<b>Chapter </b><b><i>25 </i></b>
The passing <b>executives </b>gave me knowing smiles<b>. </b>“Good morning, Mrs. Hob,<b>” </b>they greeted respectfully.
“Good morning,” <b>I </b>responded with warm professionalism.
Tracy’s <b>face </b><b>fell</b>. Pressing her lips into a thin line<b>, </b>she hurried toward the conference room.
<b>Just </b>as I reached my office, Jared emerged from his. His brows furrowed at my outfit–that familiar disapproval shing <b>across </b>his <b>face</b>.
I ignored him. Afterst night, I had every right to be cold.
“I’m heading to a meeting,” he said, still making time to ask, “Want to do lunchter?”
<b>I </b>barely nced back. “No, thanks. I’m having lunch with Melissa.”
Jared wasn’t ustomed to rejection, and my constant refusals clearly irritated him, though he could do little about it.
“Fine,” Jared said curtly before walking away.
I spent the morning handing over duties to the hotel managers, and then met Melissa for an early lunch at eleven.
Melissa kept eyeing every attractive guy in the ce, desperately seeking that storybook–perfect romance.
I understood her panic, but kept advising patience.
“Victoria,” she fretted, “I’m 28 now, two years older than you. You’ve got a six–year–old daughter, while I’ve never even held hands. Seriously, what’s kissing like?”
I nearly choked on my coffee. Why was she asking me of all people about kissing?
“nd and forgettable,” I remarked, lifting my cup.
Just as I finished speaking, a deep maleugh came from the table behind me.
I turned to see a man in a ck shirt casually drinking coffee, looking like he was waiting for someone.
My pulse jumped–that was the same man Lloyd had fallen all over himself to impress at the reunion. What was he doing
here?
<b>Melissa </b>spotted him too. “Damn, he’s hot,” she mouthed at me.
I couldn’t tell if he wasughing at me or at some private thought.
Right then, another good–looking guy walked in and joined him.
“Hot guys always travel in packs,” Melissa whispered. “Just like us gorgeous girls<b>.” </b>
I choked <b>back </b>augh at her ridiculous self–praise.
Myughter must have caught his attention. He turned and fixed me with an intense stare.
Our eyes locked by <b>ident</b><b>, </b>sending <b>a </b>strange flutter through my chest, like the first note of my favorite song <b>catching </b><b>me </b>off guard.
Melissa <b>was </b><b>ying </b><b>the </b><b>delicate </b><b>eater </b>today–tiny bites, <b>perfect </b><b>posture</b>. No question <b>she’d </b>noticed one of <b>the </b><b>guys </b><b>behind </b>us. Too bad <b>she </b>couldn’t work up the nerve to talk to him.
When Melissa nudged me to intervene, <b>I </b>shook my head<b>. </b>“I’m retired from men,” <b>I </b>said. “If you want him, <b>go </b>get him.”
<b>Melissa </b><b>got </b>that my failed marriage had turned me off menpletely. But she–never having been with anyone<b>–</b>still clung <b>to </b>her romantic <b>fantasies</b><b>. </b>The challenge <b>was </b>getting his digits.
<b>I </b><b>excused </b>myself to the restroom, settling the bill on the way. Coming out, I nearly collided with someone, sending their phone ttering to the floor.
That sickening crack hit me first. I grabbed the phone, stomach dropping at the spiderwebbed screen.
“Damn it,” I hissed.
A deep voice above me said, “Don’t worry. My fault for dropping it.”
I knew that voice. Looking up, I found myself staring at our mystery guy from earlier–now sses–less and unfairly
attractive<b>. </b>
“I’m Nathan Hallman,” he said unexpectedly.
I paused–I hadn’t asked his name.
He held my gaze with those piercing eyes after saying his name, waiting.
“Let me pay for your cracked screen,” I said, focusing more on making things right.
“That’s not necessary,” he said quietly. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Yes<b>, </b>it <b>is</b><b>,</b>” I said, turning back toward our table.
A momentter, I pressed all the cash I had–about a thousand dors–into his hand. “For a new one.”
He’d been waiting silently in the hallway. When I gave him the money, he caught my hand instead. “I’m Nathan.”
<b>I </b>stared at him. “You already told me that.”
His expression fell. “Victoria, don’t you recognize me? I’m the one you helped with 250 thousand for university.”
My <b>eyes </b>widened as realization dawned. “That was you?”
Nathan nodded. “That’s me.”
I remembered that night–his luxury Mercedes–Benz and the way Lloyd had groveled. He didn’t look like someone who <b>couldn’t </b>afford school.
<b>As </b>I hesitated, he pressed the one thousand back into my palm. “You’ve done enough. <b>It’s </b>just a cracked screen. I’ll handle it.”
<b>I </b><b>stared </b>at the <b>cash</b><b>, </b>then at him. “So you’re the one who reached out to the charity about having lunch with me?”
Nathan ducked his head with augh. When he looked up, pink tinted his ears. <b>“</b><b>Yes</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
<b>“</b>Had I known you <b>were </b>this hot, I might’ve said yes,” <b>I </b>teased, enjoying how his blush deepened.
“Seriously?” His voice dropped. “Let me take you out tonight.”
“Just kidding. Your <b>sess </b><b>is </b>reward enough.” I smiled before adding, “But do you have <b>a </b>card?”
He quickly pulled a business card from his trouser pocket and handed it to me.
I nced at <b>the </b>card and smiled. “My friend is really interested in you. You <b>two </b>should get together sometime.”
Nathan just stared at me without a word.
<b>As </b>I turned to leave, Nathan suddenly grabbed my wrist<b>. </b>“I’m not interested in your friend,” he said, his voice tense.
His bluntness caught me off guard.
His gaze darkened as he looked at me. “It’s you I’m interested in.”
My breath hitched as I realized this joke had gone too far. I pulled my arm back gently. “You’ll be disappointed then. I’m married.”
I automatically lifted my hand to show my wedding ring, but then remembered I’d removed it days earlier.
Nathan’s expression turned grim. “I know Jared’s your husband,” he said hoarsely. “But word is your marriage isn’t exactly thriving.”