He snapped his head back as the waiter addressed him from his left.
‘The lady doesn’t drink champagne,’ he began. ‘But she said if you would like to joinherfor dessert you’d be very welcome.’
‘Is that so?’ Oliver said, leaning a little to get a better view of the woman in red. She was definitely worthy of his time and moving seats would get him away from the audible intelligence of a child who looked no more than ten.
He cleared his throat, dropping his napkin to the table and picking up his beer. He needed to get away from the happy family with the knowledgeable child, no matter how amusing she was. Mom and Dad could have been poster models for the American Way. Any minute, there would be laughter and cosy hand-holding.
He swigged at the liquid in his bottle, deliberately setting his eyes on his playmate across the room. She was looking back at him, assertiveness coming out of every pore, but her eyes said something else as well. The look written there was telling Oliver she was open, ready for adventure, excitement. She was flattered by his attention but she wasn’t a pushover. This was going to be much more sophisticated than impersonating jungle animals.
He stood then, his eyes still on her. He addressed the waiter. ‘I’ll have the lychee ice cream.’
‘I’m going to have smoked chicken with wild rice noodles and some pan-fried pork buns,’ Angel ordered. She slapped her menu back down on the peach-coloured tablecloth.
Hayley smiled and rolled her eyes. The appetite her daughter had definitely inherited from her.
‘Sounds good to me. Hay?’ Dean asked, looking to her now.
‘I daren’t have lobster,’ she responded, earning a wrinkle of the nose from Angel. ‘I’ll have the three chilli chicken.’
‘Oh shit,’ Dean exclaimed, putting his hand to the side of his head and turning in to the table. ‘Shoot! I mean shoot, sorry, Angel.’
‘What’s the matter? Is the chilli chicken not good?’ Hayley asked.
‘No, it’s my boss. He’s sitting just over there,’ Dean said. He hitched his head back. ‘But don’t look.’
It was pointless following the statement up with adon’t look. It made her want to look all the more. Hayley was seeking out some mid-fifties ogre of a businessman, all Rolex watches, port-filled belly, cigars on the table. She didn’t see anyone like that. In fact, she wasn’t even sure who Dean was referring to.
‘I don’t see anyone,’ she said, still staring. ‘Where?’
‘Stop looking. I don’t want to have to speak to him,’ Dean responded.
‘Oh, Uncle Dean, is he really mean?’ Angel asked, leaning her elbow on the table and looking enthralled.
‘I don’t understand. I thought you loved your boss. I thought you went to dinner at his house and… didn’t you go away for a weekend with his family in the spring?’
Dean shook his head. ‘This isn’t Peter Lamont. I love Peter. Peter’s the head of development. This istheboss. Oliver Drummond,’ he stage-whispered. ‘The CEO of Drummond Global.’
That had her attention. Hayley looked again, trying her best not to appear too obvious.
‘Table at the back, with the woman in the red dress,’ Dean said.
And then she saw him, just a couple of tables to their right. Leaning back in his chair, white shirt, no tie, grey trousers, a confident smile on his face as he chatted to his dining companion. He wasn’t at all what she would imagine the head of a huge, worldwidebusiness to look like, not that she knew any others. He was young, maybe a little older than her, and he was hot! Definitely more billboard than ogre. His hair was short and tawny in colour, cut simply. He had a strong nose, an even stronger jawline, and his hazel eyes she seemed unable to look away from. This guy hadcharismaticwritten all over him. No wonder he was an industry leader.
‘He’s such a jerk,’ Dean stated.
‘Why?’ Hayley asked, watching as Oliver talked to his date. He had the kind of mouth models would kill for. Full lips but totally masculine, the sort you could look at for a long time and just imagine roving all over you. She swallowed.
‘Honestly, I wouldn’t know where to start,’ Dean said.
Hayley snapped her eyes away, the spell broken.
She was still trying not to think about persistent Greg and her handful of other failed dates since Angel had been born. It didn’t stop her looking back though. She wet her lips. ‘Is that his girlfriend?’
Dean was forced to turn his attention in his boss’s direction. He snorted. ‘That will be someone he picked up tonight. There’s a rumour he pays them. I guess that’s one way to get rid of your billions.’
‘He has billions?!’ Angel’s voice came out a little too loud and her eyes went out on stalks.
Dean continued. ‘His father was such a great man, an inspiration to the whole consumer electronics and computer software industry.’
