Page 10 of The Physical Attraction Seminar
“Ahh, so you’re telling me the only reason you said yes to a date with me was so that you could get a free meal?” I lean back in my chair with a playful smile. Truthfully, I wouldn’t care, even if that was the case. I’m thankful she accepted the invitation so I didn’t end up in a scenario where I was left on the sidewalk with a bruised ego.
“There’s nothing humorous about being between jobs, and this is not a date.” With a slight tilt of her head, she lets out a light-hearted scoff. “If anything, it’s a pity dinner.”
I try to hide my sympathy for her, pretending like I’m not the one feeling sorry for her. Despite everything going on, it’s nice to see that she can laugh at a playful joke.
Part of me wants to offer her a job, but the increased number of people coming over from the Solus acquisition means we have no vacancies. If the girl interviewing for my executive assistant position tomorrow turns out to be a disappointment, I could consider offering it to her. Elliot seemed adamant that his former assistant was more than capable, though, and I had full confidence in his judgment.
If I mention it to her, then she might get her hopes up, and I don’t want to be the one to disappoint her.
“Well, now that I know this isn’t a date, let me be blunt in asking whether you’re going to keep sidestepping my question? We already settled on no last names, and Iintend on sticking to our agreement, but we can add first names to the list if you’d like to keep yours a secret.”
A soft sigh escapes her lips, and a smile slowly spreads across mine. “Lyla.”
As she stretches her hand across the table, I meet her halfway, the warmth of her touch sending a comforting sensation through my fingertips. “Barrett.”
“I thought your name was…”
I raise my shoulders before quickly opening my menu, using it as a shield to hide my incoming laughter.
With a quick motion, she pulls down my menu, and when our eyes connect, hers are widened in disbelief. “You’re a liar.”
“You’re one to talk, Camila,” I taunt. “All’s fair in love and war.”
Lyla’s laughter echoes in the air. She’s got a good laugh. The kind that is so captivating it makes you want to blurt out every senseless thought just to experience hearing it again.
We share a belly laugh; the sound of our mixed laughter echoes through the air, making heads turn at the nearby tables. We receive tight-lipped smiles from a few people, which only seems to make us laugh harder.
The casual observer would never suspect that we had just bumped into each other on the street half an hour ago. The ease of our conversation and comfortable dispositions masked any trace that we were any different from the other couples here on dates.
I take a moment to scan the restaurant, hoping to catch sight of our waiter. We haven’t looked atour menus yet, but the hunger is gradually settling in. When my search comes up short, I redirect my attention to Lyla, who appears lost in thought as she stares down at the table.
“All jokes aside, life must be stressful for you right now, huh?”
“They say a little stress can be good for you.”
“A little, sure,” I argue, my eyes roaming over her face to detect any subtle shifts in expression. “But it seems like you have a lot more than a little.”
She lets out a huffed laugh and shakes her head.
“Are you doing anything to manage your stress?” I ask, partly out of curiosity and partly to gain some insight for myself.
Ever since becoming CEO, I’ve been overwhelmed by stress, and I’ve done a shit job at managing it. I’m hoping that bringing on a new executive assistant will allow me to delegate tasks and help me better manage my time. It’s clear that the girl working for Elliot is a force to be reckoned with, considering the impressive growth of Solus in recent years. Without the meticulous organization and optimization of Elliot’s work life, that kind of success wouldn’t have been possible.
“Hmm, not really.” Lyla sinks back into her seat, observing the rhythmic motion of her wine as she swirls her glass. “However, I did read a magazine article once that said a one-night stand can be like a pressure valve release. It makes all the built-up stress and tension just… dissipate.”
I chose the worst moment to take a sip of wine because now it’s searing my throat and threatening to linger intomy lungs. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
I didn’t have any expectations when I invited Lyla to join me for dinner or expect anything would progress beyond that.
From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was beautiful and felt an instant draw toward her. I also can’t deny that I’ve been flirting with her, but even so, I never assume that asking a woman out on a date guarantees any kind of sexual encounter.
If all I craved was sex, it would be simple to find without the need to fabricate anything. I didn’t see the point in leading someone on, giving them false hope, leading them to believe it could become something more. That’s cruel.
When Lyla said she didn’t want to share her last name, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I might try to keep myself out of the tabloids as much as possible, but one simple Google search of my name would unveil the true extent of my family’s wealth.
It’s astonishing how people’s perception of you can change once they discover your billionaire pedigree. The way they treat you speaks volumes about their true nature. Most resort to schmoozing and sucking up as a means to remain on your good side. There are moments when I can almost taste the desperation in the air, particularly from women who think they have a shot at becoming Mrs. Barrett Banks.
It’s refreshing to meet someone who is completely unaware of my identity or my family backgroundand has no desire to pry about it. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment that she wanted to keep her last name to herself. She didn’t want me looking her up after this, which led me to believe that she didn’t see our connection progressing.
