Page 10 of Without Apology

CHAPTER FOUR

Simon

Although I’d remembered Peyton being funny as hell and pretty yesterday, she’d been something else entirely when she’d opened the door tonight in her sexy black dress, her makeup done, and her hair down and soft. I’d stared dumbstruck at the beautiful creature in front of me. If it hadn’t been for Cooper coming up, I would’ve had to fight for verbal ability.

“So, tell me, what type of business brings you to Coppell, Texas, of all places?” she asked after we were seated in the restaurant and our drinks had arrived.

“I evaluate companies for investment opportunities.” Most women I’d been out with would have changed the subject here. But unsurprisingly, she wasn’t like them. As if the soft, Southern lilt to her voice wasn’t enough to differentiate herself.

“In other words, you buy them?”

“Sometimes. It depends on if it fits with what my boss wants and, more importantly, if it’ll be profitable.”

“And there’s one in this small town worth investing in?”

“No. My dinner engagement was local, though.” It occurred to me she might know George if I mentioned his name, and since the possible purchase was confidential, I couldn’t give her that kind of detail. Thankfully, she was astute enough to realize why I was being vague.

“And I’m assuming you can’t tell me who you had dinner with because which company you might be purchasing is not public knowledge yet?”

“Exactly. Matter of fact, it’s about fifty-fifty it’ll happen at this point. We have to do the evaluation and audit in order to decide.”

“I take it you’re not staying at the Stagecoach Inn or Holiday Inn Express in town?”

I found her question funny considering my threat to my assistant. To be honest, I could care less where I stayed so long as the Wi-Fi was solid, and the coffee was hot, but Emma did not share the sentiment. And Tom, my boss’s accountant, would throw a tantrum. In fact, he could spin anything up into a tizzy. Nothing but the best hotels for that tosser. I considered having to work with the owner’s nephew the only drawback to my job.

“No. I’m at the Four Seasons in Irving. If I stay past the initial audit, I’ll move into temporary housing. It’s nicer to have a kitchen when on location more than a couple of weeks.”

“That’s a nice hotel. Great shopping, although something tells me you work too much to care about what there is to do downtown.”

“What gave me away?”

She shrugged. “Business travel normally requires a lot of work hours. Which is why I was surprised to hear from you.”

I was somewhat taken aback, but then I realized I actually had cancelled on plenty of people over the years due to my work. “I figured it’s the least I could do after you rescued my bottle of champagne from Laverne.”

A mischievous smile touched her lips. “Ah, well, it’s my signature move for getting dates. Laverne is actually my wingman.”

I chuckled. “I can see that, given all of her charisma. So, I’m curious. Why is it that you’re quite single? By choice?”

Her brow arched, annoyance flickering in her amber colored eyes. “As opposed to maybe I just can’t seem to hold a man?”

I knew my face was heating and quickly amended. “That was rude.” It was, but the one thing I’d learned in dealing with people over the years was that everyone had a story. I suddenly wanted to know Peyton’s. Albeit perhaps in a more delicate fashion.

Thankfully, I was saved from shoving more of my foot into my mouth when the waitress returned and took our orders. Once she left, I tried to smooth things over.

“I didn’t mean to cause offense.”

Peyton waved me off. “It’s okay. Believe me when I say I’m too laid back to take offense. I really think taking my meds for angry mood swings and promising not to go off in a rage because my date orders murdered cow for dinner may be a new tactic I employ for hanging onto a man more long-term.”

I almost spit out the beer I’d been sipping only to see the amusement dancing in her eyes. “Jesus. I deserved that.”

She laughed. “You totally did.”

Her humor was completely contagious, and my laughter joined in hers. “I was simply sitting here thinking how is it possible a woman as beautiful and funny as you are isn’t in a relationship. But I realize that sounds like a horrible snap judgment which assumes that’s what you’d want.”

“I won’t disagree. I think it’s ironic that when a man is single at thirty it’s assumed he’s not ready to settle down yet. But if a woman is single, then clearly it’s not from lack of trying to change that status.”

I’d never thought about it quite that way, but she made a good point. “Stereotypes which men like me are perpetuating with questions such as the one I asked you.”

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