He breezes through the door looking around. When his eyes land on mine, he smiles widely and walks over.
“Sorry I’m late, I got held up at the office.”
“I’ve only been here a little bit.”
“Come, let’s get started.” His hand moves to my back and he leads me to the hostess.
We get a booth in the back, which is a little intimate for a business dinner. He orders a scotch and looks at me. I take his lead and get a glass of wine. Once the wai
ter leaves, I pull out some folders, ready to talk.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting my notes.”
“Tonight, we aren’t talking about business.”
“We aren’t?” I ask confused.
“No, tonight we get to know each other.” He winks at me and sends my heart racing.
“Okay, but let me give you this.” I hand him the folders with all the signed contracts.
He looks through briefly and then back up to me. “Start by telling me about yourself.”
The waiter brings our drinks and we order. When he walks away, Max looks back at me, expectantly.
“Simple story really. Been in Atlanta most of my life. My dad moved us here when my sister and I were young to take a position as a senior engineer with a contracting company. I left town for six years to attend University of Georgia, but came back after I received my MBA. I worked a few internships that led to a full time position and then decided two years ago to open my own firm. My best friend, Laci, works with me.”
“Hmm, that explains why there is only one employee form in this file.”
“Yes, just the two of us. I’ve thought about hiring a part-time employee, but don’t want to ruin the dynamics. Laci and I are tight and bringing another person in the mix could be a bad idea. Not to mention, Laci is a bit wild.”
“Wild how?”
“She speaks before she thinks. Says inappropriate things a lot. She marches to the beat of her own drum, but I love her.”
“Sounds interesting, I can’t wait to meet her.”
I nod my head in agreement but personally freak out. Laci will hone in on my attraction and embarrass the shit out of me.
“That’s all great to know, but tell me about you. Stella Sullivan the woman, not the business owner.” His voice softens a little and his fingers brush across my hand on the table. The slight contact causes my breath to hitch again. It seems to happen a lot around this man. He must hear it because his lips twitch with a slight grin.
“What would you like to know? There’s not too much to tell.”
“What about a husband?”
“No husband.”
“Are you seeing anyone?” His voice is strong and intense.
Suddenly, my throat goes dry and I sip my wine. “No.”
He sits back and sips his scotch. “What about you? Tell me about the Maxwell McCoy. You seem a little young to be the president of a company like Hurst & McCoy.”
“It’s definitely not where I saw myself at the age of thirty-three. I went to Georgia Tech for my undergraduate degree then attended Yale for my law degree. I traveled a few years doing international work for a company based out of Connecticut. I only came home after my dad died and my family needed me.”
“Wow.”