Page 38 of Thiago
He smirked, this time meeting her gaze. “I know you, better than the doctor does. And I’m going to make sure that when this evening is over, you do not even remember his name.”
Chapter Sixteen
At first, Thiago had considered taking India to one of his brother’s restaurants but changed his mind. Too easy.
He decided to put forth a little effort and chose Wine & Bone for their night out. The high-end restaurant was known for its extensive wine list and succulent steaks. Their popularity meant a long waiting list for reservations, but he had paid a hefty sum for another customer’s private room reservation, which meant he and India could enjoy their meal without distraction.
The hostess led them into The Ember Room, cozy and hidden away from the main dining room. As she politely waited beside the table, she mentioned in a hushed voice that the waiter would arrive soon.
Thiago helped India into her chair.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
As the hostess departed and he sat down, she looked around. The unlit fireplace must make for a great atmosphere during colder months. Lowered lights cast a warm golden glow on the table, which was covered with a white tablecloth. They had a good view of the street outside through one-way glass allowing them to see out, but no one could see in. Colorful artwork linedthe walls, and a bottle of wine was decanting on the table—a Bordeaux he had ordered ahead of time.
There was a discreet knock on the door, and then their waiter entered, a bearded young man with a short ponytail. After introducing himself as Griffin, he briefly went over the menu and told them about the specials. He then took their orders and poured them each a glass of wine before disappearing.
“I have to say, you did good for our first date,” India said, placing her cloth napkin across her thighs.
Thiago briefly smiled across the table. “You sound surprised.”
“I’m not. You do everything to the best of your ability.”
“Exactly,” Thiago said.
She laughed a little and shook her head. His confidence could be a turn off for some people, but he always had the distinct impression that she appreciated his self-assurance and possibly saw it as one of his more attractive qualities.
At first, they talked about surface topics, steering clear of anything personal, but during the salad course, India asked, “I’ve always wondered, why did you decide to work for Santana International? Your other siblings didn’t. As an angel investor, you’re an equity partner in a number of businesses, and you have partnerships with family members, like the olive grove in Spain with Ethan and Bruno. You have plenty of money on your own.”
“I’ve never seriously considered working anywhere else before,” Thiago admitted. “None of my other siblings were interested in taking over my father’s company, and I naturally gravitated toward working with him. I admit, though, for a long time I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Bruno had cooking, and Ignacio was obsessed with acting and modeling, and I had… nothing.”
Since then, his investments and ownership shares in multiple companies had made him a billionaire. He had becomeknown as someone who took big risks, and luckily, they had mostly paid off, especially in the technology sector where he concentrated, which had the greatest risks but the greatest rewards.
“You suffered from middle child syndrome,” India remarked in a matter-of-fact voice.
“No,” Thiago said, shaking his head.
“There’s no shame in it. It affects a lot of people. Middle kids often feel invisible or overlooked because they’re not the youngest or the oldest. They tend to become independent overachievers.”
“So what’s your excuse? You are an overachiever.”
“I’m an only child, and well, we have our own issues,” she said with a slight shrug.
“Care to elaborate?” Thiago asked, lifting his wine glass to his lips.
Using her fork, India punctuated the words. “Perfectionism. Independence. Overachieving because of pressure and high expectations. Not wanting to ask for help.”
“Not good,” he said.
“I know.”
“I hope if you need help, you won’t hesitate to askme.”
She seemed surprised by the statement and didn’t respond right away. “I didn’t know that was an option.”
“Now you do.”
He could tell she was digesting the information in the silence.
