Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
She closed her eyes for a moment.
“So, maybe what we do is take a step back right now,” I continued. “Remain friends. And do the best we can with that.” I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
She kept nodding for a while and finally said the words I didn’t want to hear.
“I agree. That’s what’s best. For real this time.”
My heart clenched. “Not sure I know how to do this, but we’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah.” She wiped her eyes. “Me, neither.”
We hung up a few minutes later, and I stared into space for the longest time, trying to make sense of how I was supposed to be friends with this woman. It seemed like torture, but never seeing her again and losing her entirely wasn’t an option. But friends or not, we’d just broken up. For real this time.
And that sucked.
CHAPTER 35
* * *
February
Knock. Knock. Oliver stepped into my office before I could even look up from the computer screen. He held my daily planner in his hands. “I need a favor, boss lady.”
I shut my laptop and leaned back in my chair. “What’s up?”
“My friend Matthew needs some business advice. He’s a former attorney who was miserable at his job, so he quit and started his own import/export company. He has family in Turkey who are in the handwoven-rug business, so that’s what he started with, but he’s now expanded to high-end textiles like cashmere. Anyway, his business is booming, and he wants to take the next steps and expand by buying into a manufacturing facility. But he’s having a hard time getting funding since he’s only been in biz for a couple of years.”
I smiled. “That sounds vaguely familiar…”
“Exactly. That’s why I was hoping you would talk to him. Tell him about how you found your funding and the pitfalls he should look out for.”
“Sure. Why don’t you put him on my calendar for lunch one day?”
Oliver smirked. “Already did. You’re meeting him at one o’clock this afternoon.”
I shook my head. “What if I’d said no?”
“You love me too much. I knew you wouldn’t.”
“But if I did?”
“Then I would have been forced to give you my puppy-dog eyes.” Oliver stuck out his bottom lip in a pout and fluttered his lashes over a set of pleading peepers. He pointed to his face. “I’m impossible to say no to.”
I laughed. “Get out. I have work to do before this lunch meeting.”
Three hours later, I walked into Gramercy Tavern to meet Matthew. Oliver had described his friend as impeccably dressed, tall with olive skin. Not very much to go on. I looked around, but the height description didn’t help since most people were seated at tables.
The hostess greeted me. “Hi. Can I help you?”
“Yes, hello. I’m meeting someone for lunch, but I’m not too sure what he looks like. His name is Matthew Reis. Maybe he’s checked in?”
The woman’s eyes gleamed. “Lucky lady. He’s already seated, but he let me know he was waiting for someone.” She grabbed a menu and gestured for me to follow. “Right this way.”
Matthew was at a table in the back of the restaurant. He stood when we approached. Oh my. I didn’t have to wonder what the lucky lady comment meant. This man was absolutely gorgeous. Chiseled jaw, bright blue eyes that popped from his smooth, tan skin, and slightly messy hair that made me wonder if he’d just had sex before coming to meet me. And don’t even get me started on the broad shoulders. He did a quick sweep over me, and when he smiled, cavernous dimples appeared. Seriously? Those should be illegal on a man who looked like that. The way he checked me out made me almost certain he wasn’t gay. Why had I assumed he was? Because Oliver is gay? That was pretty dumb, but yeah—not gay.
“February.” He extended his hand. “Ollie described you perfectly.”
“With Oliver, I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”
Matthew smiled and stepped around the table to pull my chair out.
“Thank you.” I sat and settled my purse on the back of the seat. “The last time Oliver sent me to meet someone I’d never met, he described the man as a human espresso.”
Matthew’s brows pulled together. “Was he short with dark skin?”
“That’s what I thought. But he turned out to be Nordic—six foot four and blond. Apparently, his description meant the man talked too fast and could make your heart race. He’s not the best at providing a visual.”
Matthew chuckled. “He described you as a hurricane in high heels. But he also mentioned that you were beautiful with red hair, so it wasn’t hard to figure out who you were.”
I felt my cheeks grow warm. “So how do you and Oliver know each other? I didn’t get a chance to ask him.”
“I represented his friend Will in his divorce.”