Page 210 of The First Time
"Handsome?"
He… he's joking. I think.
I try to find the meaning in his expression, but I get lost in his beautiful eyes.
"Business types," I say. "Guys who are used to getting what they want."
"And they want you as dessert?"
"Sometimes." I get a lot of phone numbers. But that's normal. All the girls at the restaurant do. "They don't usually take no for an answer."
"And I?"
"I guess you're the same." I manage to put my full weight on my foot. It hurts, but it's tolerable. We turn the corner. It's not too far now. "Those guys… they don't like to admit anything is their fault. Even if they order the wrong entree. Or forget to say 'hold the onions.'"
"I know the type." He raises a brow.
We cross the street. I'm moving faster now. New Yorker fast. I nod to the restaurant two blocks down. "I'm there. I've got it." I step away from him.
He pulls his arms back to his sides. "I'm not different."
He pulls something from his back pocket and hands it to me.
It's a business card.
His voice is that same steady tone. "Give it a few days and let me know how you're doing."
"You mean how my ankle is doing?"
He holds my gaze. There's something in his eyes—some tiny hint of vulnerability. I look at the pavement, then back to his eyes. That vulnerability is gone. Replaced by pure determination.
"That's my personal number. Text or call anytime." He takes a step back. "Be careful."
I nod. "Thanks."
He turns, walks around the corner, and he's gone.
I look at the business card.
Blake Sterling. CEO of Sterling Tech. They're huge. Lizzy is obsessed with them. Uses their web services exclusively.
Blake is the CEO of one of the biggest tech companies in New York.
And he wants to know how I'm doing.
