Page 78 of Rich and Bossy

“It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” I stare her down as she sits, and I walk around the table to my seat.

I don’t want her sitting. I want her to stand so I can see all of her, all night long, but I know I can’t.

I take a seat across from her and soak in every last bit of this, of us being just two regular people, happy, like there’s a chance we could actually be together. I admire the way she glows inthe candlelight, the way her eyes sparkle when they meet mine. I’ve never known this feeling, to want to know everything about another human being, everything that makes them tick.

She seems just as curious as I am. “How long have your parents been married?”

A waiter comes over and I order wine, then turn back to her. It’s a normal question, seeing the information I gave her about the restaurant. “Thirty-six years. We came here for their thirty-fifth.”

“Thirty-six.” She blows out a low whistle. “That’s an achievement.”

“Funny. They don’t see it that way.”

She tips her head to the side, her crimson lips pursed as she considers my statement. “Why?”

I have to pry my gaze away from her mouth if I have any hope of stringing a sentence together. “Well, I guess there was never an alternative for them. Not that they were forced into marriage or forced to stay together. They just...” I shrug. “I don’t think they know any other way but to be together.”

“That’s really beautiful, as corny as it sounds.”

“I don’t think it sounds corny. I agree, it is beautiful. When you meet them, you’ll understand.”

“Meet them, huh?” She turns away, grinning. “A very pointed way to say that.”

“Well, I’m a pointed person.”

“I agree with that.” She laughs. “Surprisedyoufind it beautiful.”

“Now why would that surprise you?” I love pushing her buttons. It’s fantastic.

She shakes her head, wearing an exasperated expression. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just saying, you don’t seem the romantic type.”

I make a big show of looking around this intimate, romantic little restaurant. “Really?”

She nudges me under the table with her foot. “You know what I mean.”

I absolutely do, and I can’t blame her. I don’t exactly give off the image of someone with a big, soft heart. “Let’s put it this way. My parents set a great example for me. I don’t waste my time on pointless dating. I don’t date just to date, expecting failure, just to be with someone because I’m lonely. When I meet the right person, I’ll know, and they’ll receive my attention with the same intensity I approach my business.”

“Just haven’t found the right person yet?”

I love how she laid that trap perfectly for me. The wine couldn’t come along at a better time.

“Perhaps, perhaps not.” I smile right at her when I say it.

She laughs, but I can tell she’s nervous as all hell. Good. That’s how I want her, on her toes, nervous. It’s when she’s at her best.

She quickly changes the subject, before the pasta arrives. Once we’re eating, she starts to open up, telling me more about her family. I’m paying attention like a hawk. This is valuable intelligence and I plan to log every single detail.

She sighs. “Being an only child—especially one who came along after years of trying—it’s sort of a high-pressure situation. I feel like I need to make them proud. I’m the only person alive who’s carrying along their DNA, carrying on parts of them.”

“I’m sure you make them proud.”

“It’s insane. They love me no matter what. All the pressure comes from me. Never from them. They’ll be happy no matter what I do.” She lets out a disbelieving little laugh. “I don’t know why.”

“You need to take it easy on yourself.”

“You think?” She laughs again, but I see through it. She’s wondering what her parents think about her being on a date with me.

I saw the way she tried to get me out of her yard as quickly as possible last night, how she shut the door as fast as possible when I was there tonight, and how nobody else was around when I picked her up.

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