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“I don’t know your son very well, but I’m aware that eight-year-olds cannot be reasoned with.”
“No, they can’t. I, ah, came by because I thought we should talk.”
“About what?”
“About what happened between us at your restaurant.”
“The kiss?”
“Yes, the kiss and other matters.” She appeared decidedly uncomfortable, but she held his gaze.
He kept his gaze steady too but didn’t speak, allowing her to lead the conversation.
“The kiss shouldn’t have happened, and I regret my lapse in judgment.”
“Are you apologizing?” Bruno asked, surprised.
“Yes, I am.”
“I initiated the contact,” he reminded her.
“I could have refused.”
“That would have been difficult. Most women find me irresistible.”
She stared at him, a pencil-thin frown marring her forehead, then her features softened when she realized he was joking. “That might be true, but I have self-control, and I’m the professional in this scenario. I should have exercised more restraint.”
“Did you come here to fire me as a client?” Bruno asked.
“No.”
Something about the way she answered the question gave him pause. “Did you already try to get rid of me?”
She took a deep breath. “I admit I talked to the CEO, Arnie, about assigning you to someone else at the company.”
“My ego is a bit bruised. I’ve never had a woman want to get rid of me this much.”
“My decision has nothing to do with you personally, but as I explained the situation?—”
“Yes, I know, your personal ethics won’t allow you to get involved with a client.”
“My decision not to get involved with you is not only a personal one. It’s company policy. We’re not allowed to date clients because it’s a conflict.”
“You’re not a judge, you’re a damn matchmaker,” Bruno said.
“A matchmaker who needs her job and can’t risk losing it because of some rich man’s whim.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. You meant what you said. Do you talk to all your clients this way or just me?”
“Just you,” she admitted.
Bruno couldn’t help but smile, and she smiled back.
“Just so you know, firing me won’t work, either. Employees with Executive Match are required to sign a non-compete clause, which includes a paragraph stating that for at least a year after a client leaves, we’re not allowed to get involved with them.”
