30 Days (Morgan Family Series Book 1) Read Free Page B

ridiculous offer.”
    “I don’t want them. I want you.” I laugh at his confession, shaking my head. “Do that again.”
    “What?” I ask.
    “Smile. Laugh.” he answers. “Come home with me.” “I can’t.”
    “I can’t keep coming back here. I don’t handle rejection well.”
    I don’t know what to say to that. I expect him to say more, but he doesn’t. He pauses at the door to pay and then walks out.
    Two weeks pass and I don’t see him again. I accept that he isn’t coming back.
    Probably for the best anyway. He pays too well and I can’t get used to that. It’s nice,

 
    but I don’t want to get used to money that won’t always be there. I decide I can just fantasize about him and move on.
    Now that it’s my day off, I make my deposit at the bank and then walk down the street to find somewhere to get lunch. I order a hot dog from a vendor and start eating it as I walk back to my apartment. I’m only halfway finished when my phone rings. I fish it out of my purse and see that it’s Anniston.
    “Why aren’t you in class?” I answer.
    “I’m in between classes.” she replies. “I have something to tell you and please don’t be mad.”
    “I don’t like the way this conversation is starting.” I toss the other half of my hot dog into a garbage can so I can focus on whatever bad news she’s about to tell me.
    “My scholarship has been revoked.”
    I stop walking. “Already? How did this happen?”
    “The dean called me into his office today and told me. I’m good for half of this semester, but the other half is not paid for.”
    “I thought they just put you on probation. How can they revoke your scholarship already?”
    “I don’t know! They did though. What are we gonna do?” she cries. “My grades are getting better, Memphis. I swear!”
    “Are you sure you’re telling me everything?” I ask. “When did the probation
    start?”
    I hear silence on the other line and I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. I
    knew she had to be keeping something from me.
    “The end of last semester.” she answers, truthfully. “But my grades are improving!”
    “I can’t afford to pay for your dorm and your tuition, Anniston!” “I’ll get a job or I’ll take a semester off.” she offers.
    “No! I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry.”
    I hang up and head home. I pick up a newspaper on the way. Maybe I can get a second job. If not, I’ll have try and get a loan. Something.
     
     

Cameron
     
    Two weeks. Over two weeks and she’s still on my mind. It was fucking ridiculous. She’s just a damn stripper. No one really. Yet, I wanted to go back. She’d turned me down twice. I refuse to make a fool out of myself again. There’s plenty of other women out there. Yet, I keep thinking about her.
    “Mr. Morgan, is that date good for you?”
    I stare at my colleague and realize I don’t even know what date he asked for.
    Our client shifts in his seat. I open the calendar on my laptop and ask for the date again.
    “Yes.” I answer. I ignore Jim’s glare. I stand and shake hands with Mr. Beasley and watch as he exits the conference room.
    “You spaced out, Cameron. What the hell?” Jim lays into me.

 
    “I was thinking about another case.” I lie.
    “Right now, this case needs to be priority. At least Tanner Beasley needs to think so.” he scolds.
    I follow him out of the conference room and down the hall towards the elevators. We’d already agreed to have lunch together to discuss the other cases we were working on. We step into the elevator and he presses the button for the first floor.
    The offices for Morgan, Quinley, & Sloan are on the top three floors of the building. The building also houses a large bank, a real estate company, and an ad agency.
    “We need to interview the neighbors. See if they heard anything. Make sure their stories check out with what they reported to the police.” Jim says. “We also need to get him to tell us where he was. Make sure