Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Chloe
Since when do I agree to meet men for nooners? I think that’s the appropriate term to use when you arrange an hour-long meeting in a hotel in the middle of the day.
I have no idea what came over me back at the café when I saw Evan. My first response was disbelief. That was washed away almost immediately with a wave of excitement.
When he proposed the idea that we meet at noon, I assumed it was for sex. My desire to be with him again is to blame for that. I don’t know if he was planning on talking over a club sandwich or not. It doesn’t matter at this point.
I’m meeting him in an hour so we can fuck.
“You’re drifting in daydream land, boss,” my assistant, Gabriella, walks into my office. “I have to admit I’m right up there on cloud nine with you. Closing the Peterson file early calls for a drink. We should go out for lunch to celebrate.”
Closing the Peterson file early was a relief for both Gabriella and me. I fought hard against the construction company that had unceremoniously fired Carl Peterson from a job that he held for more than thirty years. Their reasoning was thin and my case was strong.
I secured a substantial severance package for him that included the pension he’d been paying into for most of his adult life.
“I have lunch plans.” I try to keep a straight face since Gabi and I are more friends than boss and employee.
She looks me over, her brown eyes pinned to my mouth. “You’re holding back a grin. What are you doing for lunch? Is it business or pleasure?”
“You won’t believe me if I tell you.” I tip my chin up. She takes that as an invitation to sit in one of the chairs facing my desk.
She crosses her long legs. “You have to tell me now, Chloe. Where the hell are you going at noon?”
Visually, Gabi is the complete opposite of me. She’s tall with dark hair and an olive complexion. She’s also the ideal assistant since she has the ability to calm down every potential client who comes through the door.
Most people who seek out my services are trying to wage a battle against their current or former employer. They’re typically angry and hell-bent on revenge. Gabi reassures them so that I can talk reason into them.
“I met a man at Leanna’s wedding.”
Her brow furrows. “Is he someone famous?”
I laugh as I skim through the inbox folder on the open laptop that’s on my desk. “He’s not famous although he’s good-looking enough to be in the movies.”
“So, he’s not famous? Explain to me why I wouldn’t believe that you met a hot guy at a wedding. Don’t tell me it’s someone I know. That’s it, isn’t it? You two started talking about your lives and put two-and-two together and he’s one of my exes.”
I take a second to absorb all of that. Gabi’s personal life has put mine to shame the past two years. She’s all about taking chances and if she feels there’s no spark within the first hour of meeting a man, she’ll let him know.
I admire that about her. She sees the value in every second that life gifts her with and she uses it to her full advantage.
How am I supposed to know if Evan is one of her exes? The chances may seem slim on the surface, but there’s always a possibility. “Do you know anyone named Evan?”
“Evan?” she asks quietly. “The guy you met is named Evan?”
I trust that’s his name although it could be anything. I’m still hiding behind a fake name. I have no idea if he’s doing the same thing. “Yes. Evan. He looks like he’s in his early thirties with brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes.”
She runs the tip of her index finger over her bottom lip. “I’ve never met an Evan. He sounds hot. Are you two getting together for lunch?”
The details of my mid-day meeting with Evan aren’t important. If I tell Gabi that I’m going to hook up with him before my two o’clock conference call, I’ll spend the rest of the day evading a barrage of questions.
“We are,” I answer truthfully before I try to deflect. “Can you have the Cooperman file on my desk when I get back? I want to go over it before my call at two.”
She leans back in the chair, her gaze narrowing. “I’ll handle it, but after that call is over, we’re going to talk more about Evan and lunch.”
We’ll see about that.
Keeping details about Evan to a minimum means fewer complications and interference from my well-meaning friends and family.
It also means I can keep what’s between us purely physical and after what I’ve been through the past few years, that’s exactly what I need.