Chapter 22

Hal

Hal hung up the phone and took a deep breath. A beaming smile had taken its place on his face, and his mind whirled as he anticipated his date with Jesse.

Hal hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her ever since he had gone home from her apartment the previous night. There was something about her that was different from other women that constantly flocked around him.

Granted, Hal was constantly surrounded by superficial women who relied on their beauty to get them through just about any situation they found themselves in. He had always conceded that they had wit and intelligence, but they always seemed intent to use those gifts to manipulate others.

That was something he didn’t sense in Jesse at all. He could tell that she was very intelligent and also very ambitious. And yet, she was not manipulative. There was something about her that was reserved and intelligent. She knew how to command a room, but she would not sink to deception to get the things that she wanted.

She was sincere in her words, and playful, with a very good sense of humor. The more time that Hal spent with her, which he did admit was very little, the more he found that he was more than a little entranced by her. While this was perplexing to him, it seemed to serve as a source of immense amusement for Adam.

“How’d it go?” Adam asked as he strolled into the room, an apple in hand.

“Very well,” Hal said, hoping that Adam would soon abandon the topic.

“Are you sure?” Adam raised an eyebrow and gave his friend a smirk. “It sounded like she was giving you a bit of a hard time over there. I wasn’t sure you were going to be able to manage it.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Hal dismissed his friend.

“Me?” Adam scoffed and laughed. “You were the one getting all puffy and huffy when she almost turned you down.”

“Well, I like getting what I want.” Hal shrugged and turned in his chair to cross his legs.

“I take it that she said yes, then,” Adam guessed.

“Of course she did,” Hal said simply, and Adam rolled his eyes.

“Don’t act so self-assured,” Adam chided his friend. “I heard at least one half of that talk, and I know that she put up a good fight.”

“She was just surprised is all,” Hal easily dismissed his friend.

“Whatever you say.” Adam shrugged and took a large bite out of his apple.

Hal was quiet as he pondered the conversation that had just unfolded. She had seemed reluctant, and he hated to let his status get in the way of his feelings for her, but he had the strong suspicion that she was reluctant because of his money and success. He hoped that didn’t make her feel like she had to be with him if she didn’t want to, and he was sure that Adam was having the same misgivings that he was.

“Do you think she feels pressured to accept?” Hal asked, voicing some of his uncertainty.

“Well, of course she does,” Adam answered simply. “But all men pressure women when they’re asking them out on a date. That’s just how the story goes.”

“Well yes,” Hal admitted. “I just mean because of my status and who I am. You don’t think she was intimidated, right?”

Adam raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

“Of course she was,” Adam said with a sigh, shaking his head.

Hal frowned and was lost in his thoughts for several long moments.

“Look,” Adam sighed and moved to give Hal a hefty pat on the back. “I wouldn’t be too worried about all this. If she hadn’t wanted to go, she wouldn’t have said yes, no matter who you are. Got it?”

“If you say so,” Hal said, still feeling largely insecure about the situation.

“Now if you’ll excuse me …” Adam sighed, moving toward the door and taking his jacket off the coat rack. “You may have your billions working for you, but I have my looks.”

“Right,” Hal said derisively. “Just be sure you pick someone up. You can drop my name if you want to.”

“Please,” Adam said with a bark of laughter. “I don’t want to scare her off.”

“Hey, money talks if nothing else,” Hal said with a grin.

“Well, money can talk for you,” Adam said, opening the door. “I’ll catch you later.”

“Great,” Hal said. “Be careful out there.

Adam did not respond, but Hal heard the door close. He smiled to himself. He knew that Adam would have no trouble picking anyone up. Hal couldn’t be too sure, but he suspected that Adam had singled in on one woman for quite some time. She was a beautiful Latina named Maria. Her petite stature was in stark contrast to Adam’s large frame, but Hal had to admit that they made for a cute sight.

Again, Hal was overcome by a rush of worry that this evening would not go well. He hadn’t told Jesse that the small group was, in reality, just Adam and his date. He had brought in a chef that was going to make a meal for all of them in the comfort of his own home. He had brought up some of the best wine from his cellar and had no doubts that the food and drink would be excellent. He was simply nervous that Jesse would not take kindly to his small deception.

In reality, he had not actually lied to her. He was meeting all the stipulations that he had made in his phone call. Regardless, he had not said that it would be at his home or that it was a double date. He had not exactly lied, but he had not told the whole truth.

Hal sighed, stood up from his chair, and immediately moved to his room to look through his wardrobe. He had all manner of suits, and he wondered which of them would be suitable for this evening. He didn’t want to overdo it, but at the same time, he wanted to look nice. Suddenly, he found that he had no idea what he wanted to wear, and he released a long sigh, running his hand through his hair.

He scowled at the thought of a woman making him feel so overwrought and unsure. It had been a long time since he had ever felt so strongly for a woman. A part of him wondered vaguely if he was ready for this sort of thing, but he quickly dismissed that question. After all, there really was nothing going on between them as of yet.

He knew there was no reason for him to be feeling so flustered, so he abandoned his pursuit of the perfect outfit and decided to go for a drive. He knew that would likely take his mind off of the woman that had been so actively haunting his thoughts that day.

At least, he dearly hoped so.