Chapter Twenty-One
Kris
The flavours of the risotto were subtle. King prawns, scallops, and bits of crab delicately seasoned with wine, garlic, and what he thought looked like rosemary blended deliciously with the rice. Kris wished he could enjoy the wonderful meal Ishmael had ordered for them but he couldn’t help but wonder if the conversations at the other tables now included them. Or, more specifically, what Lorraine had said and done.
I can’t believe she bit Bob! How much did she drink anyways, to get the idea to come make a scene like that and take on such a big guy like Bob? Jesus, I think I might have dodged a bullet not working under her. I mean, she kept flirting with me, but I thought that’d cool off once we were back home. Maybe not. Oh my God! Was she actually already a bit drunk all of those times, too?
“I can see you’re still upset,” Ishmael said, placing his hand over Kris’, stilling it. “I promise, Bob is fine. You’ll see for yourself when he picks you up after lunch. As for Lorraine, well, she was drunk and from the way she acted, I think she might have had a bit of a thing for you.” He shrugged. “She was overcome with jealousy. She’ll sober up, feel really embarrassed, and nothing more will ever be said about any of it.”
Kris nodded. Ishmael was right. “Yeah, she did make some obvious passes at me before, after we got here. I don’t know how much she drank on the plane, but she did start flirting with me at the check-in desk. Then, that night I was downstairs at the hotel bar and she wandered over with a drink and was much more obvious about it.”
Ishmael rubbed his thumb across Kris’ knuckles. “See? Everyone will have seen this. Your former colleagues? They were all also checking in, at the same time, yes?”
“Yeah. That or they already had and had come down looking for friends who hadn’t arrived earlier.”
“So, it would have been seen. And at the bar, were there other co-workers?”
Kris thought back. “Yeah! Two were sat at the counter and there were a few more sitting at nearby tables, I think.”
“Mmm,” Ishmael replied meaningfully, giving a knowing smirk.
“So, they would have seen her hitting on me and rejecting her as politely as I could,” Kris said. “But,`’ His shoulders slumped, “she yelled out about the gay thing.”
“The gay thing? It’s widely known in my social circle that I am bisexual. The fact that we are having dinner together? Maybe they think it is just business, because you are my PA. Or perhaps they can see I have indeed fallen for my gorgeous new PA. Either way, anyone with eyes will be able to see she was just jealous that you were not gracing her table.”
“You haven’t fallen for me,” Kris denied, his cheeks pinking as he pulled his hand free.
“No? You are certain of that are you?”
Kris looked up in surprise, biting his lip in consternation. Ishmael had looked and sounded sad when he’d said that. It had been a fleeting glimpse at the man beneath the suave but dangerous exterior. Then it was gone, the mask falling back into place as quickly as it had lifted.
Kris picked up his wineglass. “Maybe not entirely,” he said softly before taking a sip.
“Then I shall have to keep trying to prove it to you.”
Am I misinterpreting his signals? So hard to tell.
Kris sat his wineglass down and began eating more of his risotto. As they ate, the silence began to weigh heavily on Kris. It was obvious he was trying to make this a date. I could try to make the mood lighter again.
“So,” Kris said. “If I wanted to make us lunch or dinner sometime this week, I could?”
Ishmael smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You could. But, it would be best to speak with Ollie if you wish me to be there, to make sure I don’t have anything I can’t get out of. He knows my schedule better than myself.”
“Cool. I can do that. Um, so, what would I have to do? Have one of the bodyguards come with me to the grocery store?”
“No. Just make a list of what you need and it’ll be ordered for you.”
Kris pouted. “So, I can’t even go out to buy groceries?”
“You really want to go do that? I tell you what. Make a list of what it is you want and you can get up really and go with the buyer to the early morning food markets.”
“You mean the street markets?”
“Yes.”
“That would be so cool!”
“You have to leave at four.”
