Chapter 13
James
Dining with Hallie Woods was a completely new experience.
It was almost like I’d never truly enjoyed my food until I shared a meal with her.
She savored every bite. The way she talked about palates and flavors reminded me of how I talked about different financial markets.
It was electrifying even getting to witness it, and I knew she was more than deserving of the food critic position at Sophisticate —finance bro article be damned.
Not to mention the little moan she let out when she truly loved the taste of a dish.
I can’t lie, it left me more than a little turned on.
“What are you doing?” Hallie looked at me like I’d lost my mind between the filet mignon and the gelato as I took a picture of her staring at her dessert like she was in love. Was it possible to be jealous of gelato?
“Memorializing this moment for you.” I checked the picture to confirm that she did, in fact, look like she was glowing even through the camera lens. “You know, for your blog? You haven’t posted this week.”
Hallie regarded me. “You’ve looked at my blog?”
Fuck.
I hesitated, suddenly feeling heat rise to my cheeks as I fumbled for an excuse.
“Well …” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, before letting out a long sigh.
I’d already dug myself the hole, might as well jump into it.
There was no point in denying it now. But I could at least save some of my dignity.
“Of course I looked at your blog. I looked up your work for when you cover my family’s restaurant. ”
Her lips curled into a sly smile, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction as she saw right through me. “Sure, if you say so,” she teased, her voice light but with a mischievous edge.
I leaned back in my chair, trying to maintain some semblance of composure, but the way she was looking at me—half playful, half triumphant—made it clear that she knew she’d caught me in a small lie.
Hallie smiled, watching me squirm just enough to make it interesting. “I’ll admit, I’m impressed. Not everyone goes digging through my blog to prep for a date.” She took a bite of her gelato, her expression softening as she enjoyed the taste.
“You’re good at what you do, and I found your reviews to be entertaining.” That was only mildly true considering I had worked my way through every one of her posts and now had alerts on for when she posted.
“Well, I guess that makes us both snoops, seeing as I learned you are the youngest person in your firm’s history to become a financial analyst.” Hallie averted her gaze as she spooned some more of her gelato into her mouth.
My attention drifted back to her lips, painted in deep velvet red, as they closed around the spoon.
My blood seemed to pound in my veins, as my mind wandered to places it probably shouldn’t have.
Wondering what it would be like to kiss her, to taste the sweetness lingering on her mouth.
What she would sound like when I ravished her.
Okay, was something on this menu an aphrodisiac, or was this really just the effect Hallie Woods had on me?
“James?” Hallie asked, peering at me curiously.
I snapped back to reality, my pulse quickening as I realized what I’d just thought.
“Did someone check up on me?” I asked, pressing a hand to my chest, trying to play off my thoughts with a grin. “Please, enlighten me on what you found.”
“Nothing that I hadn’t expected,” Hallie replied, ticking each item off on her fingers.
“Pictures of you at your prestigious private high school. Lacrosse, by the way? Very predictable of you. Then the newspaper article announcing the finance award you won at Princeton and your bio at Berkley Williams.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I feel flattered.”
“It wasn’t a compliment,” she shot back, her tone sharp, but there was an almost imperceptible smile threatening at the corners of her mouth.
“It sure feels like one. Going out of your way to stalk me.” I winked, watching her squirm in her seat.
With a dramatic stab of her spoon into the gelato, Hallie looked away.
“What did that gelato ever do to you?” I asked.
She finally met my eyes again, the playful tension between us crackling. “I’m just frustrated.”
“Why?” I asked, genuinely curious now. “What’s going on? I thought we were having a good time.”
She sighed, long and slow. “Because I’m enjoying myself.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” I asked.
“No.” She mulled over her next words for a moment. “I suppose it’s not.”
When the last of the wine was finished, I was almost disappointed. The evening had turned out to be more than I expected—more enjoyable, more engaging, and for once, not all business. I can’t remember the last time I truly laughed over a nice meal with someone who wasn’t wearing a suit.
I stood and extended my hand to help Hallie out of her seat. Her dress shimmered as she stood, the soft fabric brushing against her legs, and I took the moment to openly appreciate the way it hugged her in all the right places.
I want nothing more than to touch her. To let my fingers trail over the delicate fabric. To feel the heat of her skin beneath it.
The thought crossed my mind before I could stop it. I pulled myself back, forcing my mind to quiet, but when I helped her into her coat, the brief touch of my fingers across her shoulders nearly made me forget we were standing in the middle of a restaurant.
She looked up at me, her eyes soft, and for a moment the rest of the world disappeared.
“Thank you for dinner, James,” she said, her voice warm, and that single sentence wrapped around me like a gentle, unexpected embrace.
I didn’t trust myself to speak right away. I just nodded, and then, without thinking, I reached for her hand to tuck it into the crook of my elbow as we walked toward the door. The feeling of her hand against mine felt so natural. I almost wished I could hold her a little closer.
As we left, I noticed the glances we drew, the stares from other diners who couldn’t help but look at Hallie as we passed.
I didn’t blame them. I wasn’t lying when I told her I was the luckiest guy in all of New York tonight.
I tried to ignore the possessive feeling curling inside of me, wanting her just for myself.
The easy banter during the car ride back dissolved as I walked Hallie up to her apartment door; I suddenly felt nervous.
Would we kiss? Did she want to kiss me, despite her ground rules?
What about a hug? Was that too far? The bravado I normally possessed evaporated as Hallie searched her clutch for her keys, each second dragging on like an eternity.
Awkwardly, I stood behind her, hands in my pockets, unsure of what to do or say.
This was new to me, but then again I’d never been on a not-really-a-date before.
Would a high-five be too weird?
“Thanks for tonight.” The key finally turned in the lock, but Hallie hesitated with her hand on the knob.
“It was amazing. I have so much I want to write about. Between the finance bro article and the food, I’m sure I’ll be up late.
I can’t believe I get to review that food.
It’s like a dream come true. So, thank you, truly. ”
I smiled, trying to cover my nervousness. Somehow, I felt like I was being transported back to high school and this was my first time on a date with an attractive woman. “That was only our first date. Just wait until you see what I have planned for the second one.”
She looked at me with a playful glint in her eyes. “So, I’ll see you next week?”
“Of course,” I said, my voice a little firmer now. “We have a deal, remember?”
“I’m just making sure you haven’t changed your mind.”
“Think what you want about finance bros, Hallie, but in my line of work, we take deals very seriously. I never go back on my word.”
She chuckled softly, then extended her hand toward me, her expression playful. “A handshake to seal the deal, then.”
I looked at her hand for a moment, my disappointment blooming quietly inside me.
A handshake. After the connection we’d shared over dinner, after all that chemistry crackling between us, this was how she chose to end the evening?
Maybe she really did just want to keep this professional. Stick to the agreement.
I took her hand, and she gave it a firm shake. The touch of her skin against mine only made me want her more.
“Good night, Mr. Old Fashioned,” she said with a teasing smile, her voice light, but there was a hesitation there. One that made me wonder if she felt the same pull I did and part of her wished for something more.
“Good night, Hallie,” I replied, watching as she stepped inside, leaving me standing there with a heavy, bittersweet feeling. I hadn’t expected any of this. I figured once a week, the two of us would meet up, try our best not to kill each other, and that would be it.
So why did it feel impossible to walk away from her apartment?
“What are you reading?” Seb asked, finishing the laces on his tennis shoes with a firm tug.
Sunday morning had arrived, and with it, Hallie’s article—published a day sooner than usual.
I’d just changed in the locker room at the country club when the notification popped up on my phone.
I couldn’t resist opening it right away.
“Just give me a minute,” I murmured, turning slightly away as Sebastian grabbed his tennis racket and started bouncing a ball against the ground in that annoyingly steady rhythm of his.
“First you bail on drinks Friday night, and now you’re cutting into our court time?” he said. “What gives?” He stepped closer, trying to peek over my shoulder. “Wait … is that Sophisticate ? Dude, why the hell are you reading a women’s magazine?”
I swatted his hand away, but it was too late—his interest was piqued.
“There’s a woman, isn’t there?” he said, his tone sharpening with suspicion. “Has to be. That’s the only reason you’d be reading that.”