrian looked at her for a moment.
So that was where some of the confidence came from.
She wasn’t pretending everything was fine. She just didn’t have much choice but to keep moving.
"And you’re doing all that while going to school?"
"I have to."
Adrian nodded.
He’d been trying to figure her out since they stepped outside. He wasn’t sure he’d figured her out yet. But he knew a little more now.
Dina looked at him.
"That’s my answer." She said faintly. "So... Your turn."
He kept his gaze.
"Don’t worry." She smiled. "I’ve already got my question."
Adrian looked at her. "That sounds dangerous."
"Probably."
He gave her a look. Dina smiled.
"What was the real reason you wanted to get to know me?" Her smile faded slightly. "Not the polite version."
He paused. So she still wasn’t buying it.
He knew exactly what he wasn’t going to say.
Not the System. Not the eighty thousand attached to her name. And definitely not the fact that she’d been flagged before they’d even exchanged more words.
Adrian rubbed his thumb across his palm.
"The truth is... I was dealing with my own mess that night. I got drunk and took it out on you." He paused. "So I figured I owed you a chance to see that I’m not always an asshole."
She kept looking at him. Adrian couldn’t tell whether she’d bought it.
"What mess?"
"I just got out of a two-year relationship. It messed with my head." He paused. "More than I wanted to admit."
Dina’s expression shifted, just slightly. "Um. I’m sorry."
"Don’t be." He shook his head. "I’m doing better."
He hadn’t planned that answer. It just came out. Maybe he actually was getting better at this.
Dina didn’t answer immediately.Then she gave him a small smile. "That’s better than I expected."
He turned. "What were you expecting."
"Mostly a scumbag."
Adrian laughed under his breath. "Fair."
"Although..." Dina studied him for another secon. "You’re kinda charming."
Adrian smiled. "Thanks. You’re not bad too."
She smiled back. "See... charming."
They both laughed.
They sat in silence for a moment. Then Dina glanced toward the café.
"We should probably go back." She stood. "Marianne and the others are probably wondering where we disappeared to."
Marianne. The girl with glasses. He hadn’t even caught her name earlier.
Dina had already started toward the entrance.
"Wait." He stood.
Dina turned.
"Can I ask one more thing?"
"You already used your question."
"Not that..." He kept his voice even. "Can I get your number?"
She didn’t even pause. "No."
"Hm." A pause. "Alright."
She raised a brow. "You’re not gonna try again?"
He glanced back. "You said no."
She stared at him for a moment. "Give me your phone."
Adrian blinked, then handed it over. She tapped his number into her phone, and handed his phone back.
"You didn’t give me yours."
"I know." She turned toward the café door. "I’ll decide if you’re worth texting."
"That’s harsh."
"You’ll survive."
Adrian watched her disappear through the café door.
Not bad for a first conversation.
One step closer to getting eighty grand. Not bad. He slipped his phone into his pocket and followed.