Ryan sat in the back seat, stunned for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. He then said, “Ms. Murphy, I’m not that broke. I can treat you to a regular meal.”

I replied, “Ryan, don’t go out of your way. Save your money for something more important. Don’t let the Mrs. Holcomb title fool you–I didn’t exactly grow up with a silver spoon.”

Ryan asked awkwardly, “Do you know any good street food spots around here? I’m not really familiar with this area.”

I headed straight to a cramped, grimy dive whose flickering neon sign just said “EAT.” Grease fogged the windows, the linoleum was curling, and a parade of construction crews in hard hats had already claimed every stool inside. I strong-armed us onto the lone wobbly table on the sidewalk.

The moment Ryan took in the chaos, his eyes went wide and restless.

“Just sit tight, I’ll go order for us,” I said, hurrying to the counter. All the dishes were laid out in a display fridge, so I simply pointed at a few and told the owner what I wanted.

When I got back, all the guys around were staring at me–my clothes didn’t match the vibe of this place. Ryan lowered his voice and said, “Ms. Murphy, I’m sorry. I’ll treat you to something better next time, I promise.”

“Don’t be so formal,” I said, lowering my head to check the list Jared had sent me on my phone. Seeing all those properties and shops, I was in a great mood.

Ryan was obviously out of his element here. He kept wiping the table with a napkin, still looking pretty tense. When the owner brought over our drinks and accidentally spilled some, Ryan frowned hard, clearly uncomfortable.

“Don’t fuss, just dig in. The food’s good,” I said with a smile.

Ryan nodded, picked up his fork, and started eating quietly.

As I was eating, I caught something out of my peripheral vision. I quickly leaned over to Ryan and whispered, “Eat faster, I think I just saw your creditor’s car go by.”

Ryan immediately whipped his head around.

I shot him a look, gesturing with my eyes to a spot not far behind him. I said, “That Shaville-plated car–I’ve seen it hanging around our office a lot.”

Ryan turned to look, but the car had already disappeared.

“Sorry, Ms. Murphy, for dragging you into this. These guys are such a pain,” Ryan said softly.

I said, “It’s fine, but honestly, I’m more worried about what would happen if they actually kidnapped you. You’re still so young.”

Ryan replied, “Why would they even bother? It’s not like they could sell me for cash.”

“Who says? With a face like that, you could walk into any high-end host club and your price tag would be sky-high,” I teased, flashing a grin.

Ryan said, “Ms. Murphy, you know your way around these things. Have you ever been to any host club?”

I said, “Nope, never been. Just heard about it. Shaville’s got plenty of fancy clubs, you know. If you ever went, you’d probably be their top pick.”

Just picturing Ryan in a suit, getting picked out by strangers, made me feel bad for him.

Ryan said, “Relax, Ms. Murphy, I’d never go to a place like that. But do you think I’m good-looking?”

“Yeah, you’re pretty good-looking,” I said, nodding.

Ryan asked, “Who’s better-looking, me or your husband?”

I almost choked on my food and shot him a glare. I said, “Of all people to compare, why him? One’s a guy I see every day and I’m already bored with; the other’s someone I just met. How could he possibly compete?”

Ryan cracked up at my joke, laughing out loud.

Even his laugh sounded crisp and melodic–just another perk of being gorgeous. Honestly, I’d pay to watch some sugar mama work him over.