Page 5 of CEO's Baby Scandal
“No, honestly.”
“Well, you are. And I want to get to know you better—as a person, not as your boss.” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “So, tell me, why UC Berkeley, and why Chicago?”
“Well, I did online school during the pandemic, and UC offered the entire course online. And Chicago always seemed like the place to be. Growing up, I hated being a country girl. I like the hustle and bustle of the city.” I ate a bite of the chicken and groaned at how delicious it was. “So good.”
“I know, right!” He snickered and continued his friendly interrogation. “You miss your family?”
“Just have my parents and one sister, who lives in Chicago too. And I sort of miss home, but not the way small town life goes. You know?” I liked that he was interested in me as a person. It made me more comfortable with having lunch with him, like he wasn’t just after sex the way Mom and Evelyn warned me men were.
“Ah, yes. I grew up in Springfield. Not necessarily a major city, but not a small town. I prefer Chicago too…” He took another bite and chewed, and I took the opportunity to ask a question.
“You have any siblings?”
“One brother.” He coughed, choking on his bite of food. “Sorry…” He sipped his water. “It’s just me and my brother, but he’s married, so I have a sister-in-law.”
“That’s nice. My sister is married, but I don’t know much about her husband.” The conversation lulled for a moment as we ate. The food was so good, and I was grateful that he had invited me.
“What about hobbies? Do you do sports? Art?”
Mr. Jacobs truly seemed interested in me, and I liked that we had some things in common. Growing up with only one sibling, I had at times wished we’d had a bigger family and at other times wished I were an only child. I wondered if he also encountered that. “Uh, yes. I played basketball in high school and ran track. I love reading.”
“Wow, me too.” He nodded appreciatively as he took another bite then chased it with a drink again. “I was the point guard.”
“Small forward.” I shrugged and grinned.
“I’ll have to take you out for some one-on-one.” He leaned over his dish and had another large bite. I was starting to feel really comfortable with him. He ate like any other man, huge bites, messy lips. At least he had the decency to not talk with his mouth full, but he was no different from any other guy I’d met. Not intimidating at all.
“So, you like reading too?” I sipped my water and waited as he finished his bite before answering.
“Yes, I actually love classics. Dostoyevsky is my favorite, but I also like Dumas, Lewis, and I’ve dabbled in some Dickens.”
The list of authors he liked made my heart swoon. We had so many things in common. “Have you readThe Count of Monte Cristo?” I didn’t want to take another bite and break up the flow of the conversation. My mind was hungrier to learn more about him than my stomach was for food.
“I have. One of my favorites, actually. I love how complex the subplots are.” I couldn’t get over his smile and the way his eyes lit up. “I can’t believe how much we have in common. You know, I’m really glad I invited you to have lunch with me. We need to do this more often.”
“Yeah, I think so too.” If the man hadn’t been as attractive to me as he was, this would have sealed the deal. He was cultured but down to earth, honest and bold, and he was interested in me. “If you don't mind my saying so, sir, I think you are probably the most attractive man I’ve ever met.”
He laughed so loud, I thought the entire floor would hear him. When he calmed down, he said, “I think you’re pretty gorgeous too, and I think we will be spending a lot more time together in the future, you know, see how well we fit, if weconnect…” He offered a seductive look over the fork poised to enter his mouth.
The sudden rush of arousal flooding my groin sent another burst of warmth to my cheeks. “I definitely want to know if we fit together.” I wasn’t sure if he meant the comment as a double entendre, but I certainly did. And I was positive that I wanted him to fit.
4
DANIEL
The window separating the conference room and the hallway was heavily frosted along the horizon, but I could see the feet of passing staff members all day. The meetings were grueling and I was distracted every time Emily strolled past in her bright pink heels. Just thinking of her made it impossible to focus on work. I wasn’t even needed in the meeting, but our client, one of the wealthier investment firms in town, expected my presence. It allowed me to fantasize all day about her.
As the meeting drew to a close, I found myself wondering if she was out to lunch already or if I could invite her to join me again. It would be late lunch, which meant it was likely she had already eaten and I’d be rebuffed, but perhaps I could find another excuse to spend time with her. I shook hands with the clients and excused myself only to find Emily had gone out for lunch with Jill. It was a disappointment, but nothing I wasn’t prepared for.
I headed down the elevator to the small coffee shop across from the building. Michael frequented the place because they had amazing sandwiches, so I guessed he’d be there sooner or later. I found a spot in a corner booth and waited, ordering agrilled cheese and French fries. The spot had a perfect view of the office entrance, so I was poised to watch Emily return from her lunch.
She had gotten under my skin in a good way, but so deeply I couldn’t shake it. I tried to think about the advice Grace and Michael had given me last week about keeping my distance from her, but a woman that perfect—or seemingly perfect—was a diamond in the rough. I’d dated so many women who had zero in common with me. I didn’t want a relationship where I was off doing my thing, and she was off spending my money. I wanted a partnership with someone on the same level as me.
Emily and I had a lot in common. I could see us being very happy reading books and sharing about the complexities of the plots or playing basketball at the local sports club. I could also see us having crazy sex, because God knows my sex drive hadn’t slowed down at all in all these years. I needed some young spitfire to keep up with me, not a middle-aged woman who wanted nothing to do with it. And there were a number of other things we had in common.
I didn’t see her as a problem, more like the situation was a challenge we had to overcome—if she wanted to date me as much as I wanted to date her.
Before my food was delivered, Michael walked in and spotted me. He placed his own order and made his way across the small dining room to sit across from me.