Page 5 of Falling For Her Boss

I show up at the restaurant moments before Joshua’s car pulls up. This little French restaurant is hard to get a table at, but not for guys like me and Josh. In fact, when we used to have more time on our hands, we were regulars here. Guys like us can dine wherever we want because we have the money to slip the owners to ensure us the best table, the best service, the best food. I straighten my jacket and smile. Even a woman as beautiful as Isabella can’t tempt me away from the lifestyle I live. It might be a sacrifice to be alone, but I guess it’s the price I pay to have the lavishness I’ve always known.

“You been here before?” I ask Isabella as we step inside. She blushes sweetly. She seems to blush each time I address her. It’s kind of endearing.

“A few times. I always enjoy the confit de canard.”

I smile at her. “That’s my favorite dish too. I guess it’s already decided what we will be eating…”

She smiles back, finally able to look me in the eyes. She really is stunningly beautiful. She and her brother are so alike in their looks, and yet so different in personality. She should be the most confident woman in the world with the way she looks, and yet she’s constantly shying away from everyone and everything. It’s kind of sad, but it’s also nice to see her coming out of her shell, slowly but surely. I can’t wait to tell her brother about what happened at the office today.

We’re seated right away by the window, and Joshua orders us the most expensive red wine on the menu. However, when it arrives, he insists to the waiter that he only serve the men.

“She doesn’t respond well to alcohol,” Joshua explains. Isabella ducks her head in embarrassment. I tut, taking the bottle from the waiter and pouring her a glass in spite of Joshua’s previous order.

“Let the girl have a drink,” I tell him sternly. “She’s earned it today.”

Joshua raises an eyebrow. “Earned it? Did she make a particularly good coffee today?”

I chuckle. “Much more than that, my friend. She’s been a saving grace.”

Joshua finally manages to crack a small smile, a rarity for him. “Alright, tell me more.”

Isabella is bright red now, “It was nothing really…”

“It was much more than nothing. Credit where credit is due,” I tell her, half because it’s true, and half because I love seeing her blush. “She pointed out that our lack of market research is what has been hindering us. She’s going to join me in a meeting tomorrow to help me get more insight into what the customer wants.”

Joshua’s eyes light up as he looks at his sister. “Well, that’s great. It’s good to see you getting involved. Would you even have told me that if it hadn’t been brought up?”

Isabella shrugs uncomfortably, and I begin to sense that I might have overstepped my mark here a little. Seeing her with Joshua is so weird. I always imagined he would be protective of her…after all, he’s her big brother…but he’s so stern with her. It feels more like an interview being at dinner with them than a casual conversation. I clear my throat, looking at the menu even though I’ve already decided what I want.

“Jeez…a lot of choices here.”

The mood seems to lighten a little as Isabella picks up her glass and smiles shyly at us both. “Shall we make a toast? To work, maybe?”

I glance at Joshua. The tension is released from his shoulders and he nods curtly.

“Alright. To work. To friendships. To family.”

I watch him put a protective hand on her shoulder for the second time tonight and we all drink. Isabella’s full lips are immediately stained by the wine. They look so kissable right now that I have to shift in my chair to hide my growing erection. Fortunately for me, Isabella stands up, wiping her lips delicately with a napkin.

“Please excuse me a moment,” she says sweetly, before tottering off to the bathroom. I watch her go, so uncertain in her heels and looking like a deer learning to walk. I chuckle to myself until I realize that Joshua is watching me with a coldness in his eyes. It’s a look I’ve seen on him before, but it’s never been directed at me. Usually, he saves it for someone he’s in business with, or for women that he’s not interested in. Now, he’s looking at me as though I’ve done something terrible. I sip my wine.

“Alright, bro? Is something wrong?”

Joshua laughs quietly. “Not yet.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask defensively. If he’s suddenly going to be funny with me, then I’m not about to just sit here and take it. He’s the one that invited me out to dinner, so why is he now acting as though I’ve done something awful?

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