Marissa wondered fleetingly if there was a kind of tutorial guys get to learn how to drop lines on ladies. If there were such things, then Bernard must have been an ace student because he just knew what to say to her and always wanted to make her melt.

She remembered their bet and squashed any mushiness she might be feeling inside. “

This could be his strategy too,” she thought.

“You do know that Agnes or any of your workers could walk through that door right now, don't you?” she said to get a rise out of him, whatever it takes to let him let her go right away...