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“True. But still…” I fumbled with my key card, tracing the plastic edges with my thumb.
Neil cleared his throat. “Well, I should get going. I have more work to do.”
“Right. See you tomorrow morning.”
Neil gave a nod, taking a half a step back. Just as he turned to leave, his phone pinged. He glanced at the screen, squinting. “My evening meeting has just been cancelled.”
“That’s good. You can finally relax.”
Neil’s eyes met mine. He seemed to have forgotten his intention to leave. “Milly…”
I lifted my chin. “Yes?”
Neil shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and it seemed like he didn’t quite know what to do with his hands. “Would you, perhaps, er, fancy grabbing dinner with me? I could show you a little bit of the real Singapore before we leave.”
My heart did a flip. Was he serious? I knew he was only offering out of a sense of sympathy, and maybe wanting to keep an eye on me after what had happened with Daniel, but that didn’t stop the ripple of excitement coursing through me.
“I’d love to,” I blurted, unable to contain my enthusiasm.
Neil puffed up a little. “Excellent. Get ready, and I’ll come back at half past seven.”
“Got it. See you then.”
Giddy anticipation bubbled inside me as I watched him walk away. I closed the door and leaned against it, biting my lip. Dinner with Neil. Maybe this business trip wouldn’t be a total bust after all.
Chapter Forty-Two
It’s not a date. It’s a friendly dinner between colleagues, that’s all. There’s no point getting worked up over it.
Despite my attempt at self-reassurance, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more brewing beneath the surface. Neil’s fierce protectiveness when he found me with Daniel, how he hugged me in the storeroom, the intense way he always looked at me… Did he really just see me as his secretary? I shook my head, willing myself to accept the evening as no more than a chance to enjoy his company and deepen our professional relationship. Yet, the tiny spark of hope was difficult to ignore.
I shed my work attire and changed into a wrap skirt and a tank top. A pair of strappy sandals completed the look. I touched up my makeup, then checked the time. Neil would be back any minute.
He knocked on my door at seven thirty on the dot. I grabbed my purse and took one last glance in the bathroom mirror.
Not a date, I reminded myself.
I opened the door.
Neil stood before me. He had changed out of his suit and into a blue linen shirt and pair of white shorts which came up above his knees, revealing toned legs scattered with fine dark hair. I was so enamoured by how cute he looked that I stood there dumbstruck for a moment, unsure if he had said anything.
“Are you ready?”
His voice broke through my dazed state. “Yes. Ready!”
His eyes raked over me with an appreciative gleam and a hint of mischievousness which threw me off-guard. “Really? Because your top is inside out.”
“What?” Feeling a blush rise in my cheeks, I quickly checked my top. “No, it’s not.”
Neil cracked a smirk. “I couldn’t resist.”
Wait a minute.
I gaped. “Did you just make a joke?”
“Did you think I was incapable of making jokes?”
He set off towards the lift. I closed the door, then followed him, the memory of our first encounter playing in my head. Looking back on it now, he intrigued me even then.
