Page 15 of The Frock Up
She glanced up at me from underneath her bangs. "You're really passionate about the environment."
I cleared my throat, unsure of what to say.
"My dad owns a lumber yard. Sounds like an oxymoron to say he's one of the most sustainably-minded guys around, but it's true. He's never cut down old wood forests—and fought tooth and nail to ensure that reserves in Capricorn Cove were protected."
"You just purchased a bunch of land for that reason, right?"
I grinned, shooting her a raised eyebrow. "Checking up on me?"
She flushed, her fingers tangling in the strap of her bag. "N-n-no. Mai, Keiko's sister. She's studying to be a fashion designer but wants to be completely renewble. She's a massive fan of yours."
Mollie hesitated, biting her bottom lip. "If I'm honest," she said after a moment. "I got you and your brother confused. When I googled the company, your face didn't show up anywhere."
"Purposefully," I admitted, settling back in my seat. "I hate being in the spotlight. Give me a lab and I'm happy. James is better at the people shit than me."
She was quiet for a moment.
"What?" I asked as she glanced at the privacy screen that separated us from the driver.
"I saw your post. About the missed connection I didn't click before but…. That was me, right?"
I grinned. "Yeah."
She flushed, her gaze dropping as she continued to toy with the straps of her bag. "Damn. I was hoping you hadn't seen my underwear."
Just the mentioning had me wondering what she wore under her colorful skirt.
"Millie, would you come to dinner with me?"
Her head shot up, her eyebrows rising in surprise.
"W-w-what? Me?"
I laughed. "Yes, you. Would you have dinner with me?"
"Why?"
Because you're intriguing. Because I'm fascinated to learn what else makes you blush. Because you're adorable and I want nothing more than to strip away your clothing and taste what lies underneath.
"Because I want to share a meal with someone who doesn't look at me like I'm abnormal."
The words were not what I had intended. They weren't even close to what I would have admitted—even to myself.
Millie tilted her head to one side, a large chunk of her blonde locks falling across her shoulder.
"I have to admit, I do think you're extraordinary. I can't even conceptualize how you created what you've got, let alone built a business worth a billion dollars. Even a million seems outside the realm of possibility."
I remembered those days—when even a thousand dollars in my bank account seemed like a steep hill to climb.
I cleared my throat. "So, dinner?"
She flushed again, her head dropping. "Well, I guess that depends."
"On?"
She looked up at me, a teasing grin on her lips. "Can we do burgers?"
I laughed, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Sounds perfect."
