AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Indeed.
“Thank you all for dining with me tonight on such short notice. I really appreciate you rearranging your previous plans to bring me up to speed.”
Chris and Ben nod enthusiastically and brush off Chase’s concerns. “No, man, this was great,” Ben says, smiling wider than I’ve ever seen him. “Much better than what I had planned.”
Not to be outdone, Chris offers, “Anytime, man. I’ll have to take my girlfriend here sometime.”
“I apologize, I should’ve extended the invitation to your plus-ones. I’ll make sure to tell the manager that you have open reservations anytime you want. On me, of course.”
“Wow, really? That’s so cool.” Ben’s mid-twenties enthusiasm is showing.
Chris punches him in the arm. “You’ll need an actual plus-one first, Xbox King.”
Ben scoffs. “Don’t be hating on my mad gaming skills, dude. No one likes a whiner.” He straightens his shirt, running his hands down his skinny tie. “Besides, I can get a date anytime I want. Chicks love the nerd look these days.”
Chase chuckles, a delightfully low rumbling sort of sound, and says, “Good to know, Ben.” He winks at me before addressing my employees again. “If you wouldn’t mind, I have a few more things to go over with Ms. King before the meeting tomorrow. But I’ve had the car pulled around to take you both home.”
“Wow, man. Cool.” Ben tosses his napkin on the table. “No late-night subway.”
Before I can find an excuse to leave with them, Ben and Chris tell me to have a good night and shake Chase’s hand, then amble out of the restaurant.
Chase Moore and I are alone.
My palms grip my knees under the table while I dream about assigning my two young employees the next female hygiene company to market in retaliation for abandoning me. Oblivious to my turmoil, Chase simply watches Ben and Chris leave before turning his attention to me.
“Your employees admire and respect you.”
“Oh.” Not what I’d been expecting him to say. “Thank you.”
“You sound surprised.”
I shrug. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted to talk about, so I hadn’t been expecting a compliment.”
“You should always expect compliments.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling.
“I mean it.” He pauses, as if unsure, before continuing. “You look beautiful tonight.” Smoothly he moves from his seat across the table to the chair next to me that Chris vacated.
At first, I’m relieved. He’s been across from me all night, and his eyes, when taken straight on, are hypnotic. They make you forget things that you should very much remember. But when he angles the chair next to me, so I’m once again the only thing in his line of sight, only much closer, I feel the pulse at my neck jump.
“Thank you.” I drag my gaze from his eyes and look down at the blue dress Susan talked me into. It really is lovely. “Moore’s does only sell the best.”
“It isn’t the dress.” A quick glance shows him smirking. “Though I might give Susan a raise for getting you into it.” His smile turns softer, his eyes heavier. “You’d be beautiful in anything.”
I don’t know what to say to this, so I say nothing. But that doesn’t stop my body from feeling. I haven’t felt this kind of attraction in… well, never. In the words of the immortal King, I’m all shook up. I haven’t been able to get my footing where Chase is involved. All day yesterday and all through dinner, with each charming smile and audacious wink, I’ve felt myself forgetting the reasons why professionalism is so important to me.
“So, um. Your father. He’s… interesting.”
Chase lets loose a short bark of laughter. “I don’t think anyone would call my father interesting. He is as boring and stereotypical as every other silver-spooned white guy from his generation.”
His eyes become distant, and I feel like an ass for bringing Stan up, but I have to know.
“Will he be inserting himself into the new overhaul at Moore’s?”
Chase gives me a questioning look.
“I just want to prepare my team if we need to be on the lookout for more of Stan’s, um, input.”
