“An exchange is fair.” He tips the lip of the bottle, pointing the neck at me. “Answer one question for me first, Layla.” My eyebrows shoot up into my hairline. What does he want to know? “Okayyy …” I take the bait. Apparently I have no self-control when it comes to wanting to please this man. “I’ve been sitting here wondering … what does a twenty-five-year-old need to pay for so desperately, that she’s rushing like a bull at a gate to finish her vet certification, and work night shifts in grungy bars on the side?”
