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Fortune's Prince Charming
by Nancy Robards Thompson
Chapter One
“Zoe Robinson, you could have your choice of any man in this restaurant. Why must you fixate on the one guy you can’t have?”
Zoe pursed her lips and tested her friend Veronica’s theory, letting her gaze do a quick sweep of the people in the Gilded Pig’s dining room. The rustic joint was jam-packed with its usual lunchtime clientele. Strains of a heartfelt country tune set the backdrop for the scene—mostly businessmen of varying ages, shapes and sizes who pushed up their shirtsleeves and tucked paper napkins into their collars to protect their white button-downs from what was arguably Austin’s finest barbecue. Even though the room contained an appetizing smorgasbord of men, not a single one in the large barn-turned-restaurant piqued her interest. Each and every one of them probably had fine qualities and was certainly worthy of someone’s love, but not a single one did anything for Zoe. Not even the cute guy who was grinning at her over his pulled pork sandwich.
As the music—Tim McGraw maybe?—asserted something about being a real bad boy who at the same time was a real good man—she flashed a noncommittal smile at the guy and turned back to Ronnie.
“Why fixate on Joaquin Mendoza? Because I can’t get him out of my mind. That’s why.”
Ronnie scrunched up her face the way she always did before she stuck a big fat reality-check pin in Zoe’s balloon of possibility. “That would be very romantic, Zoe, if only he would ask you out. Or even better, if he would talk to you about something other than business.”
Okay. So, maybe Ronnie had a point.
Still, Joaquin Mendoza had swept her off her feet from the moment he’d first walked into Robinson Tech several months ago. Actually he’d captivated her the first time she’d met him when her sister Rachel married his brother Matteo, last year. They’d been paired as maid of honor and best man, but the focus of the weekend had been on the bride and groom and, at the time, Zoe had no idea her father would end up hiring him as a programmer at Robinson Tech to work on a special project.
It wasn’t simply that he was older and tall and good-looking—no, scratch that—the guy was gorgeous. There was something about the cool way he held himself, and he had the strangest ability to put all of her senses on high alert the minute he ventured within five yards of her. It was like his superpower. Zoe had been ruined for other men since Joaquin Mendoza had walked back into her life three months ago. It was too bad he seemed more interested in work than in getting to know her better.
He hadn’t messed with her equilibrium on purpose, of course. In fact, even after all this time, he didn’t seem to recognize she was a woman who was interested in a man.
A very specific man.
“Okay, if you’re going to be stubborn, maybe you need to take things into your own hands. Who says you have to wait for him to ask you out?” Ronnie continued, straining so that her voice was heard above the music. “I mean, if you like him, maybe you’re the one who needs to break the ice—make sure he knows you’re interested in him. In the past, you’ve never had a problem with making your intentions known.”
Zoe sucked in a long, calming breath, blew it out in a measured gust and took in the Gilded Pig’s decor. A decade ago the space had housed an antiques market. Keeping true to its roots, the Pig was decorated with vintage pieces such as the ornately carved church pews that served as seats for the booths, mirrors with light-reflecting mercury glass that seemed to double the already expansive space, and old wooden chests of drawers and sideboards that held napkins, silverware, condiments, steaming coffeemakers and sweating pitchers of iced tea.
“I don’t know, Ronnie. This feels different.”
“How so?” Ronnie asked.
Zoe thought about it for a moment, but she couldn’t really put it into words. She knew Ronnie thought it was because Joaquin hadn’t pursued her like the other guys. But putting that aside, he wasn’t like anyone else she’d ever known. This was different. Even if she couldn’t define it, she could feel it in her bones.