“Don’t be sorry. I think I prefer to be the only one around. Plus, being a plaything for models does have its perks.” He winks at me.
“You do tend to be by yourself a lot. I assume you like it that way.”
“Of course. I’m not the only one either. We’re basically two peas in a pod, Kinley. Career first, everything else is second.” He shrugs.
“It’s a scary thought that you and I are in a pod.” I reach the ice machine and begin to fill my bucket. “Next thing I know you’re going to bet me that if we’re both single at fifty, we marry each other.”
He chuckles. “I wouldn’t do that. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the marriage kind of guy and I don’t see that changing in the future.”
“Aren’t you the one that told me ‘never say never’?” I growl my question at him.
“Aren’t you the one who said it and meant it anyway?” he gives it right back to me.
“I hate that you’re right.” I walk away from him and back to my room.
I hear him fill his bucket and chase me down the hall. “Doesn’t usually happen with you, Ms. Know-It-All.”
I spin around when I open my door. “Was that some type of compliment? Because if it was, you suck at them.” I slam the door in his face.
Chapter Eighteen
Carson
I dump the watered down ice out of the bucket at the sound of movement outside my door. The fridge in my room is how I keep my drinks cold, but by filling up this ice bucket, I happen to run into Kinley. When I open the door into the hallway, it’s not Kinley making her way down to the ice machine. It’s her dad. Her parents are finally here, it seems.
With a quick jog, I catch up to him. “Hey, Mr. Wright. Glad y’all made it here safely. On an ice run?”
“Carson, how are you, son?”
“Pretty good, trying to keep up with Kinley’s daily itinerary. You?”
“I’m well. Trying to keep my wife out of Kinley’s hair for a little bit.” He sticks the bucket he’s carrying under the machine. “Do you golf, Carson?”
“Yeah, here and there,” I answer, switching places with him. “Are you planning to test out some courses while you’re here?”
He nods. “I heard of a country club that allows guests. Would you care to join me today? I know from Kinley that you’re off. I’m sure she sent you an email about it.” He chuckles as we head back down the hallway.
“More than one email.” I laugh, quickly deciding on if I want to go or not. “Golfing does sounds good.”
“How about in an hour?”
“That works for me. I’ll meet you down in the lobby.”
Kinley’s dad seems like he would be an alright person to be around. Hopefully, it will be a good break from the normal pace of things around here.
~
“Carson, for someone who just plays here and there, you’re killing me.”
I smirk as I go for my turn. “I should probably let you know that there’s a course not too far from my house.”
“Ah, so you’re trying to hustle an old man?” He chuckles. “Let me tell you something, son, you can’t hustle a hustler. Always remember that.”
“Not trying to hustle anyone.” I smile, swing, and turn to face him. “Are you saying you’ve hustled people before?”
“Well.” Mr. Wright turns somber. “It’s not something I’m proud of, but I lived in foster homes most of my teenage years, so I needed to survive somehow.”
“You were a foster kid?” I question with disbelief. The man has it all and is so well put together. I would have never thought he bounced from house to house as a foster kid.