Page 34 of Enchanting the CEO

I shrugged. "It's not really my table. I'm just here very often. Out of courtesy, they told me once that I can even call on short notice and they'll find me a spot."

She pressed her lips together, looking around again.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?" I asked.

She lowered her gaze and then raised it back up. "Is it that obvious?"

"Listen, the last thing I want is for you to feel that way. I wanted to do something nice."

"This is nice," she said. "I'm just out of my comfort zone." She smoothed the top of her hair with a palm even though not even a single hair was out of place. "But I promise I'm going to enjoy this."

"Great, that's all I want."

The waiter came to us just then. "May I recommend the daily specials?" he said after handing us the menus.

"Sure."

"We have Argentinian steak with extra foie gras."

Diane wrinkled her nose. I wasn't a fan myself.

"There's also a flank steak with pepper sauce and duck breast," he continued.

"I already know what I'd like," Diane said. "I want a medium-cooked steak with roasted potatoes."

"And I want a rib eye with sweet potato fries," I added.

The waiter also recommended a Rioja red wine.

"Why don't you bring a glass for the lady? If she likes it, we'll take a bottle," I said. The second he was out of earshot, I grinned.

She raised a brow. "A whole bottle? You want to get me drunk?"

I laughed. "No, not at all. Are you a lightweight?"

"I can hold my liquor," she said. "And red wine isn't that strong anyway."

The waiter came back almost immediately with a bottle, uncorking it in front of us and pouring just a bit into Diane's glass. She grabbed it with shaky fingers and clumsily twirled it around, then took a sip. She blinked her eyes wide open and exclaimed, "This is fantastic."

The waiter poured wine into both our glasses. Once he left, she said, "I take it back. Cheap carton red wine isn't strong, but this has a bit of a kick."

"It's Rioja," I explained. "Definitely more potent."

"It’s delicious. Good thing I grabbed a few bites at the house so I don't drink on an empty stomach."

I snorted. "You cannot call that a bite."

"Yes, I can. You get a lot of points for trying."

"I'm not used to trying. I usually succeed at what I do."

"I see." She leaned back in her chair and shifted her body in a way that made me think she crossed and uncrossed her legs. "I can't decide if you're serious or not."

"I am."

"You never fail at anything?"

I hesitated, taking another sip, wondering if I should share this with her, but why not? Somehow, I felt at ease with her. "When I first took over the distillery, I almost did fail."

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