Someone who loved work more than anything. That was who. And Nina wasn’t about to get involved with another person like that. Even if hewasreally offering.
If it was a real offer, though, it was tempting. More tempting that Nina wanted to admit. The thought of enrolling Jack in a great private school and having enough money not to have to worry about finances until he was grown up was almost too wonderful to think about. Part of her, a big part, wanted to sayyes.But the cost was too high. And there was no way this could be real, anyway.
“I appreciate the offer,” Nina said, as though this had been a job interview instead of the strangest ice-cream date of her life. “But I’m going to have to pass.”
“Are you sure?” Theo asked. “Is there anything I can do to sweeten the deal?”
Nina shook her head. “I’m afraid not. But I do appreciate the ice cream. Good luck arranging your meeting.”
She stood and slung her purse over her shoulder. “Come on, Jack. Let’s go.”
“Mo-om.” The word came out as a whine, and Nina saw that Jack’s legs were crossed. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Okay, buddy.” Nina held out her hand. “Let’s ask at the counter.” They went back to the counter, but the server shook his head.
“Sorry, we don’t have a bathroom.”
Nina winced. “Thanks anyway.”
“I have a bathroom.” Nina turned to see Theo on his feet now. “You’re welcome to use it.”
Nina wanted to say no. She shouldn’t agree to Theo’s offer, and she wanted to leave as soon as possible before she changed her mind and accepted it. But Jack was doing his potty dance, and she didn’t have much time to get him to a bathroom.
“Okay. Thank you.”
Theo led the way out of the shop. They went down to the next entrance and through a pair of wide double doors into an expansive lobby. The floors were marble, and the ceiling, far overhead, gleamed. The receptionist wore a suit and greeted Theo by name as they passed.
Theo led them straight back to an elevator bank. Within a minute, they were on the top floor. Theo took them to the end ofa broad, airy corridor, where he led them into a private office the size of Nina’s apartment.
“The bathroom is there at the back,” he said, pointing to a closed door.
“Are you okay to go by yourself?” Nina asked. Jack nodded and hurried off to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. With the immediate emergency resolved, Nina turned to look at the office. It was enormous. At one end, there was a mahogany desk with a swivel chair. The other end boasted a sitting area. There was even a kitchenette. Everything was furnished in dark colors and modern styles, so much so that it looked like a page out of a magazine about a modern tech company. The picture windows showed so much of the Boston skyline that it felt like they were flying.
“Wow,” Nina said under her breath.
“Do you like it?” Theo asked. He was leaning against the desk.
“It’s certainly impressive.” Nina bit her lip. “And this is all yours?”
“I told you I was the CEO.”
“I know, but…” Nina’s mind was racing. Now that she’d seen just how rich Theo really was, she wondered if his offerwasreal. Maybe he reallywouldgive her enough money to stop worrying. She hated the thought of confusing Jack, but the financial gain was too great to ignore. And certainly, pretending to be this man’s wife and son for a few meetings was better than ending up in some dingy apartment if Nina wasn’t able to meet the rent increase.
“Is the offer for real?” she blurted.
Theo straightened. His brown eyes met hers, and he nodded. “It is.”
“I…” She sighed. “How much?”
“How much what?”
“How much would you give me to do this? You said I wouldn’t have to worry about money for the rest of Jack’s childhood. How much is that?”
Theo named a number that made Nina’s head spin. “Really?”
“Really. If I land the client I told you about, I’d easily get twenty times that.” Theo crossed to her. “And if it doesn’t work as planned, I’ll hold to my promise. I’m a man of my word.” Theo’s gaze was intense, but he seemed so relaxed — like this was just another business deal. “I’m serious, Nina. I know this is strange, but I really think we can help each other.”
Nina ran a hand through her hair and turned away. She paced the length of the office, her mind racing, barely taking in the exquisite lamps worth more than her monthly income or the view of the skyscrapers outside. Finally, she returned to Theo.
