Candy carefully took a seat, nodding.
…wait. Increase in pay? She blinked a few times, trying to wrap her head around this. And… and…
Suddenly her chest felt tight, and a knot was forming in her stomach. No way. No way was this happening. And no way could she accept such a deal.
I'm sorry, but at this time I cannot accept your offer.
The words were on the tip of her tongue, so why couldn't she get them out? If Jess found out that she didn't have the gas to get back home, there was a high chance she'd offer to pay for the tow and gas herself, and even a drive home… it was all too much. There was no way she could accept that. After all, to admit vulnerability… was to invite pain. She wouldn't take any chances, let alone with Jess. Even so, the words wouldn't leave her mouth, and all that came out was, "Thank you…"
Candy went quiet after that, too busy trying to process and make sense of this new information, and scrambling to find a way to refuse the monetary needs when they arose to speak much.