Page 48 of Indiscretion

“Thanks. But I’ll figure it out.” He did a quick sweep over my legs and frowned. “You better get going so you’re not late for yourdate.”

He said the last word like it tasted bad in his mouth. Though his eyes went back to the work on his desk, so maybe I was misreading things again.

“Can I ask you something?”

“What?” He glanced up.

“What do you think might’ve happened if I hadn’t been drunk that night at the cabin?”

He shrugged. “I guess you wouldn’t have tried to seduce me.”

“What if I had?”

“Had what?”

“Tried to seduce you that night, but I was sober?”

Dawson’s eyes burned into mine before he answered. “I don’t have to wonder what might’ve happened, because Iknow. You wouldn’t have been able to walk the next day.”

Oh my.My jaw hung open.

Dawson raised a brow. “Any other questions?”

“Umm… No.”

“Where is yourdatetaking you?”

“It’s not a date. He’s seeing someone. We’re just two old friends catching up.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure he doesn’t think it’s a date.”

“You don’t know anything about Simon.”

“Maybe not. But it’s rare a man only wants to be friends with a woman he’s attracted to, and you two have obviously dated before.”

“Simon doesn’t think it’s a date. Neither of us does.”

“No? Where are you going for dinner? I can tell you this guy’s intentions based on that.”

“How?”

“There’s a difference in where I’d have dinner with someone like Lily and where I’d take a date. Le Pavilion, Veronika, or Raoul’s?He’s trying to impress you and wants to take you home with him. Fresco, Meat, or Oscar Wilde? He’ll make sure you get in the Uber but won’t try to climb in after you.”

I felt my cheeks heat. No way in hell I was sharing that this afternoon Simon had texted and changed goingoutto dinner to orderinginat his place. So I ignored him. “Have a good night.”

Dawson picked up his pen and started to write on a legal pad. “I’d say the same,” he noted without looking up. “But I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

***

“Earth to Naomi…”

I blinked a few times and found Simon staring at me. “Sorry.” I forced a smile. “My brain is stuck at work.” Technically, that wasn’t a lie. Dawson had said, “You wouldn’t have been able to walk the next day” at the office. Two hours later, I still couldn’t stop his words from replaying in my head.

Simon smiled back. “Some things never change. You used to get lost in your head when you studied too. I asked if you want some wine?”

“Oh, sure. That would be great. Thank you.”

He stood. “I did a cleft palate on a little girl whose family makes their own wine. They brought me two bottles the day they came for her post-surgical checkup. It’s the best Cab I’ve ever tasted. I brought one home with me for you to try, because I know it’s your favorite.”

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