“Tell me about him.” I smiled, doing my best to charm her. She stared at me for a moment and then gave up her inner struggle.
&nb
sp; “He's tall, dark, and handsome,” she started, a cautious grin creeping on to her face as she thought about him. Her mouth twisted slightly. “And Bastian's business partner, so strictly off limits. Besides that, he thinks I'm just Bastian's minion. I'm not even sure he knows I'm female.”
“Ouch,” I replied. “At least you would look cute in those blue overalls.”
Charlotte giggled as she shrugged. “Such is the life of a personal assistant. Now, you on the other hand...”
“No, no, no.” I shook my head vehemently from side to side. “No.”
“What?” She asked, her eyes going wide and innocent. “You're telling me you don't want to know that his favorite color is yellow or that he likes his eggs scrambled and orange juice without pulp?”
“No!” But I couldn't help it. I filed that information away and hoped I could use it at a later date. I couldn't let Charlotte know that, though, so I shook my head more fiercely, feeling my hair whip around my shoulders. Besides, he was a billionaire. He could date super models. He probably did date super models. Super models probably asked him out. Me? I got dumped for a big-chested blonde. He wouldn't want me. I wasn't anywhere near billionaire material.
“Charlotte, right now he's my employer. Even if I did think he was hot, and I'm not saying I do, I can't. Do you know what my dad would do if he ever found out I even thought of flirting with a client?”
“So you want to do more than just flirt, huh? What if he wasn't your client?” she pressed. I could see where her thoughts were going, and I couldn't stop the blush that seeped out from my spine and crawled up to my ears. The things I would do to him... The way those gray eyes would light up, and how he would smile at me...
I did my best to glare at Charlotte. I didn't trust myself to actually say anything. He was a billionaire and I wasn't even sure I was good enough to even think of dating.
“Fine, fine.” She waved her hand through the air like she was giving up, but then leaned forward, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “He also likes two sugars and no cream in his coffee.”
“Charlotte!”
“Just saying,” she said with a all-too-knowing shrug. “It could be useful information.”
I shook my head, exasperated. The worst part was that I wanted to know everything she told me. I wanted to know more. But he was my billionaire employer and I was fairly certain she was crazy. He could have anyone. Why would he want me?
“Do you try and set your brother up with every girl you meet?” I asked her, glancing around the bar and hoping our drinks came soon. I needed something stiff.
“Nope,” Charlotte responded with a grin. “Just the ones that make him smile.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “I even caught him humming last night after he made you those sandwiches. He never hums unless he's really happy.”
Unfounded hope surged in my chest and pressed against my ribs to the point of pain. I wanted to believe her. I wanted him to like me like I liked him.
“That could be anything,” I said dismissively. As much as I wanted it to be true, I knew there were a million reasons for him to be smiling that didn't include me. “He could have just gotten a good weather report for his paddle-boarding the next day. Or his new paddle-board shipped from Billionaire Paddle-boarders Emporium.”
“Right...” Charlotte rolled her eyes at me like I was thick. “Sandwiches with a girl he won't stop staring at and the humming is all in my head. Seriously? Billionaire Paddle-boarders Emporium?”
She looked at me, begging me with her eyes to believe her. I wanted to. I wanted to believe that the billionaire had a crush on me.
“You really think he likes me?” I felt like a sixth grader. All I needed now was to pass her a note to give to him that read, Do you like me? Yes or No? I shrugged, trying to play it off. “Besides, he's said all of three words to me. And two of them were during my dad's heart attack.”
Charlotte smiled and leaned back confidently in her chair. “My brother is a tough nut to crack. He has trouble trusting people. After his parents died, he didn't have anyone until he found me. And even then, it was him protecting me from the world. No one was there to protect him anymore.”
I stared at the table in front of me, trying to figure out the riddle that was Sebastian Belrose. I had a girl with all the clues sitting in front of me, but I didn't dare ask. I wanted to find out his secrets from him.
Charlotte leaned forward and I looked up. “He's a great judge of character, but he's slow to trust. The fact that he made you that particular sandwich is actually a pretty big step for him. Honest. He likes you.”
I opened my mouth, wanting her to explain how a sandwich was a big step. I wanted to believe her, but at the same time, I had been burned so badly in my last relationship that it was hard for me to believe that a sandwich meant something. Two years of love and devotion hadn't meant a damn thing, so I couldn't help but wonder what a sandwich did.
It was just then that the waiter arrived with our food and drinks. On the plate before me was some sort of pastry that smelled absolutely fantastic. I poked it with my fork, releasing steam and even more mouth-watering aromas.
“What is this?” I asked Charlotte, taking a careful bite. It was absolutely divine. The crust was light and fluffy while the inside was a curry-flavored beef that melted in my mouth. “It's so good!”
Charlotte grinned and stuffed a big bite into her mouth. So much for her diet. “It's a Jamaican Patty,” she explained through her mouthful of food. “They make them even better here than the ones in Jamaica.”
I swallowed my bite and took a sip of the drink. Charlotte had been right to order for me. A combination of orange juice, rum, and a combination of fruit juices I couldn't decipher hit my mouth. It was strong, but I barely could taste it over the fruit juice. I could see why there was a two-drink maximum on them. It would be far too easy to drink them all night and never realize how much alcohol was in the glass.