We were giving too much away. The way I looked at David couldn’t have been half as bad as how he looked at me. I held out my notepad. “Can you call these places and find out the cost of event space for the Bachelor and Bachelorette Meet and Greet?”
David leaned forward and intercepted the pad, scanning my scribbled notes. “Have it at the Gryphon Hotel,” he said. “The other two venues will gouge you and cut corners.”
“How do you know?” I asked.
“It’s part of my job to know these things.” He set my notebook in his lap, slipped a black business card from the inside of his jacket, and handed it to Serena. “Here’s my info. When you book the space, tell Amber to call me about the details.”
“Who’sAmber?” I alleged as if he’d made up the name off the top of his head.
“The event coordinator,” he said. “Do you have the budget for a place like the Gryphon?”
I exchanged a look with Serena. “It’s good publicity for them,” I said. “If they’re smart, they’ll offer us a discount.”
“They won’t,” David said. “But Amber will. For me.”
Serena took his business card but left my notebook. “I’ll get right on it,” she said and spun on her heel.
Amber. I’d never cared less for a name than I did in that moment. Amber represented warmth, glow, syrupy sweetness. She had a working—and perhaps personal—relationship with the man sitting in front of me. A man offering me—what? A working relationship as well?
He was supposedly here to talk about the feature, but so far, we’d only discussed the very heated, very dangerous topic ofus.
“Decent coffee for an office,” David remarked, setting his mug on my desk.
I cleared my throat. “What’s the second reason?”
“Sorry?” he asked.
“You said you were here for two reasons. The first was pointless—a harmless conversation is no reason to apologize.”
“Ah.” He flipped my notebook over in his lap and ran the pad of his thumb over a list of local florists. “Are you this direct with everyone?” he asked. “Or just me?”
Just you.
That seemed like the only way to handle someone as charming as David. “I’m sure you’re busy. I don’t want to waste your time.”
He raised his eyes to mine. “How about you letmedecide how to spend my time.”
“Suit yourself,” I said. “What should we talk about then? The weather? The Bulls’ season?”
He massaged his jaw, closed my notebook, and slid it back onto the desk. “I came to let you know I’ll do the article.”
Even though that was the reason for our meeting, and it didn’t exactly come as a shock, a sense of relief hit me hard enough to make me pause. Was it only because of what his participation would do for my career? It would mean more time with him, time that was not only justifiable but encouraged.
“You don’t look as happy as I’d hoped,” he said. “My secretary said Diane has asked me to participate four years in a row. Was I wrong to assume you’d try again?”
“No,” I said carefully. “It’s not that. I’m just not sure it’s such a good idea.”
He extended one arm to fix his cuff. “Why not, Olivia?”
I couldn’t explain why, and he knew that. Admitting my fear of being alone with him was as good as acknowledging the attraction between us. “Why now?” I asked. “After four years of turning us down, what made you change your mind?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” He stared at me. “I think you know the reason.”
My face flushed under his full attention. Afraid he’d think he was making me nervous, I held his gaze instead of turning away. If we’d be working together, I couldn’t let him get under my skin so easily.
As if reading my mind, he added, “I never mix business and pleasure. I’ll be completely professional during working hours. You have my word.”
I narrowed my eyes, once again trying to determine if he was being sincere. “I’m not sure I believe you.”
