Page 48 of The Hometown Dilemma
Colm Green arrived almost an hour late. Knowing traffic on the bridge could be a total nightmare, I didn’t mind. Not to mention he could be my next employer, so slating him for his tardiness wouldn’t exactly go in my favor.
“Colm, this is Jaime Harlow. She worked for me for almost three years and did extremely well during that time.” Vanessa introduced me to the tall, handsome gentleman I recognized from his internet professional profile. I had to admit to cyber stalking him before the dinner, it would have been bad form to turn up without any knowledge.
“Lovely to meet you.” I jumped up from my seat and went to shake his hand, but he’d already leaned in for the obligatory kiss. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Wade wince. He had nothing to be worried about, I certainly wasn’t interested in Colm, only for him to like me enough to give me a job. “Colm, this is my boyfriend, Wade,” I added, hastily.
“Vanessa has spoken about you in such glowing terms, I wondered why she ever let you leave.” Colm shrugged off his coat to reveal a well-cut suit in charcoal gray teamed with a light blue shirt. He looked every inch the designer. He took a seat opposite me, staring directly at me with his chocolate brown gaze.
An unexpected blush colored my cheeks, one usually only brought about by such attention from Wade. I cast a sideways glance at my boyfriend to see him staring studiously at the menu as if deciding what to have for dinner was life or death.
“I’d been there for a while and wanted to see if I could start my own business. So, I went home.” The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I sensed how the conversation would go and didn’t want to admit to my lack of success.
“Oh, and how has that gone?” Colm shifted towards me. “Your clients would be sorry to see you leave so soon.”
I waved a hand. “That wouldn’t be a problem. They’re extremely understanding.” The lie slipped out of my mouth with ease, and I silently begged Wade not to say anything.
Colm nodded. “Good to hear. That shows me you have the ability to handle clients. I’m impressed.”
How he couldn’t hear my heart beating in my chest, I had no idea. I swigged down my second glass of champagne, the fizzing bubbles mixing with the fizzing nerves currently coursing through my bloodstream.
The server arrived and Colm ordered two bottles of red wine without asking what anyone wanted. I knew Wade would hate that, but it was too late for me to do anything about it. Vanessa suggested we should get a mixture of starters, including octopus and mussels. I kicked Wade’s ankle gently under the table. He wasn’t a fan of seafood, and it was fair he should choose something as well. But he responded with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Why did he have to be so damn frustrating? I was trying to include him in the evening, but he seemed to be pulling further away from me and I had no idea why.
“What made you consider a return to New York?” Colm asked midway through the main course.
I almost choked on my perfectly filleted sea bass. Reaching for some water, I swallowed before answering the question.
“When Vanessa called me up, I have to admit it was a surprise, but when she told me about the opportunity with you, it was something I couldn’t pass up. Your designs are incredible and some of your renovations have ended up on my mood boards.” I knew it came across like a total fan girl, but I had to be honest with him.
Wade let out something between a cough and a snort. “Sorry, something got caught in my throat,” he said, draining his glass of wine.
“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned.
“Sure, babe. All good with me. You carry on chatting withColm.” His intonation on my potential new boss’s name was laced with sarcasm.
Vanessa flashed me a look which said something along the lines ofkeep your guy in line here, he’s messing up your chances.
“I’m flattered to have inspired you so much. Vanessa showed me some of the projects you worked on with her, but I’d love to see what you’ve done since you’ve left. Do you have a portfolio with you?” Colm placed his knife and fork together on his finished plate.
“Don’t you have the work you did for Moira Channing you can show him?” Wade pressed. “Although I don’t know if you brought it with you.”
I bit my lip. Not expecting to have a full-on interview at dinner, I hadn’t packed any of my design work. And I didn’t have anything on my phone either. Cursing myself for being so dumb, I frantically tried to think something up on the spot.
“Moira hasn’t given permission for me to show her staging yet,” I bluffed. “But after her house sale has gone through, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to let you view the work.”
“Then let’s hope it goes through quickly. I’m keen to see what you can do.” Colm waved to one of the servers to indicate he’d finished and wanted a dessert menu.
“I’m sure you’d be more than impressed,” said Wade. “Jaime’s an excellent designer.”
At last, it appeared Wade was getting behind me and supporting my career. “Thanks, honey, that means a lot.” I placed my hand over his, only to have him pull away.
Maybe I’d been wrong.
ChapterTwenty-One
Wade
“What’s wrong with you tonight?”Jaime hissed the moment we were back in the safety of the hotel bar. “You’ve been moody, quiet and at times, downright horrible.”
I inhaled deeply. She wasn’t going to like what I had to say, but it needed saying.
