21. Reluctant Allies
Chapter 21
Reluctant Allies
Lila
The bell above the door chimes as we step into Jo’s cozy restaurant. It’s peak lunch hour, and the place is buzzing with chatter and the clink of utensils. The savory scent of homemade food wafts over us, wrapping me in a nostalgic warmth. Jo, the owner—an upbeat woman in her fifties—spots us and waves from behind the counter.
When Cole asked me to recommend a good place to have lunch, this was the first place that popped into my head.
“Lila! It’s been a while, love. How’ve you been?” she calls out with a radiant smile.
“I’m good,” I reply, grinning as I cross the room to hug her. “You look fantastic, Jo. It’s so good to see you.”
She beams at the compliment, then her gaze shifts to Cole. Her smile grows sly as she looks him up and down. “I see you brought someone with you, a very handsome someone too,” she waggles her eyebrows suggestively, and I can’t help the blush that rises to my cheeks.
“He’s just a colleague,” I state matter-of-factly. “Jo, this is Cole. Cole, meet the incredibly nosy owner, Jo.”
“Sure,” she winks, obviously amused by the flush I can’t seem to get rid of.
Cole steps forward, extending a hand. His voice drops into that smooth, charming tone he seems to pull out effortlessly around women. “Pleasure to meet you, Jo. Lila’s been raving about your food. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Jo blushes and smooths her hair back, giggling like a teenager, clearly pleased at the compliment.
Jeez, does he have that effect on every woman?
“Best in town. Why don’t you two have a seat, and someone will be with you in a moment.” She gestures to the corner table to the far right.
Cole places a hand lightly on my back, guiding me to the table, and pulls out my chair for me, only seating himself when I’m settled in. Somehow, that little gesture sends a warmth through me, my heart fluttering lightly.
Soon, our meals arrive, and Cole’s eyes light up in appreciation at the golden crust of the chicken pot pie.
He looks at me in appreciation. “How did you know chicken pot pie is my favorite comfort food?” he asks incredulously. I look at him in suspicion, wondering if he’s just messing with me. “No, seriously,” he continues as if reading my thoughts. He picks up the plate and take a big whiff of the buttery, flaky crust, eyes closed in ecstasy. “Growing up this was always my favorite food. It’s been years since I’ve had it.”
I imagine pot pie is not the typical food a billionaire gets served. I find myself wanting to know more about his childhood but resist the urge to ask.
We both dig in at the same time. My stomach growls as my spoon breaks through the flaky crust and dips into the savory filling. I guess I was hungrier than I thought.
I moan in appreciation at the first bite as the buttery crust and sauce blend in perfect harmony on my tongue. “Some things never change. Somehow, she nails that taste every single time,” I mutter through a mouthful of food.
Cole chuckles, but just as he is about to say something his phone starts to ring.
“Excuse me,” he mutters, pulling it out of his pocket. “Greg, hey, bud?” he says into the phone and pauses to listen. “Yeah, I still have the files. Do you need me to send them to you?” he continues into the phone. I freeze, my hand halfway to my mouth.
Just like that, I’m reminded of the reason we’re doing this in the first place. As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve found myself starting to think of us less as enemies, and more as partners in this event. We’ve been working on the gala together for weeks now, and even though I would never admit it to him, his input has been incredibly insightful. He’s never tried to take over and make me feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. Even though I know that he could have easily passed this on to his team, I find it endearing that he’s been involved every step of the way. It’s made me lower my guard around him to see him genuinely wanting to make sure that this event goes smoothly.
It wouldn’t have been easy; in fact, it would have been impossible to pull this off without his help.
But this doesn’t change anything. I can’t lose sight of why I’m really doing this. Sue and the baby. I need to refocus.
I asked her to put her trust in me. I told her I’d find a way to get her the information she needs, and it’s seated right across from me right now. I just need to figure out how to coax that information out of him.
“Alright, man, later,” Cole says, finally setting the phone down.
“Sorry. That was Greg,” he says, taking a sip of water.
“How’s he doing?” I ask innocently, taking a sip of my own drink.
“He’s great. We’ve both been so busy, I haven’t seen him in a while, but he’s good.”
“Mm-hmm. Sue was so upset when he had to stay back in Denver while she came home on their last trip. Those two, they always have to be together,” I chuckle softly, studying his face closely.
“Yeah. It’s cute actually. Greg and I were college roommates. The minute we met, we clicked instantly. He was definitely a ladies’ man, but all that changed the second he met Sue. He’d left Seattle for a job in Boston, and I remember when he called me after their first date and told me he’d met his future wife. I remember joking with him that he’d just had too much to drink, but he was convinced.” He pauses, shaking his head with a wistful smile on his face. “I never once saw Greg so in love with anyone as he was with Sue. His literal world revolved around her. I remember being worried about what would happen to him if they ever broke up. It would have destroyed him. I could only hope she loved him half as much as he loved her,” he says softly. “Makes me feel good to see my best friend so happy. Seeing those two together can almost make you believe that kind of love can still exist.” There’s almost a wistful quality to his voice.
My heart melts at his words, understanding perfectly. I find myself reflecting on everything he just said. This is exactly in line with how I’ve always thought about the way Greg feels about Sue. I can tell he thinks very highly of Sue as well. Would he really say all this if Greg were cheating on her?
Is he just saying this to protect his friend?
Cole Matthews is a lot of things, but for some reason, I feel confident that he’s not a liar. If he’s saying these things, then he really does believe it. I just need to find a way to prove it to Sue, and to myself too.
“Because of those two, I’m reminded that even in this messed up world, there are still people who love selflessly. That’s good for people like you who still hope to find it,” he smirks at me.
I roll my eyes. “Not for you though?” I say.
“Nope. Definitely not for me.”
“Why? Do you have something against the idea of love?” I ask softly.
“The idea of love is very different from the reality in my experience. Sue’s the exception to most women. Most women are liars and manipulators and are only interested in taking. They’ll make you think they’re in love, but one day you get a dose of reality, and realize that the last few years have been nothing but lies, and the future you thought was in front of you is just a mirage.” His voice is laced with something that’s a cross between anger and pain.
His face tenses for a few seconds, then it’s gone in an instant, making me question if it even happened.
He clears his throat, gaze focused on a spot directly behind me.
It’s the first time that Cole and I have had a conversation that wasn’t about the gala. It’s the first time I’ve actually heard him…speak. Really speak, and it’s conflicting with the picture I’d painted in my head of this narcissistic jerk who only knew how to hurt people. No, this is something different.
This is a different man from the one I interacted with eight years ago—or at least a different side of him.
He almost sounds…hurt. But I know better. There’s no way anyone could’ve hurt Cole. Cold, aloof, arrogant. I can’t picture a man like that in love.
“If I didn’t know you any better, I would think this is part of your story,” I say. “But that can’t be right, you’re the kind of man who does the hurting,” I say accusingly.
He smiles back, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Yeah, well, you’ve never seemed to want to give me a chance to show you who I really am,” he grins, the air instantly shifting. “If you did, you’d see that I’m a pretty cool person. Once you get past all the other stuff,” he winks playfully, eliciting an eye roll from me. “You know, there were many times I wanted to talk to you and apologize for that night…many times. But you always disappeared the second I tried to make my way over. I could always see you judging me at a distance at those events over the years. I swear if you look in the dictionary for ‘nose in the air,’ your picture would be next to it,” he chuckles.
“Yeah, and can you blame me? Also, from what I remember you were too busy entertaining your endless lineup of female admirers. Every event, it was someone new—like it was a game for you. And then you’d go around charming every other woman in the room, like some kind of collector. Do you even remember their names? Those poor women probably had no idea the kind of man you were.” I smile insincerely.
“Those ‘poor’ women certainly didn’t have any complaints when they were screaming my name later that night,” he smirks.
My stomach instantly clenches, the smile falling off my face.
“That’s disgusting. I’m not interested in your conquests,” I grind out, quickly repressing my emotions. Why should I care?
I don’t.
“Are you sure? You seemed so interested just a moment ago,” Cole says, watching me closely.
“I was merely reminding you that you deserved my judgement,” I shrug, taking another sip of my drink.
“It’s funny that you say you saw me with all of these women, but I never, uh, I don’t remember ever seeing you with anyone.”
“I see what you did there. Touché,” I chuckle, unable to defend myself.
“Thank you,” he says playfully, raising his glass in a mock toast. I can’t help my own smile, shaking my head softly.
“This place was a good choice. I can’t believe I’ve never been here,” he mutters more to himself that me as he lifts another spoonful of food to his mouth.
“If I tell you to trust me with something, then you should. I don’t disappoint,” I smirk.
“Getting a little cocky there, are we?” He chuckles.
“Only speaking the truth.”
I watch him a moment longer while he eats. He’s actually pretty good company. If I were meeting him for the first time, I might even think of him as someone I could like.
Have I been too harsh in my judgement of him? Maybe all this time I’ve been so full of hate for him that I’ve only ever seen the worst in him. But what if there’s more to Cole Matthews than just the playboy billionaire I’d had him pegged for?
I steal a glance at him, quickly look away, then find myself looking again, unable to resist. My gaze lingers this time, tracing the sharp lines of his square jaw, the shadow of stubble that makes him look effortlessly rugged. His glossy brown hair is short but leaves just enough length to run my fingers through and feel the silkiness of the strands between my fingertips.
I have a flashback to my earlier dream, and suddenly there’s nothing I want more.
Cole, in that moment, turns, and our eyes lock. I’m completely entranced by his gray eyes and how they seem to communicate so much.
“What did you say?” he asks.
Oh, shit, did I say something out loud? I mildly panic.
“Just that maybe you’re not such a terrible person after all,” I say under my breath.
“There are still so many things about me that you don’t know, Lila.”
“Maybe I already know everything about you I need to know.”
“I’ve never wanted you to perceive me as something other than what I really am.”
“And what is that? A narcissist?”
“No. That I’m not,” Cole whispers, and those eyes are still trained on mine. I couldn’t look away even if the fire alarm in this restaurant went off.
“What are you, then?”
Unable to help myself, I drop my gaze to his lips and back into his eyes, which have darkened to a stormy gray.
I can see Cole’s mouth still moving, but I don’t hear the rest of what he says.
Heat ripples through me, blazing hot, shooting straight to my core at the intense look in his eyes. I lick my lips.
Maybe working with him these past couple of weeks has affected me more than I thought, because I can no longer deny the sexual longing that I feel for him. It’s been years since I’ve felt that urge.
The desire to taste those lips and know how they feel sends a tingle through me. Are they as soft as they look?
I trace the curve of his lips with my eyes, my mind in a place it has no business being.
“We’d better call it a day,” he says, snapping me out of my trance.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I reply, trying not to let my disappointment ring through my tone.
You’re playing with fire, Lila.