Unbreakable (Unrestrained 4)

I stopped, and had to force myself not to roll my eyes.

“Lisa,” I said, not smiling.

“Can you drop me off at home?”

“I’m in a rush,” I said and shook my head.

“It’s on the way,” she said.

“How do you know that?”

“I know where you live,” she said. “On 8th. My residence isn’t too far off your track.”

“I have to stop and get something at the foundation,” I said. I had planned on dropping by to pick up a package of material for a board meeting on the weekend.

“I can wait,” she said, pulling on her jacket. “I can check my email while you go in. That’s the foundation you started in honor of your dad? Surgical equipment for hospitals in Africa? I do my research…”

I frowned, not happy with the prospect of taking her to her residence. “I have to meet with someone there, so I really can’t drop you off…”

“I’d love to go inside and see it for myself,” she said, undeterred.

“No,” I said firmly. “I just can’t, Lisa. I’m sorry.”

She frowned at me. “You have to be nice to me. I thought you understood that.”

I sighed. “I am nice to you.”

I walked out of the building and she followed me to my parking spot. My mind was busy, trying to figure out what I should do. I was damned if I did and damned if I didn’t. I decided I’d drop her off first and then go home. I didn’t want her coming into the foundation.

“I’ll drop you off first,” I said and got in my car. She got into the passenger side and fastened her seatbelt.

“No,” she said and settled back, a satisfied expression on her face. “I think I’d like to come up and see your foundation. You’re such a charitable man, Drake. You can give me a bit of your time.”

I drove off, determined to ignore her demand. When I turned down the street that led to her residence instead of the foundation, she must have noticed and turned to me, frowning.

“I said I wanted to come in with you.”

I gritted my teeth. “I said I was dropping you off first.”

“Turn around and go to your foundation.”

I kept driving. She finally gave in, sighing heavily and dramatically. “So afraid of having a woman friend?”

“You’re a resident,” I said quietly. “I’m one of your supervisors. Technically, we shouldn’t be socializing outside of work.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” she said and wagged her eyebrows. When I didn’t respond, she laughed. “Oh, Drake, for heaven’s sake, lighten up! No one’s going to know what we do except you and me. Seriously, we can do anything we want. Manhattan is a big city and it’s not like anyone’s following us.”

“Here you go,” I said and pulled up to her residence. I didn’t look at her. I waited, the car engine running.

“Very well,” she said, her voice sour. “But I expect you to be friendly with me. I’m not going to bite,” she said. “Unless you want me to.”

With that she left the car and I caught her smile as she closed the door.

Then, I drove off as quickly as I could.

Friendship wasn’t enough for her. Besides, we could never be friends, even if that was all she wanted. Not after threatening me.

I knew what I had to do.