Page 33 of How Not to Date a Griffin

This was the first of the many presentations Nolan would be giving this week, all to convince these rich fuckers they needed a hotel with a spa and whatever other bells and whistles they could come up with to make it appealing.

Maybe the mud baths would help them sleep at night after bulldozing the livelihoods of the families who’d owned the businesses that once stood there.

It wasn’t like they weren’t offering the businesses money first. Buying them out.

But the lowball offer they’d sent Reid’s way had made him furious. At thirty-four, he’d spent the last twelve years dedicating what meager education he had, as well as his time, passion, and love into that restaurant. That was worth more than the shitty numbers they’d offered him, and Reid had been proud to tell them so.

And if they’d given him a shitty offer, they’d probably given the other businesses shitty offers, too.

How long until one of them caved? And if one business caved, the others would follow suit like dominoes.

“And as you can see here, projected earnings based on the local economy will heavily outweigh the cost of production,” Nolan said. “Which, I’m happy to add, will create as many as two thousand jobs.”

Jesus.

That’s a lot of people.

And unfortunately, that exceeded the amount of people who would be out of a job if their businesses were shut down. Reid only employed around thirty people, if that.

Nolan’s presentation was smooth, practiced, and effortless. The crowd clapped and he smiled politely before the room began to empty.

His father approached, and Reid watched from the back of the room as Nolan stiffened at the hand on his shoulder. George Whittier, from the outside, seemed like a normal dad congratulating his son on a presentation gone well. But from the tense line of Nolan’s shoulders, the careful control of his expression, he was anything but.

That was the moment Reid made up his mind.

Which had led him to this current moment, riding the lift to the seventeenth floor of Nolan’s hotel, nerves jangling inside of him like a set of keys.

His heel bounced against the floor as the elevator beeps filled the silence. It came to a slow stop before the doors opened, and the couple beside him stumbled out of the elevator.

Someone’s started early, he mused, glancing at the time and finding the ripe hour of six p.m.

What if Nolan wasn’t there? Would Reid leave? Or wait beside his door like a stalker until he returned?

What if Nolan was there? What would Reid even say?

He ran out of time to make up his mind, because the doors parted once more on Nolan’s floor. With a deep breath, Reid stepped out of the elevator and made his way to the right, toward Nolan’s room.

He tried to slow his steps, but his feet still carried him faster than he was prepared for. In seconds the brass numbers on his door seemed to be glaring at him.

Here goes.

He lifted his hand to knock—

And at the same moment the door swung open, revealing Nolan for the third time that day. He stumbled to a halt, eyes widening at Reid’s presence.

“Hello,” he said softly, a note of wonder filling his voice.

“Hi,” Reid said, staring back at Nolan and momentarily forgetting what the fuck he was there for. What single purpose he might have, other than to trace the way a perfect coil of Nolan’s hair was falling out, a strand drooping across his forehead.

He had changed from his earlier suit into a short-sleeved blue button-up and dark wash jeans and sneakers, not a brand in sight.

He definitely looked more comfortable than he had the night before, yet the longer the moment stretched on, his broad shoulders began to tighten.

“Did you, uhm,” he cleared his throat. “Forget something?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder, unsure.

“No, no, uh…” Reid trailed off. “Sorry, were you on your way somewhere?” he asked. “I can come back another—“

“No, it’s fine!” he said, rushing the words out and lifting a hand as if to physically stop the suggestion from passing Reid’s lips. “I mean, yes, I am on my way somewhere, but don’t, uhm. What is it you have to say?” His cheeks colored with warmth as he babbled, and Reid’s heart gave a loud, decisive thump.