‘Nevertheless I am in the process of building a group of elite condos in Dubai for a very wealthy client of mine and I could use a woman with your attention to detail and architectural capabilities.’
Was he offering her a job? It was almost funny, only she wasn’t in the mood to laugh.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, ‘but I only consulted on the Krystal Palace as a one-off. I work for Harrington’s.’
‘Ah.’ His eyes studied her. ‘Have you ever considered going into business for yourself?’
Lukas’s words from over a month ago suddenly jumped into her head.
‘Staying in a company for family reasons can limit your true potential.’
But it wasn’t her family limiting her true potential, was it? It was her. She’d been wedded to her goals for so long because they gave her an element of control over her life. An element of certainty that had made her feel safe.
But they hadn’t saved her from heartbreak and maybe it was time to open herself up to some other possibilities. Maybe it was time to start believing in her abilities instead of waiting for her family to do it for her. Maybe it was time to explore the world outside of Harrington’s. But could she really leave Harrington’s at a time when Isabelle seemed to need her the most?
‘I can see I’ve got you thinking,’ Peter Bournesmith said.
Eleanore shook her head. ‘Not really.’
But even she heard the quaver in her voice and being a true salesman Bournesmith went in for the kill. He handed her his business card. ‘How about I buy you a drink and we can talk about it some more. Maybe we could hit a club afterwards.’
While the thought of returning to her flat on a Friday night wasn’t all that appealing neither was the idea of making small talk with a man she wasn’t interested in. And really there was no competition when Lucky, a bucket of ice cream and the latest movies online were waiting for her. ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ she said, sidestepping the event photographer on her way out.
* * *
‘I miss Eleanore.’
Lukas looked up and scowled at Petra as she dumped a load of mail on his desk. He grunted at her and kept his attention on the sales projections for a new company he was thinking of investing in.
‘Have you heard from her?’
Lukas rubbed his jaw. ‘Why would I hear from her?’
‘I thought she might have called to find out how the hotel is doing? It’s been two weeks already.’
‘If she wants to know how it’s going she can call the hotel directly or read the reviews online like everyone else.’
‘Mmm.’ She fossicked around his desk. ‘I suppose she’s busy back in New York. She certainly looks busy.’
Since he was trying to zone Petra out it took a minute for her words to penetrate his mental blocks. ‘What do you mean she looks busy?’
‘I just saw her photo online at an art gallery talking to some nice young man. Is there anything else I can get for you?’
‘No.’
His eyes narrowed on her figure as she bustled around watering the plants in the corner of his office. He told himself that he was not going to do a Google search on Eleanore and art galleries. But it seemed his fingers had other ideas because he’d typed the words on his keyboard before he could stop himself.
He’d spent the past couple of weeks forgetting about Eleanore Harrington and the month she had been in his life. Two weeks forgetting about the taste of her skin and the sound of her laughter. Forgetting about the smart mouth she was never afraid to use on him when he stepped out of line. And forgetting about the incredible smile she was directing toward the suit in the photo on his computer screen.
He scanned the caption underneath. Eleanore Harrington and Property Developer Peter Bournesmith Cosy Up at Top Gallery.
Cosy up?
Well, she certainly hadn’t wasted any time getting busy with someone else. While he’d been putting in twenty-hour days at his desk she’d been out partying. But what had he expected? That she’d miss him? That she’d pine for him?
‘You could go after her.’
Lukas realised he’d been staring at the image on his screen and turned away from it. ‘Why would I want to do that?’
‘Because you fell in love with her.’
Lukas shook his head. ‘Sometimes I don’t know where you get your ideas.’
‘Maybe it was the way you used to look at her.’
Lukas gave Petra a look and it wasn’t the I-love-you variety.