Page 30 of The Exposed Heiress

A waiter appeared within a few moments, poured water for them, and presented the evening’s special dishes.

Leo ordered a bottle of cabernet sauvignon and the waiter disappeared.

The restaurant reminded her of a trattoria she loved going to in Italy. “Do you come here often?”

“I’ll take clients here occasionally.”

She glanced at the décor. “Why clients and not a date?”

He shrugged. “It’s impressive with its Michelin stars and the acoustics are excellent here, so conversation isn’t an issue.”

He was seen frequently with different women, but decided to not raise the subject tonight. It shouldn’t matter to her who he dated. They had a professional relationship, and she would be smart to leave it at that.

Without thinking, she asked, “You don’t have conversations with those you date?”

He smiled. “Not much conversation is needed.”

Emma glanced at the menu and refused to think about his love life. It should be off-limits.

“What about you? Are you dating anyone seriously?”

She thought about her lackluster love life. “I’ll attend events with a good friend, Carter Colby, but I haven’t been serious about anyone in a long time.”

“Carter must know Tyler.”

She took a sip of water. “He’s friends with your brother. They model together. Carter actually introduced us one night at a party he hosted. But we’ve remained friends in spite of that.”

“You had never met Tyler before?”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t think my father saw your uncle often, and Harry never came to the house.”

“He isn’t one for socializing.”

“I guess not.”

The sommelier presented the wine to Leo and opened the bottle. After Leo declined a taste, she poured the wine for both of them and stepped away.

Leo raised his glass. “This is a California wine from A Thousand Stories. All of their varieties are rich and robust with a hint of spices. I find their wine fascinating, as it encourages interesting conversation.”

She touched her glass to his. “Cheers. That’s probably true of most wine.”

He smiled. “Probably.”

They ordered their meal and handed the waiter their menus.

Taking a sip of wine, Leo asked, “Are you worried about tomorrow morning?”

She took in a calming breath. “I’m heartbroken. I don’t want to have to deliver bad news, but at this point we need to just get on with it.”

“I saw you making a list of possible positions with other houses.”

She nodded. Everything seemed to slow down. “There’s no guarantee that the employees will be offered something.”

He held her gaze. “It’s not your battle, Emma. There’s nothing to be done at this point. The situation is dire and if layoffs don’t happen, then Francis Bolles will not make payroll.”

Her throat ached. She couldn’t allow herself to fall apart. She wiped away a few tears and took in another deep breath. “I know. It’s actually a little easier that we’re selling the building.”

His eyes narrowed. “I imagine that would make it harder.”

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