Page 31 of See You Maybe
“I’m not sure I’m a collection kind of girl.” Her mouth moved back and forth. “But I might like to be.”
“My grandmother had a collection. Mam was furious when her mother left it to me in her will, along with the cottage. Which is crazy because my mother is a city girl through and through.”
“Are you close to your mom?” It was the closest they had come to discussing anything personal.
“I’m not sure if close is the right word. My mother is a force of nature, and she likes to get her own way.” Declan’s lips twisted. “We have that in common.”
“Who doesn’t? Everyone wants to get their way.”
Declan cocked his head. “I suppose that’s true.”
“It’s only a problem if someone decides that what they want is more important than what everyone else wants. No negotiation is won without compromise.”
Rose walked back to where she’d left her clothing choices with the cashier, her words leaving Declan to stare after her.
Picking up the pink, flower-shaped tea cup sitting on a leaf saucer that she’d been admiring, he hurried to catch up, reaching for his wallet.
“Let me,” he said, extending his credit card.
“Absolutely not.” Rose brushed his hand away, and Declan folded his fingers, obscuring the card, realizing too late that the telltale black rectangle would give him away. Bouncers rarely qualified for Black Amex cards.
Thankfully, Rose hadn’t noticed. “These are for me. You’ve already handled the rental car and hotel.” The cashier put the clothes in one big bag, her gaze bouncing between the two of them. “Besides,” Rose said with a smile, “I start my big girl job soon, so I’ll have extra money.”
Declan blinked. Not once in his life had anyone turned down his offer to pay. Granted, Rose didn’t know the truth about his finances, but something told him it wouldn’t matter if she did.
“Thank you for offering, though. It’s very sweet.” She gave him a brief peck on his lips and turned to the door. “Our basket should be ready by now.”
Declan quickly purchased the tea cup, urging the woman behind the counter to wrap it quickly, all the while keeping an eye out that Rose didn’t wander back wondering what took him so long. Joining her, he dropped his smaller bag inside of hers to hide the gift.
He pulled the car over into one of the many viewing-spot parking lots. Declan lifted the basket with one hand, holding Rose’s hand with the other. Finding a flat spot in the sun, Declan spread the picnic blanket over the short grass and moss, while Rose unpacked the basket. She opened two bottles of water, handing one to him.
“Back there at the shop,” Declan said. “That thing you said about negotiation. That doesn’t sound like an English major.”
“I’m not an English major.”
“I thought you said you were studying at Oxford. You know, all those writers and poets…”
He trailed off when Rose laughed. “That was for fun.”
Declan’s brow furrowed. “You went to Oxford for fun? Are you some kind of super nerd?”
“Probably. I am pretty smart.” She pretended to dust off her shoulder, a happy laugh bubbling out. “But no, I’m not graduating from Oxford. I was a business major.”
Declan shook his head. “I’m confused.”
“I went to a state school on a scholarship, but I always wanted to study literature, specifically the Romantics. My graduate school has a mini-mester abroad option at Oxford. Even though the credits don’t apply to my degree, it’s the only way I could ever attend. I saved up so that I could do it before joining the real world.” She screwed the top back on the water. “Officially, I graduate with my MBA in a couple of weeks.”
“So, I was right, you went to Oxford for fun?” Declan was impressed. “And you already have a job lined up prior to graduating. Aren’t you the little overachiever,” he teased, but Rose’s face fell and she took a bite of her sandwich.
He nudged her with his elbow. “Hey, that’s a good thing.”
Rose swallowed and stared out at the mountains. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded so sad he wanted to put his arms around her. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?”
“Doesn’t everyone?” he mimicked her words from the shop.
Rose let out a heavy sigh and dusted the crumbs off her hands. “No. Not if they don’t like what you're overachieving at.”
Declan weighed his words carefully, aware the subject was touching on something painful for her. “Who?”