“Well, how about dinner one night this week?”
“I signed up for your aunt’s bed, breakfast, and dinner package.”
“Well, you don’t have to eat there every night, do you?” he asked, his frustration building.
I sat back, looking at him and then at his father’s closed office door. “Does your father approve of your taking out employees?”
“What? I don’t think he has much to say about it,” he replied.
“I just thought there might be a company rule.”
“Well, there’s not.”
Just at that moment, Ken Dolan opened his office door and paused on his way out to look at me and then at Liam, his eyes accusing him of wasting time. “You doing that bid research today with Michael or not?” he asked him.
“Yeah, I’m going. I was hoping for something more exciting, but that didn’t pan out,” he said, looking at me.
“I’m sorry that keeping this company solvent and successful isn’t exciting enough for you.”
“What’s more thrilling than a new toilet?” Liam said dryly.
“If the business is so uninteresting for you, you could have remained in college. I got you into the best school.”
“Right. It’s all my fault. It’s always been all my fault.”
Ken shook his head softly and paused at my desk. “I’m meeting John Langerfield at his office and will be at lunch with him, too. I don’t anticipate being back before the end of the day. You have my cell-phone number if you need something quickly.”
“Yes, Mr. Dolan.”
“Oh,” Liam said as his father turned to leave. “Lorelei was concerned that you might have a company rule against either of us asking an employee on a date.”
“What? Either of us? Why would I ask—”
“I mean me,” Liam said. “Or the executive branch of the company.”
Ken looked at me. “I think she’s old enough and smart enough to know whom and whom not to go out with,” he said, and left.
“So?” Liam said. “Are you smart enough?”
“You mean if I said no, I wouldn’t be?”
“Oh, jeez,” he cried, raising his hands toward the ceiling again. “Do I have to beg?”
“Let’s just say that for now, at least, I’m not looking for a relationship, Liam.”
“That’s not the signal I’m getting,” he retorted.
“Maybe you’re seeing what you want to see. I’d like to settle in, get the lay of the land, so to speak.”
“You mean shop around a little,” he said, with sarcasm dripping from the corners of his mouth. “I heard about the parade that went through here this morning. My aunt calls it kicking the tires first before buying.”
“I’m not kicking any tires. I don’t know the kinds of girls you’re used to, but I’m not shopping for a new boyfriend, and I did nothing to encourage anyone here.”
“Yeah, sure,” he muttered. “Then I guess my father just reinforced my reputation as a loser, and that’s turned you off to me.”
“That’s not it.”
“Right.”