He glanced at his fork and then held it out to Jennifer without words. She leaned forward and bit the meat off his fork, chuckling in the process. It was good. She could taste the seared spices on top and the burst of opposing flavor in the cream, which appeared to be pickled and lime infused.
Andrew withdrew his fork as he watched Jennifer savor his order. After the bite, she dabbed at her face with the thick napkin.
“To go back to your question,” Jennifer began by clearing her throat, “I do work of many of my off days.” She reached for her wine glass.
“Melone requires that?” Andrew asked carefully.
Jennifer shook her head. She didn’t think Melone would ever demand out of her what she required out of herself.
“I do it because I’m dedicated.” She offered Andrew a thin smile. She also did it because it wasn’t likely she would ever have a chance with James unless she had been able to make herself exceptional. Then again, she was pretty sure she nailed that last part, and perhaps two or three more times since then, and James never asked her out In fact, he went and got involved in something serious with Katie.
“So you don’t get out much?”
“Only when I travel,” Jennifer admitted. Her life sounded bland and unappealing. Sometimes she visited the spas in the hotels she roomed in. Other times, she barely left the room, too busy and focused on reports, speeches, and gathering information.
“It’s settled then,” Andrew reached for his glass and took a swig. “Before we fly back you need to let me show you the top of Pikes Peak.”
Jennifer scrunched her shoulders up at the idea. “Maybe Saturday.”
“It’s a date.” He seemed to hover as if he waited for Jennifer to refute the title of the appointment, but she didn’t. Instead, she smiled and looked at her plate.
After a moment, she met his eyes again. “Are other men like you?”
“There’s no one like me,” he smirked.
“Yes, well,” Jennifer sat her fork down. She didn’t think she was going to be able to finish the whole slab of tuna before her. “Most of the men I work with are like—”
“Melone?”
Jennifer chuckled. “No, I was going to say Tony Stark.”
Andrew laughed. “Playboys?”
She nodded, and then she frowned. “And Melone’s not like that.”
“Have you dated him?”
Heat crept along her neck. “No. But I do spend quite a bit of time with him.”
Andrew nodded. “But it’s work related, right?”
Clenching her teeth, Jennifer nodded. “Yep.”
“Have you ever been around him outside of work?”
She considered Andrew’s question. They flew together a lot; occasionally she went places ahead of him. They drove long hours together and spent long days in the office. They also had long nights at meetings, events, benefits like the one they held Tuesday; but, now that she thought about it, she didn’t recall ever meeting James to just…just what? Hang? Chill? Climb mountains like she did with Andrew earlier?
“Do you date?” Jennifer asked, changing the topic.
Andrew grinned and nodded. “I’m dating you.”
Jennifer was blushing before she could tell herself to stop. “We’re having dinner together and you insisted.”
“It’s a date. Earlier was a date too.” He winked at her, having placed another bite in his mouth. After he had finished it, he added, “I enjoyed earlier a lot.”
Jennifer bit her lip, running her left hand along her collarbone and shoulder. “Me too. Even though I almost died.”
Andrew chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Do you like to dance?”
“What?”
“Dance?” Andrew pointed towards the ceiling. Jennifer followed but didn’t see anything. After a moment, she realized he was indicating the soft purr coming from hiding speakers. It was playing old smooth jazz favorites. Jennifer looked around.
“I don’t think there’s dancing here.”
“That’s not what I asked.” Andrew smiled at her, waiting.
Scratching behind her right ear, Jennifer shrugged. “I guess it’s all right.”
“Good. Dance with me.” Andrew reached for her hand across the table, but she refused.
“I don’t think there’s dancing here,” Jennifer repeated more firmly.
Andrew rolled his eyes. “They’re not going to kick us out,” he grinned mischievously.
“But people will stare.”
“All five of them?” Andrew chuckled. Jennifer looked around their table. There were two tables filled within range, but still far enough away to make her concern seem illogical. They didn’t seem to be interested in what was taking place at their table.
“If you don’t want to dance with me…”
“I’m not a good dancer,” Jennifer said in a rush.
“Neither am I,” Andrew grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I still like to though. You can just close your eyes and pretend no one else is here, okay?”
Even as the words left his mouth, she knew she would be dancing with him. Andrew stood and reached for her hand. He waited patiently. Casting another uneasy glance around them, Jennifer lifted her hand and slipped it into his grip. She was reminded immediately of his strength.
He tugged her effortlessly from the table and took a couple of steps away. Jennifer saw a head turn in their direction. She squeezed her eyes shut, her grip tightening within Andrew’s palm. She heard his soft laughter and let her body move towards his. Within seconds, her face was against his chest. She felt his strong heartbeat. The feel of his solid arms around her back with his hand on his waist comforted her. She took a deep breath and dared to open an eye. With her face buried in his shirt, she couldn’t see anything.
After a moment, she pulled her head back and looked up. Andrew was looking down at her. He smiled.
“This isn’t so bad, is it?” He glanced around. “And no one’s rushing us with brooms and fire pokers to get us to sit down.”
Jennifer laughed and forced herself to look around. He was right. The two tables closest to them seemed to be engaged with themselves. She thought she saw a waitress near the kitchen entrance ogling over them, but when she looked, there was no one standing near the door. Jennifer relaxed considerably.
“See?” Andrew asked. He began to rock back and forth. Jennifer let him lead the way.
“Point taken,” she wiggled her fingers within Andrew’s palm. She liked the way her body seemed to fit into his. “So tell me about yourself. You have money,” she paused to roll her eyes, “but so do a lot of other men I know.”
Jennifer giggled as Andrew twirled her around. She spied a glimpse of the kitchen staff. They were definitely watching, but soon she was pulled into Andrew’s chest again, and she found she didn’t even care.
“What makes you different?” Jennifer asked at last, searching Andrew’s face.
Her question didn’t faze him. He slowed and placed both hands on her hips. “You’d have to tell me.”
She couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. “You don’t date a boat load of women?”
He grinned. “Define date.”
Jennifer took a deep breath. She moved her hands, one to his shoulder, and another to the small of his back. “An event, much like this one, where you get to know someone, preferably a member of the opposite sex.”
Andrew laughed. “Now you’re speaking my language. Yes. I date, but not a boat load of women at the same time. That would be awkward. A boat load?” He murmured something. Wrinkling her nose, Jennifer stopped swaying. “What are you doing?”
“Why can’t you give me a straight answer?”
“I did.”
Jennifer started to pull her hands away. She sighed and glanced towards her unfinished dinner. She had no idea what time it was, but she knew that their reservation was at nine o clock. It was getting late. She started to step back to the table, but Andrew resisted.
“Hey, I didn�
�t mean to upset you,” he said quickly.
Jennifer looked back to him. He was still holding onto her waist. She met his eyes and saw a desire she didn’t quite understand.
“I don’t have time,” Jennifer managed. She let her hands slip from Andrew’s body. He released her waist.
“Don’t have time for what?” He asked, joining her at the table.
Jennifer took her seat and replaced the napkin over her lap. She took a deep breath.
“Relationships.” That was a lie.
Andrew frowned. He began to open his mouth, but stopped and reached for his wine instead. That seemed like an excellent idea. Jennifer reached for hers and tipped it back. She saw Andrew’s eyes and held the connection until her glass was drained.
They sat their glasses down, a faint smile on each of their lips. She liked Andrew. She really did. There was something different about him and she had no idea how to put her finger on it, nor could she even begin to tell herself that she understood. Whenever she was with him, she felt different. It was a feeling she liked, a feeling she didn’t remember knowing before. But just because she liked it didn’t mean it was good for her.
“You should take a break sometime,” Andrew said softly.
Jennifer pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t know what to do.” She responded honestly.
He smiled at her kindly. “You could make a handbag.”
Jennifer chuckled. Suddenly, she felt emotional. Andrew seemed like a nice guy. They had a few things in common; but, she was taken. Right? Well, not really. She knew that, but she had been saving herself. That’s right. Saving her heart, really, because her virginity had been lost years previously, but that had nothing to do with the price of tea in China on this Wednesday night.
Her eyes had been set on James Melone for years. Three actually; and this particular year was the year she might finally get to make her move. The very month even! She needed to stay focused and Andrew was only throwing her off. She knew Melone, or at least she thought she did. While she might not have ever seen him outside of work, she had undoubtedly seen him at work, and it was pretty much the same thing. How much different could he be outside the office?
He didn’t hire escorts, smoke, or do drugs. He was just a pretty straightforward businessman who was building an empire. Since she had known him, he had been able to amass nearly ten million. It didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t easy. Jennifer had been there for him and helped him through every step of the way—surely James saw that for what it was. And Andrew?
Well, he had to know that she simply couldn’t take her eyes off the goal after so many years. He seemed like a man who understood commitment and long term goals. Melone was her goal. She loved him too, through and through, even if he had been a jerk about the interview and the benefit.
They finished their dinner with little serious talk and Andrew drove them back to the Courtyard. It was nearly 11:30pm by the time they arrived back. They walked in silence through the parking garage. Andrew stuffed his hands in his pockets, deep in thought.
Jennifer didn’t notice, a bit too preoccupied with her own internal dialogue. She wondered if Andrew would still help her with the work, or if he was just disappointed she had shot him down. She thought about Melone. He had her make an early appointment with him and another, he refused to say who, for the next day. As far as she knew, he was still in Jersey, so when exactly did he intend to make a flight to Denver? And did he really have a private plane? Why hadn’t she seen it? Anger bit at her thoughts. How much did she really know about him? Did she even know enough?
“I think I’ll go to the lobby for a bit,” Jennifer said softly once they made it to the elevator.
Andrew nodded but pressed the button for the fourth floor. Soft elevator jazz cooed through the speakers. When Jennifer stopped to listen, she realized it was playing the same song they had danced to. She pointed up with a smile.
“Hey, it’s the same song.”
Andrew glanced up nonchalantly and then smiled weakly. “It’s pretty well known.”
After another second or two of silence, Jennifer said, “You know, Andrew. If I had met you several years ago, I think you and I could have been something,” she hesitated and took a short breath. She had his full attention. “I think we could have been good friends.”
A beautiful grin snaked across his face. “Just good friends?”
Jennifer nearly choked on the breath in her throat. Andrew watched her attentively. The elevator crawled to a stop. With a cranking, the doors pulled back and opened, but he didn’t move.
“Would you like my help with the reports tomorrow?”
Still recovering from breathlessness, Jennifer could only stare. After a moment, the doors closed. Andrew waited, unconcerned. She gulped back a breath and nodded slightly.
“Yes, please.”
Another soft smile. “Okay. I’ll be at your room around eight.” He took a step towards Jennifer, hesitating as he watched her body stiffen and grow rigid. He lowered his head and let his lips caress her cheek in a gentle kiss. Jennifer closed her eyes; she was sure she wasn’t breathing. She smelled the scent of a cologne clinging to him that she wasn’t familiar with. It was manly and warmed her from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. Her heart rattled.
She turned slightly towards him, but he was already pulling away. He stopped, his lips lingering just inches from Jennifer’s cherry painted mouth. She took a deep breath and tilted her head back, looking up into his eyes. The elevator began to move again.
Andrew took a full step away from Jennifer and looked to the elevator buttons.
“Guess we’re going to the lobby,” he said, his voice breaking the silence.
Jennifer could care less about the lobby. She needed to know what exactly was happening between them. Was there something between them? Andrew was beyond attractive; that much was given. She didn’t understand why she kept going back to that—the man was gorgeous. He knew it too.
Still, occasionally, as luck would have it, there were men in the millionaire business who were equally as impressive as they were cunning and skillful at managing and growing their wealth. She took a deep breath. Andrew was just like the others. Right? And Melone? Was he like the others too?
The elevator whined as it slowed to a stop. The doors opened. Andrew nodded towards the lobby floor as a waiting group poured in. Jennifer didn’t notice any of them. Her eyes were locked with Andrew’s.
Are you going to go? His stare seemed to ask. Jennifer heard the sudden rush of conversation from the other individuals moving into the elevator. Some were older, most were young. Perhaps just old enough to be traveling on their own.
Jennifer nodded and stepped out the elevator. She looked back to Andrew, their eyes snagging for the last time before the doors closed. She felt a little raw. Like a piece of her heart had been shaved. She didn’t know Andrew and had really only met him four nights ago. That was too soon to feel something like this, wasn’t it? Still, as she moved away from the elevator, her heart dragged in her chest.
She scanned the lobby, eyes moving past the front desk, and found the joined seating area. It was fixed with a hearth and large cushioned couches, loveseats, and recliners. She approached a comfy light brown leather chair and sunk into the seat with a sigh. The lobby would have been empty, but across the opposite end a single businessman typed continuously at the keyboard of his laptop. Jennifer found herself wondering if he was secretly a millionaire too.
Five years ago, before she started working for James Melone, she would have thought that there couldn’t possibly be that many wealthy people in the world. Working beside him helped her realize that there was an incredible amount of wealthy individuals all over the city, state, and the entire United States. She had met plenty of the tycoons inhabiting Chicago. Working alongside Melone had opened her world up to something she hadn’t even thought was possible, and all just from being his executive assistant. That’s why her family thought she had chosen a go
od field. She knew people who knew people. People that could make things happen.
She had two brothers. One was a family law attorney and the other was an actor living in Hollywood, or somewhere near it filming a small TV series. By far, her job seemed to be the least stable in her family, but no one seemed to care because her boss was a millionaire. Jennifer had long since decided that it couldn’t be the money that attracted her to Melone. He just seemed different. Was it a different like Andrew was different? She paused to think about that. No. Andrew was special. Wait—what?
Jennifer frowned. Melone was supposed to be special. That’s right. Even when he was worth so much, he had a unique way of looking at the world that she had seen in no other man before him. Until Andrew, of course.
Jennifer felt her brows pinching together even more on her forehead. She was starting to get a headache. She felt like she had two voices raging within her head. One was clearly fond of Andrew while she was still keen on Melone.
Five years ago, Melone was a little different than he was today. He lost quite a bit in a bad investment and it was enough to put him on edge. He wasn’t the nicest back then to many people who had long since turned over in his office, but he always seemed to go out of his way to show kindness to her. And so she started working late to provide him with more than she knew he would ever ask for. Because a good assistant didn’t need to wait to be asked to do things, right?
Things around the firm improved, and before she knew it, she was dreaming about him most nights during the weeks. That part was a little creepy, but the dreams had stopped well over two years ago, about the time he started dating Katie. That was a blow. She was certain he would ask her out any moment, after all, she did so much for him. Didn’t guys like that kind of thing?
“Have you ever been around him outside of work?” Never, actually. Jennifer sucked in a deep breath and leaned her head back. Was it possible that Melone could be two entirely different people? She marveled silently at the thought. Not likely. The real him would slip out eventually, wouldn’t it?
Millionaire Romance: In Love With My Boss - A Contemporary Romance (Millionaire Romance, Contemporary Romance, Comedy Romance Book 1) Page 10
