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“I think that is part of it. There is a gap of understanding I’m starting to see. I’ve got to keep an eye on those things.”
He wouldn’t say anything else at this point. No reason to. West would make the final decisions on people’s jobs and he never wanted it said that he pushed another person out.
He knew his time would come and had to wait for it.
Just like he’d have to wait for Lilian too.
11
LET MY GUARD DOWN
Two weeks later, Lilian was waiting for Braylon’s driver to pick her up. She was going to his condo and making him dinner.
They’d been on several dates. He’d met her in the coffee shop for two Mondays in a row and it was pretty obvious everyone knew they were a couple.
What started out as a ruse was turning into the truth.
Aside from those two morning chats for other people’s benefit, they’d had dinner out twice and lunch once.
It was more time with him than she’d thought she’d get, even with him being in the same building.
But he’d been out of town twice too. Once in Utah and another in Vermont for some new business venture. She didn’t ask. It wasn’t her business.
Just like she didn’t talk about her job to Braylon. Why bore him?
Though he did ask often how things were going, she kept it simple.
She debated a few minutes more and decided to throw a change of undergarments in her large tote bag along with leggings and another T-shirt. They didn’t take up much room and would be under the bag of food she’d picked up to cook for him.
He’d offered to have it delivered and save her the trip, but she’d argued no way. He had been paying for everything and it was beyond annoying. The only thing she’d paid for besides the food for tonight was their first date at Carlo’s Bake Shop. She got them some pastries and had her card out before his.
Sure, the guy was beyond rich, but that didn’t mean she wanted his money or anything in terms of that.
And the fact they’d been dating for three weeks now and had known each other almost a month longer, he hadn’t done much more than kiss her.
She was frustrated over that and decided he could be waiting for her.
She’d find out tonight.
With her tote bag over her shoulder, she locked her apartment door and went down the stairs to see the town car pulling up to the curb. They’d used the driver two other times, but mostly they took a taxi everywhere.
She climbed in and sat back for the fifteen-minute drive to Braylon’s. The driver never talked to her so she only looked out the window most times.
The change of scenery from where she lived on the outside of Hell’s Kitchen to Tribeca shouldn’t have shocked her, but it did.
When the town car came to a stop in front of the high rise, she got out and took a deep breath. She didn’t belong here. No way. Not in her forty-dollar jeans and cotton shirt.
She squared her shoulders like she’d done most of her life and went to the entrance where a doorman was standing and opened the large door for someone to come out.
Thankfully it was her boyfriend. Maybe. Is that what he was? She was starting to think that at least.
“Benjamin,” Braylon said. “This is Lilian Baker. She’s with me.”
She smiled at the older man. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Baker. I’ll remember your face now to let you in.”
“Thank you,” she said.
When they were in the elevator by themselves, Braylon said, “He’s a great guy. He will remember you too. He shakes my hand every time I come home from work.”
