Page 30 of I'm Looking for a Man in Finance
Honestly, if I were Roxie, I would have given up on tagging along to watch my best friend crash and burn a long time ago. So later that evening after work, I made the trek to Whiskey Locker by myself with a newfound determination to secure a date to write and finally stop disappointing Anthea.
This experience had led me to the conclusion that the dating scene was overrated. Sipping wine (again!), scoping the room for a date (again!), I thought, seriously, why does anyone do this?
“How are you tonight, Hallie?” Joey, the bartender, asked. The two of us had shared far too many conversations since I’d started coming here. I wore the fact that we were on a first name basis as a badge of honor—or at least that was what I told myself to make myself feel better.
“The usual, Joey. The usual.”
“Hey, I noticed you were sitting by yourself and I don’t want to intrude …” The universe must have taken pity on me and was on my side for once, becausea rather handsome man was leaning against the bar next to me.
Thank you,I said up to the heavens, hoping I’d stay in the universe’s good graces.
“You are definitely not intruding.” I gestured to the open seat next to me, which he quickly slid into. After giving myself the quickest pep talk of my life, I stuck out my hand and plastered the flirtiest smile I could muster onto my face. “I’m Hallie.”
“Henry.” The most adorable dimple appeared as Henry enveloped my hand with his own and, for the first time during this entire charade, my stomach swooped.
I noticed the beer in Henry’s hand.Not an Old Fashioned. Already straying from the norm.
Henry’s gray eyes studied me thoughtfully. “Well, Hallie, what brings you to the Financial District?”
“What if I told you I’m looking for a man in finance?” I wasn’t sure who this woman was that was taking over my body, actually flirting, but I was more than happy to let her take the lead.
And to my surprise, Henry seemed to like it. A melodic laugh blended in with the alternative rock music that Whiskey Locker loved to play.
“Then I’d say that you’ve just found one.”
Henry ran a hand through his hair, tousling it in a way that had me wondering what he looked like underneath his perfectly pressed dress shirt and suit.
Would that be a conflict of interest?
Anthea never mentioned I couldn’t have sex with the people I dated …
Hell, that was a pretty crucial part of dating.
“I’m sorry, that was an awful joke.” Damn, even the way he blushed was attractive.
Almost like a reflex, I scanned the room, searching for a familiar handsome face that was plotting my demise. It was about right now when he typically appeared—like a pop-up thunderstorm on a summer evening, a dark cloud out of nowhere to ruin an otherwise perfect day. But his deep-blue eyes and signature smirk were nowhere in sight. I pushed away the sinking feeling that crept in at his absence, choosing to ignore how it felt far too large to unpack. Especially when I had an attractive man beside me, genuinely interested in what I had to say.
“Are you hungry?” I asked him, trying to force James from my mind. “Because I’m starving. I don’t remember the last time I ate.”
Henry flagged Joey down. “We can’t have that, can we? Can we get an order of mozzarella sticks and pretzel bites?”
I pressed a hand to my chest. “A man after my heart. Mozzarella sticksandpretzel bites?”
“It’s sacrilegious to not have both when you’re at a bar.” The two of us shared a smile, and I was already mentally taking notes on everything I wanted to write in this week’s article. Surely this article would blow Anthea away.
“So, Henry, I’m assuming you work in FiDi.” I gestured to his suit as evidence.
“You have exceptional deduction skills, Hallie.” Henry glanced down at his attire with a chuckle. “I’m the Chief Financial Officer at Young Investments.”
“A CFO of an investment firm? I feel like that’s like an inception of the financial realm.”
“That’s the best response I think I’ve ever gotten to my job title.” Joey dropped off our order, which Henry immediately dove into. “Normally, I get glazed eyes and incoherent nods. And what do you do, Hallie? I’m sure it’s something far more impressive than being another unit in the FiDi.”
“Oh, I’m a writer forSophisticate.” Henry’s expression shifted in surprise, and I braced myself for the usual dismissal I was accustomed to. The only guy who had ever truly acknowledged my accomplishments without brushing them off was … James.
But Henry surprised me once more. “That’s impressive. Writing and the entertainment industry are wildly fast-paced, andSophisticateis definitely a leader in that space. So, I’d say that makesyouan industry leader.”
A guy who knew good bar food and could dish out compliments. It was about damn time.
