“Probably not.” The waiter comes by, and Theo pauses to order dessert.
I could deny the offer in the name of professionalism, but why bother? I’m still broke, so I’m not above taking free food.
“Come on,” he says. “We closed a huge client. Do you know how long they were trying to get him on board? Months. That’s why I had to step in.”
“And you did a good job. Do you have sales experience?”
“Nope.” He lifts his shoulders. “Not really. He didn’t need another salesman. He’s already talked to our best salespeople. What he needed was to talk to a scientist.”
“And a fellow businessman.” I raise a brow and lift my drink, tilting it in his direction before I take a sip—in his honor. Drinking on the job is a fun perk of this position, though I’ve been nursing the same cocktail since I arrived.
“I don’t know. I’ve always seen myself as more of a scientist, but…”
“How you see yourself doesn’t change your job title. I witnessed an expert businessman sealing a deal.”
He grimaces. “That’s not the compliment you think it is.”
“It is when it’s coming from me.” I lean in—professionally, of course. “There’s a lot I admire about you.”
A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “I’m too humble to ask you to list all of my strengths, so I’ll take your word for it.”
“That’s just another thing to admire.”
I’m buzzing, even though I’ve barely had anything to drink—it’s not that kind of buzz. This is something else.
The server brings two slices of plain cheesecake with fresh strawberries.
“Thank you!” I’m still smiling, but once we’re alone again, I narrow my eyes, pulling the plate closer to inspect the cake.
“What?” He chuckles. “Is it not up to your standard?”
“I’m not sure yet. Do you know if they actually made this?” I cut into the cheesecake. “There’s nothing worse than frozen,store-bought cheesecake. If this smells even a little like a grocery store, it’s over.”
“This place has rave reviews, Evie. I can assure you that they made this in-house.”
“I’m just checking.” I take a bite, closing my eyes.
The flavors are simple, as expected, and the strawberry carries the dessert more than I would like. What a disappointment.
“Well?” he asks.
I tilt my head to the side. “Not bad. Not great, either. The crust could be better, but whoever made the cheesecake knows what they’re doing.”
“Not store-bought?”
“No. Thank God.” I point at the menu. “You should have ordered better. They have Crème Brûlée. I saw it.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “I’ll let you order next time. How about that?”
“Thatwouldbe better.” I spear a strawberry with the fork. “Are you the kind of person who always needs dessert?”
“I am. It’s the best part of the meal.”
“That’s a green flag in my eyes.” My eyes widen when I realize what I said.
No, no, no!My big mouth is getting me in trouble again.
I should not be considering whether my boss is a green or red flag. That makesmea red flag, doesn’t it? My face flushes, and I look away, scratching my cheek. The drink must have been stronger than I realized. What other excuse do I have for being soembarrassing?
