“Are you kidding? I’m a total math geek. Ilovestuff like that. Ellie said I can bring a notebook and do my own computations, as long as I’m quiet and don’t disrupt the analysts.”
Jagger smiled. “I used to get excited about quant models, too.”
“Used to? What happened? Did you get burned out or something?”
He shook his head. “I don’t have that kind of free time anymore. These days I go to a dozen meetings a day instead.”
“You’re the boss.” I shrugged. “Just don’t go to the meeting.”
He smiled. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Or…” I pointed my fork at him. “You’re making it more complicated than it is.”
He laughed. “Maybe you’re right.”
We managed to keep things light while we finished eating. After, I insisted on cleaning up. His dishwasher was empty, but I wasn’t ready to leave that fast, so I washed the dishes by hand before drying them.
“Any good plans this weekend?” heasked.
I folded the hand towel. “Not really. I need to find a gym I can join for a few months.”
“There’s an Equinox right near the office.”
“Let me rephrase that. I need to find anaffordablegym for the summer.”
Jagger smiled. “Apex employees get a pretty good discount if they join.”
“Oh really? Maybe I’ll check it out. What about you? Any plans this weekend?”
“Work all day tomorrow, hit the gym on the way home. Nothing too exciting.”
I nibbled my bottom lip, debating asking what I really wanted to ask.Screw it—I’d asked this man if I could snoop around his apartment and then got caught doing so. Though I felt a heck of a lot more sober after eating, so I wasn’t as brazen. I could still probably blame it on the shots. “No date?”
Jagger’s eyes met mine. He shook his head. “Not this weekend.”
A stab of jealousy hit. If he didn’t have any dates lined up, wouldn’t he have just said no? But “not thisweekend” alluded to him having one another weekend, didn’t it?
“What about next weekend?”
“What about it?”
“Do you have one then? You said notthisweekend.”
“I’d have to check my calendar. But I don’t believe so.”
“Oh.” I looked down, suddenly feeling awkward—like I’d overstayed my welcome. “I guess I should get going.”
Jagger’s face was impassive. I had no idea what he was thinking. Yet I waited to see if he’d suggest I stay for a while. When he didn’t, I felt deflated.
“Okay, then,” I mumbled and checked my watch. “Is there a back exit to the building? Happy hour is untileleven, and I wouldn’t want anyone to see me coming off the elevator and get the wrong idea.”
“You’re concerned about what people might think of you?”
I shook my head. “Not me.”
“I told you, I give no fucks what people think of me.” Jagger lifted his cell phone and texted while he spoke. “There’s a service entrance, but you’re not taking it. Sam will drive you home.”
“It’s fine. I can take the subway.”
