Page 12 of Midnight & Mergers
They walked up to a man, who immediately grabbed some menus and led them to a private table off the main dining area. It became apparent to Teagan that Mr. Bradley did not need to introduce himself anywhere.
Brooks pulled out the chair for Teagan as the man placed the menus on the corner side of the long table. He then removed the extra glassware and place settings.
“I trust you already have a wine selected for this evening, Mr. Bradley?”
“Yes, and there is no need for us to glance at the menu, Nico. We will go with a tasting each. And please start us off with? I’m sorry?” Brooks’s eyes turned towards Teagan’s. “Do you like Bourdeaux?”
“Are you kidding? That is my favorite kind of red wine!”
Shit! Is he reading my mind again, or is this a genuine question?
Before she could process anything, he smiled at the man and ordered.
“Outstanding. We will have the Château Gazin Pomerol, Bordeaux, France 1989, to start with. Thanks, Nico. I’m not one for starting out with your pairings because that Bordeaux is my favorite--you know that.” Brooks said with a smile as he passed the menus back to the man. His beard scrunched upright as he smiled. “Certainly, Mr. Bradley. Would you like pairings with the meal, though?”
“Please.”
He took the menus and returned to the kitchen.
Teagan bit her lip before responding. She’d been with controlling asses that ordered for her before, but he asked about the wine, making her curious why he didn’t let her look at the menu.
“So what’s a tasting all about? I mean, you asked what kind of wine I like, and that’s great! But I’ve never been comfortable with a guy ordering my food for me on a date.”
Crap!
“And need I remind you, this is a business meeting, not a date?”
Brooks’s eyes widened slightly, and he swallowed before responding.
Maybe he can’t read minds?
“I’m sorry. I probably should have explained the menu process better before I had the chef walk off to get us the wine. A tasting is literally everything on the menu but in smaller portions. Nico’s menu changes monthly, and I can’t wait to see what he’s prepared for this month. Forgive me for being so forward. You are right. This isn’t a date—not that it would excuse the behavior, either. It’s just,” he swallowed again, but this time she noticed his Adam’s apple enlarge before he continued, “I got excited. It’s not every day I get to take someone to L’Appart that hasn’t been. And truth be told, I want to see your bright eyes sparkle as you taste every delectable bite Nico offers. Will you forgive me for being such a jerk?”
Teagan bit her lip again as the words dripped from his soft, supple, sexy lips. Lips she envisioned kissing after his plight.
Stop this shit! He’s your boss, Teagan!
“It’s okay. It’s just—after seeing the dress and everything else you picked out—” Teagan’s voice trailed as her mouth suddenly went dry. She took a sip of water before continuing. “I just was in shock, and when you ordered, it made things seem weirder. But? What you ordered for me sounds wonderful.”
“It wasn’t hard to find out your sizes. You realize I own a lot of real estate—correct? The hotel you are staying in is one of mine, and I had management look at the sizes in your closet.”
Well, that mystery is solved. At least Brooks can’t read my mind. Phew!
“By the way, I’m a big eater, so please don’t judge me, as I will probably not leave anything on my plate for leftovers.”
“Given your size, I figured you for a salad eater, but I’m glad you have a hearty appetite. I do as well.” He smiled brightly.
“Well, my father always told me I could pack it in,” Teagan said while patting her stomach. She then blinked and swallowed hard. “But that’s probably not what you want to hear. Should we discuss the contract? By the way, I signed the initial. It’s always been normal to do that—well—at least I hope it is. Jeremy, my first boss out of college, made me sign the first one, and then we added addendums to it.”
Brooks’s eyes darkened as she uttered Jeremy’s name.
“Your former boss had you do something like that?”
“Well, yeah. Jeremy said that was customary. It was my first real job, and I assumed that was the norm when Jeremy took over his father’s company.”
“It’s not the norm.”
Teagan noticed Brooks’s jaw clench. A flashback of earlier in the afternoon rushed her thoughts.
