“There’s every need for dessert,” he countered. He tossed several bills down onto the table, probably twice what the actual meal costs. “Elsbeth! Everything was delicious! See you next time, okay?”
The woman appeared out from behind the curtain that guarded the secrets of the kitchen from the dining area, a huge grin splitting her features. “Next time you come back, have a ring on your woman’s finger!” she admonished.
Reid. “I’ll work on it,” he promised.
Then he led Selena out of the restaurant. “I’m sorry about that,” she told him.
He waved that away. “Don’t worry about Elsbeth. She’s a hopeless romantic and thinks she knows everyone’s business.”
Once more, he held the door open for her and waited until she’d pulled her legs inside. While she attached the seatbelt, he closed the door and walked around. “So no dessert. How about a glass of wine?” he offered. “There’s more to this request than just information on how this got started.”
She shrugged, liking the idea. Probably dangerous, but…why not? She hadn’t had a glass of wine in…years! “Okay, there’s a small pub right across from my apartment building. Would that be okay? That way I wouldn’t have to take the Metro home.” She cringed at how that sounded. “I mean, if it’s not too much trouble, that is.”
“Your apartment it is,” he told her.
Another cringe. “I didn’t mean to imply that I was…that wasn’t a sexual suggestion. I don’t…we aren’t…”
He laughed softly. “Selena, it’s much too early in our relationship for sex.”
She sighed with relief, her shoulders relaxing. But then his words sank in and her whole body stiffened with…horror? Too early for sex? Huh? What did he mean by that? She couldn’t interpret his expression.
So instead of saying anything or making a fool of herself with another silly blush, she turned to face forward while he drove towards her apartment building.
It was only a short drive to her apartment. She had him park in the space across the street where the pub was located. She could just walk across the street from there.
Once they were seated in the intimately lit interior, she realized that this suggestion had been a mistake. She ordered a glass of white wine and he asked for a beer.
Needing to return to business, she leaned forward, looking into his eyes with a determination that sprung from a deep-need inside of her to control her world. “Okay, what else do you need to know about the marketing plan?”
He gazed at her and Selena’s muscles tightened with the weight of that look.
“I need to know when you’re coming out to Denver to implement the plan.” He watched her for a long moment before continuing. “We’ll pay all your relocation costs, plus a salary increase.” He named a figure. Selena gasped, not sure she’d heard him correctly. Surely, he hadn’t meant that number in dollars!
“Plus you’ll be flying to the various cities to train the trainers and implement the details. I estimate that it will take approximately six months to get the marketing plan in place and the materials designed. Another six months to get the publicity details worked out. Then six months to travel around to train everyone on the new concept.” He waited, letting the details sink in. “How about next week?”
She stared at him, her mind trying to catch up. “Next week…what?”
He smiled slightly. “Selena, my brother and I started this company because we knew what we liked. Women, cosmetics…we knew the kind of look we wanted to go for and we accomplished that goal, building the company into a renowned international brand. We know what we like. We know what works. You’re the one who thought up the idea and I want you to deliver it for Rembrandt Cosmetics. The idea is huge. It’s a massive change in the way we’ve been doing things but it will definitely put us ahead of the competition. Your idea is solid, innovative, and affordable to a wide range of people. I anticipate that the appeal will be immediate and intense.”
Their drinks arrived and she leaned back, allowing the waitress to set her wine in front of her, but she didn’t touch it. His beer looked delicious, tall, golden, with a small bit of foam at the top. But…moving to Denver? Leaving this area?