Chapter 11 Alex
I’d watched in wonder as she’d slowly opened up to me over the last few weeks, and as she had, I’d become more certain that the two of us dating was the solution to my dilemma.
Despite being six years younger, Nancy was focused, astute, and mature, top of her class, but also practical and no-nonsense.
And she was funny.
She’d joined in the jokes about David’s infuriating tendency to hum Christmas tunes when concentrating, no matter the season.
And the way she’d looked into my eyes as I held her the day before was more arousing than anything I’d ever experienced with my clothes on.
But this afternoon, it all changed. She was abrupt, almost downright rude. The question was, Why?
Perhaps she’d had a bad day, but I’d seen her laughing with David and lingering to speak to Evelyn, and she seemed fine with them.
A strange discomfort trickled through me.
I must have done something wrong. Was it something I did?
Something I said? Something I didn’t say?
I thought back through the last twenty-four hours, but came up blank.
I wasn’t good at this, and it made me want to tear my hair out.
I could negotiate a deal as well as any successful businessman, and easily charm a woman when I needed to, but none of this included…
feelings. It was a well-rehearsed act. Whatever this was left me exposed.
It made me want to lock the door on it and toss the key.
But after three weeks of relishing Nancy’s soothing, coy little smile, there was no way I could tolerate it being taken away.
Without another thought, I stood, strode out of the office, across the atrium, and into the secure room. Nancy looked up at me, startled. That was when I realised I hadn’t a clue what I was going to say.
“Good evening,” I managed after a delay.
“Good evening,” she recited.
The following silence was so long I wasn’t sure my tongue worked anymore.
Snap out of it! “You seemed a little distant this afternoon. I just wanted to check if everything is okay…with work.”
“The audit’s coming along fine, but David would be able to give you more information on the progress than me.” Her tone had such a cold edge, I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake.
“Of course,” I said instead as we held each other’s gaze. “Do you have any plans for lunch tomorrow?”
Her eyes widened, then looked anywhere but at me. “I’ll probably work through it. There’s a lot to finish before the weekend.”
“Of course,” I said again, wanting to pluck out each of my hairs individually. Dear god, just ask her, man! “It was only that if you were free, I’d like to take you out…on a date.”
Nancy’s gaze shot to mine, still uneasy, but there was something else there too. Annoyance? Frustration? Desire? “Alex, you seem like a nice guy, but aren’t you seeing someone?”
I had to double-take. “No, what made you think that?”
“I saw a picture of you and a woman called Mimi today.”
Ah… I wavered, considering my approach. “I was seeing her, but we broke up a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, the tabloids are often a step behind.”
“But this picture was pinned to her Instagram profile,” her voice became almost a whisper. “She wrote that you were the love of her life.”
I sighed because, of course she had. “Mimi can be, how to put it, a little overdramatic. I haven’t seen her post, but I promise you we’re not together, and when we were, it wasn’t that serious.”
“It just all sounds complicated, and I’m only just getting settled into my job—”
“Nancy, I know we only met a few weeks ago, but I think you’re smart, genuine, funny, and gorgeous. Would you be willing to go on one date with me?”
Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. “How would us dating even work? You live a completely different life from me. You’re a wealthy CEO who’s a member of the aristocracy, and I’m…ordinary.”
“I think you’re anything but ordinary,” I said without hesitation.
She stared at me for a long moment before her expression eased with an exhale.
“Listen, I can’t change my background or who I am.
I wouldn’t want to. But I don’t think I’m better than you.
Yes, we have different lives, but what matters is that we can meet in the middle, right? ”
“I guess. But isn’t it inappropriate to date when we’re working so closely?”
I rolled David’s chair over and sat so we were level. “Okay, this is good. Let’s talk about that. Are you worried you’ll get into trouble?”
“That’s part of it, but I also don’t want people gossiping about me. I’ve worked my ass off to get this job after a slog of a degree, and even then, the pieces fell into place through pure luck. I don’t want to screw this up.”
She can’t honestly think she got here through luck? I’d heard David raving about her to his colleagues, but perhaps he hadn’t got around to telling her yet.
“The last thing I want to do is to mess up your career when you’ve just got going. There’s a reason you’re here, and it’s because you’re damn good. It’s past seven, for chrissake, and you’re still at it. I can see you’re committed, but does that mean you’re not allowed anything else?”
Nancy paused, her hands tussling in her lap. “Honestly, I haven’t thought much about it…until the last few weeks.”
My heart beat hard against my ribs. There was no way I was backing off after that admission. “What if we kept things subtle and took it slowly? Meet away from the office and out of the public eye.”
“Is that even possible?”
“I think it is if we both want it.”
She met my gaze. “David and I didn’t have to work in a secure room on this floor, did we?”
I went to speak, but in the end, just shook my head. A warm smile gathered on her lips, which I was now shamelessly staring at. Oh god, please say yes.
“Maybe it could work.”
“So, may I take you out for lunch tomorrow?”
She paused. “Okay, yes, I’d like that.”
“Excellent. I’ll prepare everything.” I rose, knowing I had an absurd grin on my face and not caring one ounce.
“Sure.” Nancy exhaled a nervous laugh, her smile widening.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too.”
We watched each other briefly before I dropped my gaze, still grinning, and turned. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt genuinely hopeful.