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While I got ready that evening, Katie called to check in like she normally did. She was being diligent about pretending everything was normal. I asked her how she was since she was starting her last trimester and I wasn’t an uncaring monster, then got rid of her to concentrate on looking my best. Guilt reared its ugly head, as well as the anger I couldn’t quite kick at her deception. I shoved it all aside and dragged out my ancient curling iron, which I hadn’t used in almost a year.
When I hurried down to the sidewalk at eight on the dot, I was surprised to see that Mr. Volkov had arrived in a chauffeured car, but he acted like it was no big deal. This couldn’t possibly be just for me. He was clearly rich, so probably had a chauffeur all the time. My jaw dropped again when we rolled up in front of one of the fanciest places in San Francisco, a high-end seafood place with a stunning view of the bay.
I had imagined something nice, but nowhere near this decadent. This place was out of my reach and when we entered, my stomach growled at the delicious scents wafting from the other diners’ plates and from the kitchen.
“Seafood is my absolute favorite,” I said. “Thank you, Mr. Volkov.”
He grinned at me as we were whisked to a secluded table as soon as we walked in the door. “Looks like I made a good guess, then,” he said with another smile that had me melting. “And you have to call me Lev.”
“Well, if I have to. You’re the boss.” Oh my God, I had to stop trying to flirt. My cheeks burned as I sat down, and it got worse when the wine steward came around, and I had to admit that I was only twenty.
“I wasn’t interested in drinking tonight anyway,” Lev said, waving him away. He turned to me, his intense eyes seeming to see my very thoughts, which didn’t do anything to make my blush subside. “So you don’t mind spending your birthday with an old man, do you?”
I frowned even though he was joking, not liking that he noticed our age difference. Of course, it was obvious, but I wished it wouldn’t matter to him.
“I don’t care about things like that,” I said. “Age is just a number. It’s what’s inside that counts. And I don’t view you as old.”
It wasn’t like I could admit my secret crush, or that he was exactly my type. Not just his looks, because plenty of hot young guys had tried to hit on me before. It was his aura of confidence and his success, which I was sure was down to how dedicated and hardworking he was. He was the perfect man, mature and worldly. And yes, scorching hot.
He ordered appetizers, seeming to know all my favorites, and then put his chin in his hand, staring at me across the small table. “Tell me why you wanted to work in a lobbying firm,” he asked.
Right. Job. Boss. This was a treat for an employee, nothing more. I told him all about my love of politics, laughing when he winced. “Nobody admits to loving politics, do they?” I asked. “I guess I love the whole process. I’d love to run for office one day and see if I can stick to my ideals throughout an entire career.”
“They do seem to always lose their way, don’t they?”
I nodded vigorously, pleased he was treating me like a peer almost, and not making fun of my inexperience. “I guess the lure of the money is too much for most people.”
I paused as pain struck my heart. Even people like my sister. She’d say it was love that changed her feelings, but I couldn’t see it that way.
“I’m sure companies like mine have a lot to do with it,” he said.
Was he baiting me to say something bad about the industry? It seemed like he was really musing over the complexity of the whole system.
I shrugged. “It doesn’t have to. Sometimes, sure, but for smaller issues, it’s important to get them heard at a level where real change can be made.”
I was breathless when he nodded. “You’ve given it a lot of thought. That’s impressive. I wondered if you were just in it for the class credit.”
“That too,” I admitted, cracking him up.
His laugh was infectious, and our conversation continued to flow effortlessly through all three courses until I was stuffed with food, but still hungry for more time with him. It wasn’t all business talk. Mr. Volkov—Lev—had a funny side and kept me laughing. Nothing was forced and he never once acted like he was just waiting for his obligation to be over with. I didn’t want the downright magical evening to ever end.
But this wasn’t a date. Just something routine he did for all his employees because he was kind and generous, as well as the already endless list of good traits I’d discovered about him. It wasn’t a date, but I wished it was by the time the driver rolled up in front of my building.
It was past eleven, but it seemed like we’d been together only minutes. The weekend was going to drag by until I got to see him in the office again.
“Let me walk you up,” he said, getting out of the car with me.
My skin tingled as he placed his hand lightly on the small of my back as he let me go ahead of him into the elevator. I heldmy breath up the five flights, waiting for him to do it again on the way out, wilting with disappointment when he didn’t.
At my door, I wondered if I should invite him in. My heart was thudding, and I didn’t have a clue what to do. Simple goodbye and slip inside or ask if he’d like some coffee? Did we even have any coffee left? Why would he want to come in anyway? But why had he walked all the way up here in the first place? On top of my turmoil, Brooke probably had her ear pressed to the door, listening in. I was burning up when he put one hand on my arm and realized I’d been standing there like a dolt, unable to make a decision.
“Jenna, I have a confession to make,” Lev said, looking down at me from his towering height. Not so far away that I didn’t get lost in his eyes, though.
“Oh?” I squeaked. “What is it?”
A smile curled his lips. “I don’t take all my employees out to dinner on their birthday. I used yours as an excuse.”
It seemed like my heart had already been beating at maximum, but it pounded faster. “Why?”
