Page 23 of The Billionaire's Commitment

He stood up, and Grace immediately looked up from the bar and at Logan. He tilted his head towards me, and she smiled. Something exchanged between them, and I wasn’t sure what it was. She waved at me and said, “Welcome back. Good to see you.”

“Thanks,” I called back, and I didn’t say anything more as I walked with Logan past Grace and to the back.

It took us some time and maneuvering to get around everyone, and when we did, it was to find Brody standing in the hallway in the back, holding a bucket full of ice.

“Took you long enough,” Logan said.

“If you would have gotten off your fat ass and done it yourself, it might have been done faster,” Brody said and then saw me. “Hi,” he said with a smile.

That smile was unnerving and just as sexy as before. I knew it, and as I looked at him and smiled back, I also knew that if I didn’t tell him why I was there and get out of there fast, I was going to let it be my undoing.

“I’m leaving in eight months. It isn’t that I don’t want to get involved with you or start something. I just can’t. I shouldn’t. Not when I’m leaving.”

“Oh,” Brody said.

“I’m just gonna take this ice and leave you two kids alone,” Logan said, took the ice from Brody’s hands, and walked away.

“You said as much last night,” Brody said and leaned up against the wall.

“I know; I just wanted to make sure you understood. I thought I was a bit abrupt when I left you last night. I didn’t want you to think it was anything you did, just the circumstances. I had a good time last night. It’s great to see you again. It makes being in the city a little nicer knowing I know someone. It just can’t be anything more than the one date. I’m sorry.”

“Okay. I understand. I completely get it,” Brody said. He didn’t look upset, he didn’t look relieved, and he almost looked bored by my comment.

“Good. I’m glad we could clear that up. I’m going to get going.” I turned around. I had to get away from him. I wasn’t sure what I wanted him to say when I spoke to him, but I had thought he would be more upset. Maybe I had been hoping he would fight me or tell me I was wrong, maybe kiss me the way I had imagined him doing in my dreams. He wasn’t, he wouldn’t, and I needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. It was a mistake to come and see him, and it was one I wasn’t going to make again.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t still hang out,” Brody called.

“What?” I turned back to look at him. It was hard to hear him over the guy running the quiz, and I wasn’t sure I had heard him right.

“I get it. I understand. I know what it’s like to be in a big city and feel like you don’t belong, that you aren’t sure what to do, and the last thing you want to do is get involved with someone if you’re just going to leave. I get it. It doesn’t mean we can’t hang out.”

“That is exactly what it means,” I said. Had he not heard me or understood what I said?

“New York can be a lonely place and a bit scary at times. I know it. I’m just proposing that we hang out. Nothing more. You said it yourself that it’s nice knowing someone in the city. I’ve gotten to know some of it, and I can show it to you. There are still some places that I would like to check out, and my friends won’t go with me. Maybe you would consider joining me. As friends.”

“I don’t know.”

“Consider it two old friends trying to find their place in the city. That’s all I’m asking; that’s all I’m offering. Nothing more, nothing less. You didn’t come all the way to New York City to sit at home every night. Let me show you the city, let me see some of it with you. Please?”

He smiled as he spoke, and that smile hit me in the gut again. He moved towards me, and I knew I should have said no, I should have turned away, but I didn’t. Instead, I let him take my hands in his and hold my gaze as he asked again, “Please.”

I knew it was a mistake. I knew I was going down a path I was going to regret. I knew this had failure written all over it, but I couldn’t help myself. I found myself squeezing his hands back and saying, “Okay.”

Chapter 11

Brody

“Brody has a daaaatee,” Logan said in a sing-sing voice.

I rolled my eyes at him, looked over at Grace, and asked, “Can we toss him into the Hudson and leave him there?”

“He would just swim back and then kick your ass,” Grace said and wiped the bar down in front of me.

“Ha, he couldn’t kick my ass,” I said.

“I will kick both of your asses if you don’t shut up about kicking each other’s asses,” Eric said as he walked out of his office.

“We were just having a conversation,” Logan said.

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