The elevator door opens. My heels tap against the polished hotel floor. I nervously touch my hair as I discreetly look around for him. My heart pounds in my chest as I wonder what could happen tonight. It skips a beat when I see him standing near the front of the restaurant.
I find it so hard to believe that he is waiting for me.
He looks so good that a shiver runs down my spine.
I want to run to him and press my lips against his.
I want to know what he tastes like. I push those thoughts from my mind and fix a smile back on my face.
Tonight is going to be perfect.
Chapter 9
Mark
I am sitting in the hotel restaurant, trying not to tell myself I did a bad, bad thing. I know I had decided not to pursue Lisa but being around her so much is driving me crazy.
Plus, it’s only dinner. Between a boss and an assistant who are working on a project together while on a business trip.
That’s not at all romantic.
Even if it’s at a romantic restaurant.
Right?
I’ve never been good at fucking fooling myself. I like to look the truth right in the eye before I either ride it or fight it.
I order a bottle of wine as I wait for Lisa. I check my watch and see that it is exactly seven o’clock. So, I start to look around for her and see her enter the lobby from the elevator.
She hasn’t seen me yet, so I take a few seconds to look at her. I’m turned on by how sexy she looks in her nice outfit. Her perky breasts and curvy hips make me want her even more. I stand and start waving to get her attention. As she looks around the lobby, her eyes pass over the restaurant window.
She blinks; it takes her a few seconds to notice me. When she finally does, she smiles and waves back. As she walks over, I pour wine for both of us. I hand her a glass as she takes her seat across the table from me.
“I hope I’m not late,” she says apologetically.
“Oh no, you are right on time,” I assure her.
She smiles in response as I pull her chair out for her and then take my own seat.
“To Ozark,” I say proudly, as I hold my glass up.
She laughs as we clink our glasses in a toast. We each take a sip of wine and then sit there for a few seconds in silence. The waiter appears with menus, and I look forward to the evening.
Lisa looks adorable as she makes a little pouty face. She’s trying to decide what to eat. When she is ready to order, I signal the waiter back.
Once he leaves with our menus, Lisa smiles at me nervously and sips more of her wine. I’m liking being with her here; it’s interesting to see her outside of the office.
The waiter brings our food and we poke it around while taking little bites of it. We make small talk about travel, work, little things.
“Have you traveled before?” I ask her.
Lisa swallows her food politely and shakes her head no.
“This is my first real vacation,” she admits.
“Oh, I’m sorry it’s not more of a glamorous place ” I say.
I had been trying to downplay a romantic atmosphere but perhaps I should have gone all out, considering that she isn’t used to traveling. I want to spoil her and give her a fun, extravagant time.
She shakes her head.
“No, this has been a fun trip. Besides, I’m glad that I was able to help the company in such an important way,” she says as she takes another bite of her food.
Her answer surprises me. I wasn’t expecting her to care so much about the work that we do. I thought she only worked as an assistant at the company for money but apparently, she’s passionate about her job, too. I guess I should have been able to tell that from the fastidious ways she’s approached her projects and also from how she’s gone above and beyond for the company.
I start to feel like a huge asshole for not realizing this before. I’m about to say something in response to her but my phone rings, interrupting me. I see that it’s one of my contacts at Ozark.
“Excuse me, this is important,” I apologize.
I walk away from the table to take the call. Lisa nods in understanding.
As I’m on the phone, I watch her drink her wine, and eat a few more bites of food. I can see her breasts rise as she sighs. She watches the other people in the restaurant. She looks so beautiful that it distracts me from the seriousness of the phone call I’m having.
Once the call ends, I go to the lobby bathroom and wash my hands. I’m shaken. I can’t talk to Lisa yet. I just received grave news on the phone, and I need to prepare myself before I share it with her. After I take a few deep breaths, I walk back to the table to join her.