“We’re going to The Garden,” he said.“Who knew the best french fries in the world came from potatoes grown in a hydroponic farm in a skyscraper in the middle of the city?”
Callie’s eyes darted towards me, and I smirked.
“What’s that look for?”Marco asked.
Callie answered for me.“The Garden was one of Price Industries’ first special projects, led by Emmett.I’d imagine that look is one of smug satisfaction.”
“You know me well already.”
“You’re a man.All the same.Any excuse to swing your di—” Her eyes bulged.“I am so sorry.”
I laughed.“Don’t apologize.You’re right.We men do a lot of dick swinging.”
Callie smiled sheepishly before Marcofinallyreleased her and clapped his hands together.“Alrighty, then.Let’s go get some fries.”
The Garden was a few blocks away.As we walked over, Marco and Callie chatted animatedly while I listened and smiled.I was hyper-aware of Callie’s presence beside me, the sweet scent of her skin mingling with the crisp city air.
When we arrived at the restaurant, Marco’s boyfriend, Trevor, was already seated at a table.
“Hey babe,” Marco said, pulling him into his arms and giving him a quick kiss.“This is Emmett, Callie’s boss.”
I shook the man’s hand.“Nice to meet you.”
We settled into our seats, and a waiter took our drink orders.I watched Callie perusing the menu, her brows furrowed in concentration.It was such an endearing look on her.
“See anything good?”I asked.
She glanced up.“Oh, um, yeah.I can never decide, though.Too many options.”
Noting that Marco and Trevor were talking amongst themselves, I leaned in closer than necessary, catching another whiff of Callie’s scent.“Well, the truffle fries really are a must, if Marco didn’t make that clear enough already,” I said with a laugh.“I’d say get those to share and then pick a sandwich or salad to go with it.”
“Ooh, sharing fries, Mr.Price?”She raised a coy eyebrow.“You think we’re ready for that?”
I liked seeing her playful side.It came out in those rare moments when she seemed to forget I was Emmett Price—her boss, Head of Special Projects at Price Industries, Thomas Price’s son—and just treated me like a person.
A person she was flirting with.
“I say we risk it.”I winked and a pretty blush colored her cheeks.She bit her lip to hide a smile and glanced back at the menu.Marco was now watching our exchange, clearly entertained.
Yeah, I was playing with fire.But I couldn’t resist.This girl had me under some kind of spell.
Conversation flowed easily, with Marco and Trevor regaling us with funny stories about their relationship.After the food arrived, Callie grew quiet, poking at the gourmet fries on her plate.I got the sense her playful side had retreated, and she was back to scrutinizing every word she said in my presence.
I’d slung my arm across the back of her chair.It was a casual gesture, yet somehow intimate.More than once, I shifted and my hand grazed her shoulder or her hair.I told myself the contact was innocent.Each time it happened, her eyes flicked toward me, wordlessly acknowledging our growing connection.
I knew I should keep things professional, but the temptation to push boundaries was too damn strong.She was a challenge—an irresistible one.Despite her drive and serious nature, I sensed there was another side to Callie.One that liked playing with fire as much as I did.
“So, how’d you come up with the idea for this place?”Marco asked.
I blinked, dragging my thoughts back to the conversation.“Well, I’m not sure if you remember, but this space used to be a beat-up parking lot.The developer put in a proposal to turn it into a parking garage.”
“But there’s one right across the street!”
“Indeed.And putting up a parking garage would have meant tearing down the market that had stood adjacent to that lot for decades.”
“So sad,” Callie said.
The entire table nodded in agreement.
