“This is …” I swallow, because I’m all choked up.She looks crestfallen when she sees my expression.
“Zach?”she says, softly.“What’s wrong?”
I man up.Sniff, then straighten my shoulders.I can’t fall apart here, in front of her, even though she understands me so well.She always did.
“This is just like the old times.”
She smiles.“Dig in.”She hands me a pair of chopsticks, and we eat, quietly, devouring the food.There’s no need to say anything.She already understands what this means to me, and I’m genuinely touched by her thoughtfulness.
For a few minutes, it’s just chewing and silence.Then she looks up at me.
“Meeting Dexter wasinteresting,” she remarks, trying to be casual, but not quite.
Ugh.I’m still annoyed at my brother.“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be sorry.He didn’t bother me although he seemed to take great joy in making you uncomfortable.”
“The man loves being a pain in the ass.Can’t help it.It’s in his DNA.”
“Who’s Dani?”she asks.
“An heiress to whom he is now engaged.”
She laughs, in surprise.“He’s engaged?To anheiress?”
“Properly engaged.She from Brazil.Her father owns a telecommunications business.”
“What do you mean by ‘properly engaged’?”
I pause, because I’m confused.I’ve respected Maya’s wishes and have tried to keep my distance, but not only has she invited me to have takeout with her, she’s now asking personal family questions.
She’s doing all the things she didn’t want me to do.She’s straying into personal territory instead of keeping within professional boundaries.And I’m now standing on the edge of uncharted territory, trying to fight my feelings for her.What made it manageable was Maya keeping her distance, but now she’s intrigued after meeting Dex and she’s full of personal questions.
“It’s a long story.Maybe he’ll tell you one day.Or maybe he won’t.”
“I doubt I’ll ever meet him again, unless he turns up unexpectedly again at your office.”Her expression sobers.
The mood chills.Will she ever see him again?Will there ever be the possibility that Maya will be at one of our dinners?
“It was a business deal,” I say quietly.“A marriage of convenience, if you like.”
“Awhat?” She sets down her carton, her big eyes wide and unblinking.“A fake relationship?”
“Exactly that, or at least that’s how it started but they fell in love anyway.It was supposed to be a business deal, for a year.I still can’t believe he went for it but ...Dani’s a beautiful person, with a beautiful heart, so I can see why he fell for her.”I poke around my noodles.
“She is stunning.”
I frown and look up.“You’ve seen her?”
“I ...I ...”she fumbles.“Okay I confess.I looked you guys up.”
My lips curl in amusement at the confession.“So, you already knew?”
“I didn’t know it was a marriage of convenience.I … I saw a photo of the two of them at a charity event.”She looks flustered.
“The fake marriage was only known to both families,” I say lightly.“The press wouldn’t have known to report on it.”
“I see.”She keeps eating her noodles, eyes fixed on the carton, but the crease in her brow tells me she realizes she’s said more than she meant to.
