“Sorry,” he murmured.
“It’s fine. I was just startled.” When he continued to stand in front of me, one hand resting on my desk, I cleared my throat. “Well, I’m just going to?—”
“Can I take you to lunch?” he asked, interrupting me.
“Ummmm…” I looked away. “I’m not hungry.”
My stomach chose that moment to growl audibly. Shit.
He smiled slightly. “I think your stomach disagrees.”
“I’ll grab something on the way home,” I replied with a shrug.
“Grier, I really would like to talk to you. Please come to lunch with me.”
“You’re not going to drop this talk business, are you?”
Elijah shook his head.
“Fine. I’ll go to lunch with you, and we’ll talk. But, after this, it’s done. We’re co-workers and acquaintances. That’s it.”
“All right.”
At his agreement, I slipped my purse over my shoulder. “Okay, where are we going for lunch?”
“There’s a bistro on the next block. Would that be okay?”
I knew the place he was talking about. The lunch menu was delicious.
“Let’s go.”
We walked to the bistro in silence. It was a sunny, cool day. Though fall officially began in September, the temperatures in Texas didn’t cool off until November or December.
Now that it was nearly mid-November, it was finally beginning to feel like fall.
When the hostess at the bistro offered us outdoor seating, I immediately nodded. I wanted to enjoy this weather while it lasted. The fact that the patio was almost empty was a bonus. That meant I wouldn’t have to worry about someone overhearing our conversation. I didn’t need any witnesses to what promised to be an uncomfortable discussion.
After we sat down, our server came over with two small plates, a bowl of butter, and a basket of bread. He walked away after we ordered drinks, leaving me alone with Elijah for the first time since the night of Yancy’s rehearsal dinner.
I opened my mouth to ask him what he wanted to talk about but got distracted when he picked up a fluffy roll, split it with his butter knife, and began to spread a layer of butter on each side. Then, he surprised me by putting it on my bread plate before reaching for another.
“Uh, thank you,” I murmured.
I watched as he did the same thing for himself. He’d shed his suit coat at some point in the morning and rolled up his sleeves. I couldn’t stop watching the muscles of his forearms flex as he handled the roll. My eyes wandered up his arms to his shoulders. He looked…bigger than he had six weeks ago. Bulkier.
I flinched slightly when a glass of iced tea landed on the table in front of me with a thunk. I thanked the server, reaching for one of the straws she’d placed on the table between us. Thank goodness she’d shown up when she did because it was very likely Elijah would have looked up to find me staring at him like I wanted to eat him alive.
We each placed our order and were once again alone at the table. I couldn’t meet his gaze as I stuck the straw in my glass and took a sip.
“Davide speaks very highly of you,” Elijah stated.
I took one more sip, because my mouth was suddenly dry, and set the glass down. “He’s a great boss.”
“He’s much more organized than I realized. He keeps meticulous records.”
I nodded and picked up the roll for something to do with my hands and mouth. I didn’t want to eat, but my stomach was still rumbling.
Before I took a bite, he asked, “Do you like working at the gallery?”
