Page 31 of Blind Date with the Boss

‘Oh, no.’ Sally’s hands rose to stop him. ‘There’s no need. I’m happy to do this – but I’m not a professional.’

He cursed himself for handling this so clumsily. ‘I’m going to need more tuition before the ball.’

She nodded unhappily.

‘Perhaps I could take you to dinner in lieu of payment.’ It was an idea that had just come to him and he couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t thought of it sooner. ‘After all, you’ll be giving up your evenings.’

Eyes fixed on her clasped hands, Sally continued to look unhappy. ‘I don’t think dinner’s a good idea.’

‘Why ever not?’

She looked up then and her blue eyes shone with an unnatural intensity. ‘It would be too much like a date.’

‘And that’s a crime?’

‘You’re my boss, remember?’

‘Well, yes. That’s… true.’ Logan scratched his jaw. Somehow, his original plan to keep business and pleasure apart no longer made any sense. He was quite sure that he and Sally should have dinner together. The sooner the better. ‘Let’s keep Blackcorp out of this. You’ll be sacrificing your evenings to help me. Surely I owe you one dinner.’

Chin lifted, Sally answered him with a long and challenging stare. ‘Isn’t there someone who might object if we had dinner together?’

‘I can’t think of anyone.’

Her eyes widened. ‘What about the white roses women?’

‘Thewho?’

She gave an impatient toss of her lively curls and glared at him. ‘Don’t play dumb, Mr. Black. You know very well who I’m talking about. You have a standing order for white roses and they come every Friday and they’re always for a woman, aren’t they?’

‘Well… yes,’ he admitted, admiring her spirit. ‘You’re absolutely right. The roses are most definitely for a woman.’

Sally blinked hard and looked away. ‘Does she know you’re having dancing lessons with me?’

‘No. She has no idea.’

‘Are you planning to inform her that you’ve invited me to dinner?’

‘I must admit I haven’t given it any thought, but I don’t see why I couldn’t tell her.’

In the face of his calm responses, Sally’s self-righteous certainty lost a little of its starch. She cast an anxious glance about the meeting room, then lifted her shoulders in an annoyed shrug. ‘We’d better get this place tidied up.’

‘There’s no need. The cleaners will appreciate having a cleared floor to work with and they’ll rearrange the furniture in the morning.’

‘Fine.’ Sally picked up Logan’s phone and handed it to him.

‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Now, about dinner.’

To his dismay, Sally closed her eyes, as if the very idea of dinner with him was upsetting.

Unwilling to be put off, he said, quickly, ‘You’re right. I should clear this with the white roses woman, as you call her.’

Her blue eyes flew open.

‘Why don’t you come with me to meet her, Sally?’

Her jaw sagged and Logan watched the play of emotions on her expressive face as her anger morphed into doubt and confusion.

He pressed his advantage. ‘We can kill two birds with one stone. You can make sure that our dinner is not interpreted as a date. And she’ll enjoy meeting you very much.’

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