Page 137 of Denim & Diamonds

I laughed, and as we ordered lunch, Matthew and I got to know each other a bit. It turned out we had a lot more in common than growing up in nearby neighborhoods. We were both divorced, both our exes had gotten involved with friends of ours after we split up, and we’d even gone to the same undergraduate college, though he was a few years older than me. It made me wonder if Oliver had already given his blessing, and this was a setup disguised as a business meeting. Though, after the food came, we got down to talking actual business, and it seemed Matthew did need some guidance. I was candid about my experiences taking on investors and suggested a few venture capitalists I wished I’d considered originally.

At some point, my phone illuminated, and a message from Oliver flashed on the screen. He wanted to know if he should push back my four o’clock appointment. I thought it was a little premature to start rearranging my schedule, at least until I pressed the button and looked at the time on my phone—three forty-five.

“Oh my gosh,” I said. “Can that time be right? We’ve been sitting here for more than two-and-a-half hours?”

Matthew looked down at his watch. “I guess so.”

“I must’ve lost track of time. I have a four o’clock meeting back at the office.”

Matthew raised his hand to call the waiter. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take up so much of your afternoon.”

“It’s fine. But I should text Oliver back so he can let my appointment know I’m running a little late. Excuse me a minute.”

After I thumbed off a message, the waiter brought the check. I took cash out of my purse and went to put it on the table.

Matthew shook his head. “Please. Allow me. It’s the least I can do for picking your brain for hours.” He smiled. “Plus, I really enjoyed your company.”

His comment was innocuous enough, but something in the way he looked at me told me it wasn’t as innocent as it seemed. Maybe I should reciprocate and tell him I had a good time too—push myself to keep my options open… I wasn’t sure, though, and I didn’t have time to debate it. I needed to get to my appointment. So I just stood and pulled my purse over my shoulder. “Thank you for lunch.”

Matthew stood, too. “I really appreciate your time. I’m going to contact the VC you suggested as soon as I get back to the office. Would it be okay if I reached out to you with other questions that might come up as I go through the process?”

“Sure. Of course.”

He pulled his cell phone out and handed it to me. “Put your number in, and I’ll shoot you a text so you have mine.”

After, he extended his hand with a smile. When we shook, his eyes dropped to my lips for the briefest of seconds. It was so quick, I thought I might’ve imagined it. Or maybeI’dbeen the one who’d looked at his mouth. Whatever the case, I suddenly felt the urge to bolt. I lifted my hand in an awkward wave and didn’t even wait to walk out of the restaurant with him.

“Okay, well, bye!”

***

It was almost seven before my afternoon meeting ended, but Oliver marched into the conference room less than ten seconds after the vendor had gone.

“I thought he was never going to leave!”

I swept together the samples the salesman had left behind. “We had a lot to go through. Is everything okay?”

Oliver’s hands went to his hips. “What did you do to my friend?”

I blinked a few times. “Who? Matthew?”

“Yes, Matthew.” Oliver turned his phone to show me the screen. “He’sblowing upmy messages.”

“Oh no. Did the call with the venture capitalist I referred not go well?”

“Capitalistschmapitalist. The boy is smitten!”

“Smitten? You mean with me?”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “I know. It’s very unfair he isn’t gay, right? Yes, you! Who the hell else would I be talking about?” He swiped up on his phone and scrolled through dozens of messages. “But if he can’t be mine, I guess being yours is the next best thing. Look at all these texts! I’ve never seen the guy so ga-ga over a girl. He’s usually the recipient of the ga-ga. He wants to know if you’re single. I wasn’t sure how to answer.”

I frowned. I hadn’t yet told Oliver about my last conversation with Brock. He knew about the awkward airport goodbye, but not that we’d formally called it quits. I sighed. “Brock and I ended things two days ago.”

“That’s great!” Oliver lifted his cell and started to text.

I reached for his phone. “No, it’s not. I love him, Oliver. Matthew was very nice, but I don’t think I’m ready to jump into something new.”

He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Oh honey, you don’t have to marry him. Just go out and enjoy the ride. It’s the best way to move on.”

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