Page 10 of Kai
"Will you stop looking at me like that?"
"I'm looking at a woman who's roping in a random guy who's bound to get hurt at the end. You don't usually use people. And certainly not men."
Because the words hit so close to home, Maxie found herself avoiding her friend's direct gaze.
"I don't know what you mean."
"You usually don't use evasive tactics either." She finished the water and rose gracefully. "Think about that. You're still in love with Kai honey, and you're going to have to face it."
"No, I don't." She pushed away the papers and sent them fluttering to the floor. "All I know is that he left without a word and I would be a fool to think that this chance meeting means anything. You said it yourself – I should move on and find someone–"
"To have casual sex with." Yvette reminded her gently, fascinated at the agitated movements of the long, graceful fingers.
"I don't do casual sex."
"Precisely." Popping the last of the biscuit into her mouth, she dusted the crumbs off her fingers. "And the meeting might not be by chance. I strongly believe in fate. The fact that he walked into your store without knowing it was yours says something."
"I'm not listening to this." She announced firmly, pushing to her feet. "I have work to do, and I have every intention of going out with Matthew. He's a decent and sweet guy and exactly what I need."
"Oh. Just go away and leave me alone." She added when her friend just continued to stare at her.
"Call me later." With a soft chuckle, Yvette let herself out of the office and closed the door behind her.
Slumping back down on the chair, Maxie picked up the invoices and tried to get her mind on the figures, knowing that it was going to be completely hopeless.
Halfway through the meal, he knew he had made a big mistake. He knew what she expected and knew without a doubt that it would not be happening.
He was not the slightest bit interested.
He also knew she was fishing around and trying to bring up the topic of Maxie. He waited her out and wasn't disappointed. Halfway through the dessert of pumpkin cheesecake, she brought it up.
"I was thinking of going back to that little store." Her dessert spoon made the rounds by trailing through the succulent sauce slowly, eyes demurely lowered.
"What store?" He decided to play along.
"The one your friend owns. The cute little boutique." She lifted her eyes then and met his inscrutable ones. "You seemed surprised to see her. I get the feeling that you never knew she was there. You never kept in touch?"
"No." Picking up his wine, he sipped, eyes trained on her face as he waited. They were in a private booth at his favorite restaurant which happened to be owned by his company. Discretion was part of the service.
"You went to school together." She continued a little desperately.
Deciding to dispense with the game, he lowered his glass.
"We were lovers."
"Oh. I see." Picking up her own wine glass, Marie took several sips as if trying to wet her dry throat.
"Anything else?"
"You two broke up?"
"We were teenagers and went our separate ways." He almost winced at the blatant lie. He had walked out of her life without looking back.
"Were you in love with her?" She blurted out without thinking and was rewarded by the blank stare from expressionless dark eyes.
Just then his phone rang.
"Excuse me, I've been waiting for this call." Pushing back his chair, he rose and strode over to a graceful fern in the corner of the room. Letting out a breath, she leaned back in her chair and watched him prowling the distance between the fern and the elegant sofa by the window. He had switched from English to Japanese and she knew enough to understand that he was talking about a shipment of vehicles that had been delayed. Hisdeep voice was cool and authoritative, filled with enough power to have her shivering.
