"I like you, Maya. You're different."
I smile in a way that says thank you. I know he meant it as a compliment. If he were more my type, I'd be inclined to accept the third date invitation that he's about to offer me.
I've been involved with enough men to know when one is interested. Charlie has strolled past my office door every day since we went to the Bishop party. I kept expecting him to stop to make small talk, but he hasn’t until today.
"Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" he asks as he drags his hand through his brown hair.
I hate lying. It's useless to do it at work because when I have, I inevitably trip over my own words. I'm always caught in the untruth and whoever I was trying to deceive will either be hurt or pissed off at me, and neither of those scenarios works well in a business setting.
"I should clarify that it wouldn't be dinner with just me," Charlie says quietly, his light green eyes pinned to my face. "My dad and his wife invited us to dinner at the Axel location in Tribeca."
"Your parents want us to have dinner with them?"
My mind races as I wait for him to confirm what he just said to me. He wants me to meet his parents? We've gone out twice. We haven't even kissed. In my world, that means I'm not ready to meet his doorman yet, let alone his parents.
"He called me twenty minutes ago to invite us. I told him about you last week. I didn't have a chance to explain that we're not officially a couple." He shrugs that off as his gaze drops. "It's just that he's thinking of selling his apartment and I know you'd be the right broker for the job."
"Your parents are moving?"
He visibly cringes at my question. "My mom lives in Arizona. My dad lives here with his third wife."
I nod, not wanting to waste time by delving into the finer points of the uncomfortable dynamics of the Warton clan, I ask the obvious question. "Where does your dad live?"
"Central Park West."
My chest tightens as my heart pumps faster. The listing price of any property located on that street comes with so many zeroes that I feel like my head is about to spin around from pure excitement.
I don't want to string Charlie along, but it's just a dinner. There's no reason why we can't share a nice meal and good conversation with his dad and his stepmom. On the way home from the restaurant I'll let him down gently by telling him that I'd make a better friend than a girlfriend for him.
They're not just empty words. I do think that Charlie and I would make great friends.
"I think we should go to that dinner."
His head whips up in surprise. "You'll go with me?"
I nod. "I'd love to meet your dad and his wife."
He fingers the edge of the frame of his eyeglasses as he contemplates my response. "I'll call him back and tell him we'll be there."
I glance down at my phone's screen. "I need to get to my listing appointment."
"I'll find you tomorrow so we can coordinate the pick-up plan."
"The pick-up plan?"
"The plan for when I pick you up at your place for our date," he says that with a grin. "Dinner's at eight. If you want I can come by at six for a pre-dinner drink."
"I have a showing at five tomorrow afternoon, but I'll be ready to go by seven-thirty."
I don't see an ounce of disappointment in his expression. "Good luck with the listing appointment. You don't need luck to get the job though. Who could resist you?"
My lip twitches into an almost smile. "You sure know how to boost a girl's ego, Charlie. I'll see you tomorrow night."
"If not before, Maya." He bows and waves his arm in the air.
He's everything I should want in a guy, but the only man I can think about is the one who holds the keys to the twelve residential suites in the new Bishop hotel in his hands.
It's been days since Julian said he'd be in touch. I've left two messages with his assistant and still, I've heard nothing back.
