Page 20 of You & I, Rewritten

To no one’s surprise, Klair, the most connected woman I know, has not only been and gave me a killer recommendation for an appetizer and wine selection, but she is close, personal friends with the owner and chef.

Taking the sticky note with me, I excitedly make my way toward Graham’s office. I can see he’s on the phone, clearly listening intently to whoever he’s speaking to but when I peek my head in the doorway, he waves me in anyway.

“Si, si—pero necesito estos contratos firmados,” he says with a natural bravado and ease that stops me in my tracks. “Just make sure to get those contracts signed and sent over as soon as you can.”

Holy. Bilingual. Hotness.I had no idea Graham spoke Spanish, let alone this fluently.

“¿Y el autor está de acuerdo?” I am literally speechless but at the same time, not at all surprised. “The author agrees, right? And there aren’t any issues?” Is there anything this man can’t do?

Graham looks up from the notes he’s been taking, his stare burning straight through me. It’s not lost on me that I’m publicly hanging on every syllable of his perfectly accentuated words despite being utterly lost in translation. Graham’s voice is different when he speaks Spanish. It’s richer and somehow, more alluring?It’s sexy as hell.“Perfecto—gracias. Thank you, Mariana. Adios,” he says, hanging up his phone and crossing his arms.

“Well hello Mr. Cowen…what can I do for you?” Graham knowsexactlywhat he’s doing and based on the smug grin plastered across his face, he knows it’s working. Per usual, he’s dressed impeccably. He’s perfected the balance between buttoned-up business attire with his pressed plaid oxford that’s open at the collar and fashionably casual with his deep navy suit pants that are cropped at the ankle showcasing his cognac loafers.

“Um—hola? I wasn’t aware that you spoke Spanish.”

He laughs as he steps around his desk before casually leaning against it. “It’s not my party trick, Will,” he says through a smile. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that my father is extremely Caucasian but my mother was actually born and raised in Spain so I grew up bilingual. Occasionally, like today, it comes in handy in the office as I’m trying to sign this up-and-coming author based in Spain.”

“That’s…um, convenient?” More like arousing.

He raises his eyebrows at me questioningly. “So, was there a point to thisvery welcomevisit or did you just come to gawk over the fact that I can roll myR’s?” I’d like him to roll his…

Oh, duh. I wave the sticky note I’d been holding. “I actually just wanted to give you an in-person R.S.V.P for tonight. I’m really looking forward to it!”

Graham runs a hand through his hair and I find myself itching to know what it would feel like if I were the one doing that. “I’m glad—so am I.”

The rest of the day goes by in an equal parts nauseatingly anxious and incredibly excited blur. After I send off one final email, pack up my things, and say a quick goodbye to Klair, who wishes me luck with a wink, I race home with just enough time to get cleaned up, changed, and out the door in time to beat Graham to the restaurant.

* * *

All my life, I’ve prided myself on being punctual and respectful of others’ time. So, when I walk into the restaurant almost ten minutes early and see Graham already being seated, I smile to myself knowing that he must be the same way. Which come to think of it, isn’t surprising at all with his weekly staff meeting always starting at eleven a.m. on the dot.

He hasn’t seen me yet which gives me a quick moment to take him all in as the waitress hands him a menu. Wearing a fitted, plaid blazer, a stark white button down, and dark denim jeans, Graham looks every bit the successful businessman, but my smile widens as I look down to see he’s wearing a classic pair of Chuck’s with this outfit and I all but pass out.

God, he’s sexy.

“Will,” he says, catching my attention.

How long was I staring and objectifying him like an idiot?Get it together.As I make my way to the table, I’m glad I opted for a dressier outfit and felt pleased that my sweater, collared shirt, and jean combo are in the same complementary color scheme as Graham’s.

“I’m so glad you could make it,” he says while standing up. He seems unsure of how to greet me so I just go in for the hug like I always do. I mean, he practically grinded me into oblivion against the club wall, so I think an innocent hug in public isn’t crossing the line.

Wrapping my arms around his toned body, I inhale the unique and spicy smell that makes my eyes roll to the back of my head. I make a mental note to see if I can find something similar to spray around my apartment because I never want to be without that smell. Like, ever again.

“Thanks for the invite,” I say after I’ve let him go and am taking my seat. “It was the best surprise to come back to the office to!” I feel like I should make some attempt to hide my excitement, but honestly, it would be impossible.

We stare at each other for a moment and as soon as he opens his mouth to say something, our waitress comes over with a bottle of wine in her hand. “Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Carly, and I’ll be your server this evening.” She uncorks the bottle and pours generous servings into each of our wine glasses, placing the bottle on the table and setting a rectangular card down next to it. “I’m going to give you a few moments to look over the menu and I’ll be back shortly to take your order. Enjoy!”

Graham looks at the bottle and then to the note with a cocked brow. When I reach for the note, he quickly scoops it up and sticks out his tongue like a cocky schoolboy on the playground.

“You snooze, you lose, Cowen. You’ve got to be faster than that!” His face breaks into a devious and knowing smile after he reads the note, and he slides it over to me once he’s finished. “It’s for you.”

I nearly spit out my wine. If Graham’s smile didn’t make my entire body burn the way it did, Klair would have gotten an earful for using her connections to embarrass me like this.

I can feel my face reddening. Should I try to address it? Just laugh it off and pretend like I have no idea who this mystery Klair person is?You all work together, idiot.

“Mr. Wall Treatment, huh? I like it.” Graham is sitting taller in his chair and, if possible, his chest seems to be even more pronounced, his new nickname clearly doing something to his ego.

Honestly, as soon as I read the note, my stomach dropped in fear of his reaction. You never know how a gay man will handle something like this considering it involves someone he works with closely. I believe he’s out? Graham doesn’t seem like the type of man to hide who he is, but it is definitely not my place to go around sharing intimate details of someone’s life like that…even if it directly involves me.

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