Page 49 of Unbossly Manners

“Have you ever been married?” I asked.

He turned his head from the band, his eyes widening. “Wow. You get right to it.”

I looked away. “Sorry. ” I sipped the tiny straw from my vodka citron martini.

“Never married.” He smiled wanly. “It’s a point of contention in my family. They’re a big Catholic family from the DR, raised in Brooklyn.”

“Are you Catholic?” I asked, surprised.

“Recovering,” he smiled sardonically.

“Do you travel much to the Dominican Republic?”

“As a kid, we visited my grandparents every year. But since they passed, not as much.”

We watched the band for a few moments. His life was layered and interesting. My life felt pale by comparison. I gulped half my martini, the vodka heating my throat.

“Do you usually date women younger than you?” I asked. “You’re what, forty?”

He leaned forward, his dark eyes capturing mine. “Forty-two. And I typically date older women. They don’t put up with bullshit or play games.”

I sucked in a short breath. “Why date me?”

His hand slid into mine, heat circling where he touched. “You’re funny without meaning to be. You care about the same issues I do. Most women your age try to be what they think I want them to be. You’re always yourself. It’s refreshing.”

The musicians took a break and the sound system played moody house music. Derrick stared at the empty stage, thoughtful.

“Before the date continues, I have one question?” He had his detective face on, and a warm tingle ran over my skin.

I raised my eyebrows, curious at his serious tone.

“What the hell is going on between you and Jackson Rhodes?”

nineteen

I pulled my hand from Derrick’s.

“What do you mean?” I asked, buying time, debating if I should tell him the truth, and what to do if he already knew.

Derrick didn’t answer, only stared at me with those sharp eyes.

“I’m staying at his wife’s apartment while she’s away,” I said. Not a lie. “Would it be a problem if I was seeing him? Or someone else?”

“No. You can see and do what you like. I didn’t mean it like that.” Derrick smiled, and the tension faded. “But you’ve been hanging around each other a lot. I’ve known Jackson for years, and he typically keeps to himself at work. So I took notice. That’s all.”

“I ran into Kat and him one night when I was at the office late. I mentioned to Kat that I was about to be homeless and she offered her apartment since she was going away for a month. Jackson and I have been sorting out the details and it’s sort of made us friends. Or acquaintances. It’s hard to tell with him.”

Derrick nodded in agreement.

“I told HR about you and I going out,” I said, moving the conversation away from Jackson. I’d emailed Prathi the day I’d confirmed the date with Derrick.

“I know.” He sucked on an ice cube, then crunched it with his teeth.

“Does Prathi tell you every issue that comes her way?” I asked, holding my breath.

“Hardly.” He crossed his arms. “It’s that way on purpose. Employees would be less likely to speak to HR if they thought the boss was being told everything. If a situation comes up and I need to know about it, she’ll tell me. I’m entitled to know everything but a layer of privacy helps the employees feel secure.”

My finger circled the ring of water on the table left behind by the rim of my glass.

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