I was supposed to be set up with someone with the same objective as me: to get exposure to revive their career.So considering I had no idea who she was, it didn’t matter that she was as fine as hell, because she didn’t fit the brief.
‘This way, please,’ the server said, signalling for us to follow her to the table.
‘After you,’ I said, allowing Halle to pass me.Not because I wanted to check out her butt.Like I said, my presence at this hotel was for purely professional reasons.
I blew out a breath, trying to calm myself down.
Maybe I was overreacting.
Just becauseIdidn’t recognise this Halle woman, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t famous.
She could be a reality TV star or a social media influencer.
It was fine.
I needed to chill.
Once we started talking over dinner, everything would become clear.
‘Allow me,’ I said, pulling out her chair.Just because this wasn’t a real date didn’t mean I was gonna forget to use basic manners.
‘Thanks,’ she said flatly with her gaze fixed to the crisp white tablecloth.
She seemed… pissed off.
Not that I wanted to toot my own horn, but normally when women saw me, they’d act all gushy and flirty.But this Halle woman looked at me like I’d just bathed in dog shit.
Maybe she just wasn’t a fan of my music.Or maybe like most people, she hated that goddamn commercial I did.
‘You’re welcome,’ I said, settling into the white leather chair.
I’d been to a lot of fancy hotels in my time, but I had to admit that this one was up there with the best of them.It had a minimalist style, y’know, white walls and flooring, but the blue and gold accents and quirky beach art made it feel luxurious without feeling too snooty.
We were seated right next to floor-to-ceiling sliding glass patio doors which gave us impressive panoramic views of the ocean.Watching the waves crashing against the shore was one of my favourite things to do.I couldn’t wait to get out on the beach tomorrow.
Roger had offered to drop me here and the traffic was crazy, so I’d arrived later than planned.I’d had to rush to check in, shower, dress and get to the restaurant on time, which meant I hadn’t had a chance to take a look around the resort, but there’d be time for that tomorrow.
‘You’re British?’ I said, breaking the silence.
‘Ten out of ten for observation,’ she replied, still avoiding my gaze.
Ooof.She was a prickly one.
That was okay.I was out of practice, but if I dug deep enough, I could still find the charm that used to get the ladies eating out of my hand.
‘Thanks for the compliment!’ I replied.‘What part of London are you from?’
‘Why do you assume that I’m from London?There are other places in the UK, you know.Just becauseyoulived there before doesn’t mean that every person from Britain is from there too.’ She rolled her eyes.
‘Hmm, so you know I lived in London.Interesting…’ I smiled.
‘It’s public knowledge.Unfortunately, I already know a lot about you.’
‘Is that right?’ I smirked.‘Care to share?’
‘Not particularly.’ She crossed her arms over her chest and I noticed, not for the first time, how good it looked in that dress.
‘Unbelievable!’ She shook her head.I hoped she hadn’t seen me checking her out.
