“There’s Barnes,” she whispers suddenly, and I look across the room just as Barnes looks up at us.
For a split second, his eyes widen in surprise, and then a look of such fury passes over his face I wonder if he’s going to walk across the restaurant and knock me out.
To my surprise, Amelia lets go of my hand and walks between the tables toward him. I stand there, staring after her like a lost puppy, wondering when the hell I lost control of this deal.
I can’t hear what passes between them, but my heart is in my mouth as I see Barnes talking to Amelia in short, sharp sentences. I can tell by the white knuckled grip he has on his fork that he’s fighting to keep a hold of his temper.
His wife, Marilyn, is glancing between Amelia and Barnes in consternation. I wait, feeling like an idiot that my assistant has gone over to smooth the waters with my business associate instead of me.
Then Amelia turns to me, kneeling at their table, and beckons me over.
Astounded, I walk quickly over and sink down beside her, attempting to look as if this was all in my plan.
“You’re a piece of shit, Crawford,” Barnes hisses at me, but the fury in his eyes has lessened a little. Marilyn does not look pleased, and I put a hand on my heart, bowing to her across the table.
“I realize you’re on vacation,” I say sincerely. “But I felt it was necessary to make the trip.” My eyes move to Barnes. “I want you to know how serious I am about this deal.”
Barnes scoffs. “About my company making you a few million dollars, you mean.”
“Don’t you mean makingusa few million?” I ask. “You’re part of its future. Or are you reneging on our agreement?”
Barnes glances at Marilyn, who narrows her eyes at him. “We’re having dinner, Mr. Crawford,” she says sharply. “The only reason you are sitting with us is because this rather delightful young woman told us that you would pay for everything, and that there would be no shop talk until we’d finished eating.”
I turn to Amelia, and she just raises her eyebrows at me as if she has me wrapped around her little finger.Perhaps she does.
“That’s a deal,” I say as the waiter sets two more places at the table. “I’m Lucas, by the way,” I say to Marilyn. “I’m not sure we’ve formally met.”
“Marilyn,” she replies. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Crawford. It seems to me,” she says, leaning toward Amelia, “that these men would do a lot better if they listened tousmore often.”
Amelia raises her glass, and the two women chink them together.
“I quite agree,” Amelia says, and I can’t help smiling as she moves a little closer to me, our thighs brushing beneath the table as we order our appetizers.
It turns out to be a wonderful meal, for many reasons.
Not only is Barnes a huge fan of the movie Die Hard, allowing us to speak about something other than our companies for the first time, but Marilyn is also an artist.
She and Amelia immediately hit it off, discussing painters and exhibitions I had never heard of. Amelia is in awe of all theplaces in Europe that Marilyn has visited. I wish I could buy her a ticket to every one, with the way her eyes light up as they talk about Rembrandt and Picasso.
By the end of the night, the two women are getting along famously, and Barnes and I have barely had to fashion any awkward small talk.
We leave the restaurant as a happy party, chatting merrily together, and it’s only on the walk back to our room that Barnes sobers and I finally get to ask him the million-dollar question.
“I’m sorry for turning up like this,” I say finally, and he glances at me, placing his hands in his pockets as he whistles.
“I never thought I’d hear you apologizing to me, Crawford.”
“Well, I think it’s overdue.”
“You really came all this way just to talk to me?”
“I did. I heard a rumor you’ve received another offer.”
My palms are sweating as I wait for his response. I’m sure Barnes is deliberately stringing it out as the seconds tick by, but I force myself not to ask anything else. After a long silence, he clears his throat.
“I’ve received several.”
I chew my cheek. “I should have made you sign the paperwork before you left,” I admit ruefully.
