Karen can't help the laugh that bubbles out of her at that, one hand lifting in front of her to try to fend off any response, not wanting to give the wrong idea. After the way she was living in New York, that's been the least of her concerns here, especially with the money she gets every month. She might not understand or trust that, but it's been enough to find her footing while she figures out what she's going to do here, and she imagines that she'll still be able to take at least the occasional freelance job, which will help. Besides, if this is all going to be as covert as she's gotten the impression that it is, it will probably help for appearance's sake if she has another job she can cite when anyone asks.

"Trust me, that won't be a problem," she tells him, still smiling. "My last job — the one with the law firm — they were paying me next to nothing." They were making next to nothing, but she hadn't minded that, either. Somehow it meant more to be paid in baked goods and other food and promises of help from people in specific trades than if they were some high-earning firm, getting checks with multiple zeroes on the end from every client, probably selling their goddamn souls in the process. "It is. Something I want."