“I can wait, you know, until you have another break.” He had meetings all morning but they could be moved. This was more important.
“I won’t have a break for hours. I just started my shift. And I can’t just have you sitting here all day taking up space.”
“Then have dinner with me.” The words were out before he realized how they might sound.
Her eyes widened with surprise. “No.”
Ouch! His ego took a direct hit. He wasn’t used to being turned down by women. Not that he wanted to date Alina—or anyone else for that matter. He had enough issues to deal with at the office without having to figure out a relationship—something he was not good at, just ask his ex-girlfriend.
“Wait. I didn’t mean that as in an actual date date.” He noticed the color bloom in her cheeks and he couldn’t help but think how beautiful she looked. As soon as the thought came to him, he dismissed it. He refused to get distracted. “What I meant was that we could have a business dinner.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
He wasn’t going to let this go, even if it meant opening himself up to some pushback. “I thought you wanted to speak to the man who bought your building.”
“I do,” she said quickly.
“Good.” He smiled satisfactorily. “I’ll send a car to pick you up at six.” He got to his feet.
“What? No.”
“Are you saying you aren’t interested in pitching your reasons for keeping the building as is?”
“I...uh...sure, I want to.”
“Then this is your chance.”
She hesitated. “Fine.”
They exchanged phone numbers before he left.
The truth was that he didn’t want to spend his time listening to all of her sentimental reasons why the building shouldn’t be demolished for a new high-rise to be put in its place. He’d never conducted one of these meetings himself, but he’d witnessed his father conduct them.
His father had never been one for patience. He’d barely let the other party get a sentence or two out of their mouth before he’d shut them down. But Graham wasn’t his father. And sometimes people just needed to feel as though they’d been heard. He would keep his word and hear Alina out. That didn’t mean he would change his mind.
CHAPTER THREE
WHY IN THE world had she agreed?
For the remainder of the day, Alina could think of nothing else but her upcoming date...er, business meeting with Graham. So much so that she’d messed up two orders and received a gentle reprimand from her supervisor. Then upon her return home, she learned Grace Taylor’s kitchen sink had a leak. When Alina went to work on it, she’d been distracted by thoughts of what to wear to dinner that evening. When instead of tightening the joint, she’d loosened it and ended up with water in her face. It’d startled her back to reality and she focused on the task at hand.
Once finished with the sink she rushed back to her apartment. Having no idea what to wear to a trendy downtown restaurant, Alina texted her friend Meg. Her friend promptly showed up at her door. “I can’t believe you’re having dinner with him.”
“It’s not dinner.” When Meg arched a disbelieving brow, Alina said, “Well, it is dinner but it’s not like you’re thinking. It’s all about business. That’s it.”
“Uh-huh.” Meg’s tone said she didn’t believe her protests.
“It is.” Alina ignored the way her heart raced and her heart pounded when she thought about sitting across the table from Graham and staring into his dark mesmerizing eyes as they talked. The enemy shouldn’t be so handsome. “Now what should I wear?” She held up a dark pair of jeans with a red cable-knit sweater. “What about this?”
Meg’s brow rose high on her forehead. “Where did you say he was taking you for dinner?”
“Um... I’m not sure. The information is on my phone.” She rushed over to her bedside table to grab her phone. “It doesn’t give the name, just an address.” She read it off.
Meg typed it into her phone. “That’s not a restaurant. It’s an office building. And not just any office building but the renowned Diamond Building.”
Alina frowned. Of course he’d want to meet there. After all, he was only meeting with her to discuss the sale of the Stirling Apartments. That made her decision of what to wear easy because her attire didn’t matter. There would be no dress code where she was going.
“Good. That’s decided.” Alina clutched the jeans and sweater.