Page 13 of Billionaire Hunt

Chapter 4

I didn’t wear a bra. I’m not sure what I was thinking, but I didn’t wear one. I looked down at myself and sighed. So much for NOT being a disaster.

It was hot and I had grabbed the first thing out of my closet. I was dressed like I was going to go hang out at the beach.

I had on a large straw sun hat, dark red lipstick that looked great on my pale complexion and I was wearing an off-white skater dress with spaghetti straps. I looked great, as if I were going on a casual date. But I was actually trying to land a client. I was seriously off my game. I was starting to wonder if Wyatt’s betrayal had done more than just hurt me emotionally. I just felt like I had nothing but bad luck after bad luck, as if I were engaging in some form of self-sabotage on a subconscious level.

Erik stood up as I approached him. He smiled at me and extended his hand. Not thinking, I took it and he pulled me into his arms, hugging me briefly before letting me go. He still held on to my hand though as he studied me, with clear approval in his eyes. “If you wore that outfit to get my attention, then you definitely have it.”

I snatched my hand away and said, “I’m not interested in attracting you, Erik.” I instantly regretted my sharp tone; clearly, he was only joking. I opened my mouth to apologize, but he was still talking...

“That’s too bad because it’s working,” he said, making me feel flattered despite my annoyance.

I decided to tell him so. “That’s really nice of you to say, but let’s cut to the chase. This will be strictly business.”

“I don’t know, business and pleasure kind of go hand in hand, don’t you think? I know I get a certain pleasure from making money.”

I shrugged. “I never thought of it that way.” I never had much disposable income before. My fun money mostly went to saving and making sure I provided my grandma with everything she needed. I was grateful that I had saved though, otherwise I would be depending on my friends for a lot more than just a roof over my head while I figured out what to do with my life.

That reminded me. I knew nothing about Erik. It was important for me to learn about my clients, to understand their likes and dislikes. What I knew about Erik was pretty basic. I just knew that he was flirtatious, friendly, and apparently keeping a secret that only Oliver seemed to know. For some reason, that made him even more appealing to me. A girl liked a little mystery.

“So, Erik, what’s your story?”

“My story?”

“Yep. What do you do for starters and where are you from?”

“How is that relevant to your work? Shouldn’t you just be asking me what my favorite color is and whether or not I prefer traditional or modern design?”

He signaled for a waitress and took it upon himself to order a couple of drinks for the two of us. He was a gentleman though and double checked that what he ordered worked for me. I liked a man that took charge but also cared enough for my opinion. If Oliver was trying to set us up, then he had definitely found a winner in my eyes. So far Erik was impressive, from his looks to his personality. He intrigued me and maybe someone like Erik was exactly what I needed after being treated like dirt by Wyatt.

“Come on, Erik. Humor me. I need to get in your head, understand your likes and dislikes. I need to know what makes you tick in order to design rooms that you’ll love. So yeah, I need to know more than just your favorite color is green and you hate mid-century furniture.”

“How’d you know that?” he said teasingly, but his expression remained dubious. “Just make the house inviting and cozy. There’s no need to understand me at all. I barely understand me most days.”

“You love to contradict people and make things harder than they need to be, don’t you?”

“That’s my specialty.”

“Well, you’re not getting away with it today.”

“Come on, my favorite color is green, you know.” The waiter returned and gave us our drinks. He tipped his glass toward me and said, “Cheers to a wonderful working relationship with a truly intriguing woman.”

I added to the toast saying, “Cheers to a wonderful working relationship with a truly elusive and somewhat annoying man.”

He chuckled and put his glass down without taking a sip. He leaned his elbows on the table, his face coming just inches from mine, and said, “It seems like I’ve met my match.” He gave me a devilish grin that instantly made me grin too. I felt my nipples harden and his eyes looked down my blouse. I knew he couldn’t see my breasts, but a lot of me was on display.

He slowly sat back and studied me, never breaking eye contact as he took a sip from his glass. “I like this. Let’s see how this partnership goes. Let’s shake on it.”

He extended his hand and I ignored it. “No. Let’s not shake on it. Let’s sign on it.”

“My handshake isn’t good enough?”

“No, I would definitely prefer money...wire transfer...stocks and bonds maybe?”

He laughed. “You’re hilarious.”

“I try. So what’s your story? How many times do I need to ask before you tell?”