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I lean slightly toward her, and in a low voice, I say, “Well, see you later.”
Elise thanks me and then starts following her dad as they cross the foyer in silence. After calling the lift, I stand there, patiently waiting for it to arrive and peer over my shoulder one last time to watch Sebastian inviting Elise into his office.
For some reason, I didn’t feel it was appropriate to wait for her at the executive floor. I could already picture Sebastian raising eyebrows at seeing me there after finishing the meeting with his daughter. It could create unnecessary questioning later on for Elise, and that’s the last thing she needs.
So here I am, sitting in an armchair downstairs in the lobby area as I wait for her to finish. She’s already been in that meeting for an hour, and my curiosity keeps growing at every passing minute.
Finally, I see her walking out of the elevator, her pace hastening in my direction and looking much happier now than when we got in. I leap off of my seat and go to meet her.
“So?” I ask once I reach her. “How did it go?”
Her gaze is more pensive than usual, and she looks at me with a growing smile on her lips. “It went well,” she says, simply, before continue walking toward the exit. “Shall we?”
We cross the lobby area in silence, but I can’t help noticing how her mood has changed. She seems happier—much happier.
Once we step outside, we go back to my car and I open her the door, always wondering about her sudden change of mood.
I get inside the car and after closing the door, I look her in the eye and ask, “Care to tell me why you have become so pensive and smiley all of a sudden?”
Elise just shakes her head with a chuckle. “I can’t, sorry.”
“No way,” I reply just as fast. “I’m not gonna spend the whole evening wondering what’s up with you. You’ve got to tell me.”
“I can’t,” she repeats amid a quick snort. “You’re my brother’s best friend. You’d tell him as soon as you knew.”
So the meeting involved Andries?I refrain myself from asking her that, instead I just say, “I’m also your friend.” When Elise raises an eyebrow in suspicion, I add, “And I also know how to keep a secret.”
“Do you?”
“Yep.” Since she doesn’t look convinced, I explain further. “For instance, I knew who Roxanne was since the day I saw her in Ghent but I kept my mouth shut.”
Her eyes widen in shock and she blinks a few times processing what I just told her; I knew she wouldn’t see this one coming. “Wait—you knew she was an escort, and you didn’t tell my brother?”
I tilt my head to the side as I say, “Well, I knew she had an escort agency, but I didn’t know she had been an escort too.”
“Why didn’t you tell him about it, then?” she presses on, turning her body toward me, her arms crossing over her chest.
Since I've managed to pique her interest enough to engage in a discussion, I turn on the engine and get on the road, heading to downtown. “Because it wasn’t my place to do so.”
“Bullshit,” I hear her saying as I keep my attention on the road. “You are his best friend.”
While I’m trying to keep my eyes pinned in front, I glance at her for a few seconds and say, “Yeah, but he was just too happy for me to interfere.” I pause, refocusing on the road. “The point is, I won’t tell him if you ask me not to.”
“Dad made me an offer I can’t refuse,” she finally tells me. “That’s all I’m gonna say.”
I nod, impressed. “Thatgood?”
“Yep,” she replies, her tone filled with enthusiasm. “Thatgood.”
Elise is normally too proud to keep something like this as a secret and the fact she isn't telling me can only mean one thing, but I need to make sure of it, before talking to Andries. “What are you scheming, miss?” I ask bluntly.
“Oh Dan, stop being so damn curious,” she insists, heaving a sigh in annoyance. “I won’t be able to disclose anything more.”
“Why not?”
“Because if you know, you’ll tell my brother and I can’t risk that.”
Bingo! It’s about Andries and his relationship with Roxanne! I knew it!
