Page 10 of Forbidden Love
I need this woman and I don’t think I can hold back now. The attraction is far too deep. I gather my thoughts and hit send before I can second-guess myself.
Me
Let’s discuss our plans over dinner tonight.
There. Done. And now, it’s time to play the waiting game until she replies, but where should I take her if she says yes? It has to be low key, off the radar, so she won’t ask too many questions. Somewhere I can keep up this charade a little longer.
Where would that be?
As I pace through my study, the phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, half-expecting a reply from Maya, but it’s my brother Zack. Great timing.
While keeping the nervousness out of my vocal cords, I clear my throat. “Zack.”
“Devin! What’s up, bro?” Zack’s voice is full of energy, as always. “You sound strange. What’s going on?”
I keep my responses short and basic. “I’m doing fine.”
“Uh-huh. You working on that Oasis thing again? Heard it’s gonna be killer.”
I massage my temples to ease the pressure. “Yeah, the project’s coming along, but that’s not really what’s on my mind.”
“Oh?” Zack’s tone shifts. “Do share.”
“There’s this girl,” I begin, already regretting bringing it up. “She’s… different.”
“Different how?” Zack’s deep voice sounds amused. “Like, ‘I’m gonna marry this girl’ different, or ‘she’s got a few screws loose’ different?”
“Neither,” I say, though I’m not entirely sure that’s true. “She’s smart, driven, and cares about the environment. The kind of girl who would normally hate everything about my world.”
He chuckles. “And you’re into her. Of course, you are because the universe has an odd sense of humor.”
“It does.”
“So, what’s the problem?” he asks. “You usually have this stuff all figured out.”
“I’m taking her somewhere tonight for dinner and I need a place that won’t blow my cover.”
Zack is the most hip and stylish brother in the Wolfe clan. Because he owns a chain of highly successful nightclubs, he always has the crowd waiting for his next move. That means he might know of somewhere to bring Maya.
A beat of silence happens before his voice comes back. “Wait, you’re still doing that whole ‘hidden billionaire’ thing? I expected you to move on by now.”
“I have my reasons. It’s not about the money, it’s about—”
“Let me guess,” Zack cuts in. “Staying under the radar, keeping things real, blah blah blah. That’s your excuse for not facing reality.”
I grit my teeth. “Or maybe I don’t want her to think I’m like every other guy who flaunts his wealth.”
Zack hisses. “Dude, women love cash. They love billionaires and theywantthe lifestyle and the security. Why are you hiding it?”
After pacing along the window, I stop. “I prefer not to complicate matters, with what happened and all.”
“Yeah,” he says. “But eventually, you’ll have to face it.”
“I’m aware of that,” I say, keeping it brief. “But not now. What I require now is advice on where to bring her. Please.”
“Alright. Take her to a vegetarian restaurant. It’ll fit her whole save-the-world vibe. Plus, it’s not a place you’d normally go, so it keeps up the act.”
I pause, considering the idea. “Vegetarian, huh? I guess that could work.”