Of Course, It's You

Chapter 27

HANNAH

They both walked to the park without speaking. When the back of Hannah's hand brushed Carmen's, she could have sworn the woman relaxed for half a second.

When they sat down at a picnic table, Carmen didn't touch the sandwich that was placed in front of her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hannah asked carefully.

Carmen looked at her very slowly, then a hint of confusion came across her face. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I'm eating my lunch." She took a bite of her chicken salad sandwich as proof.

"No I-," she chuckled, "you and your smart ass answers."

Hannah shrugged. "You looked like you needed a friend."

Carmen hummed, "a friend." There was an unmistakable pang of pain in her words.

"You helped me before. Plus, I get to eat my lunch outside, and my boss said I could take a half day. That's a win in my book."

"Oh, your boss said so, huh?"

"Yeah. She's pretty laid back like that."

Carmen laughed, "that's not something I've heard about her. So that's news to me."

Almost reluctantly, Carmen reached for the food in front of her and tentatively took a bite.

"You don't have to eat if you really don't feel like it." Hannah could tell that food wasn't really on Carmen's mind at the moment.

"No. I think it might be best if I do. I've been told I tend to skip lunch."

"And we don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. Just sit here and enjoy lunch and the fact that we aren't in the office."

Carmen gave her a small smile. "That sounds like a plan. But I do want to thank you for getting me out of there."

Hannah shrugged. "It seemed like you would have just drowned yourself in work. It also looked like you might need some company... company that wasn't your dad." And I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Hannah didn't add that last part, but it was clear.

Hannah watched as Carmen picked at the crust. She took a large inhale, "was it that noticeable?"

"He's kind of a tool, isn't he?"

Carmen huffed out a single syllable laugh.

"Can I even tell you that? Is that going to look bad if I talk about him to you like that?"

Carmen eyed her with a raised brow. "You're not telling me anything new. I'd be shocked if you could present me with something I hadn't heard before."

"Well, as long as you make sure he doesn't fire me when I return the dress, he said he'd send me."

Carmen's head jerked up. Hannah really didn't want anything to do with him or the dress he kept mentioning he would send her. Whatever the hell that even meant. The entire conversation felt slimy. Slimy and seething with a dual purpose she wasn't sure she was aware of yet.

"A dress?" Carmen asked, but the tone she used almost seemed fake. Was she in on this too? God, if this turned out to be a whole thing with this family she would scream. Go to events with us, date us and we will make sure you get a promotion. Hannah wanted nothing with that scheme.

"He asked me to go to some gala with him. Well, it wasn't so much a question really. More of an, I'll send you what I want you to wear, and you will show up even if you don't give me an answer, kind of deal." She shook her head.