Chapter 7
Lacy sat straight-backed across from her client. As she sipped her wine in the awkward silence between them, that’s what she had to continually remind herself. Walid was her client. She worked for him, and that was the end of it.
It was impossible not to notice how good he looked in that suit, though, or the fact that despite the uncomfortable silence, he never once appeared bored. She knew he must have been. How many more interesting people he could’ve been with other than there with her.
Originally Linda had said she was going to meet his business partner. So far, however, it was just the two of them. They did the polite small-talk at first, but after twenty minutes, the conversation died as neither could think of anything to say that didn’t start touching on personal subjects. It’d been thirty minutes, and the waiter had refilled her glass twice.
She was trying to pace herself, but taking a sip out of boredom was proving to be the death of her. When the waiter came by again to check on their bread, Walid gave an almost imperceptible tensing of his lips to show his perturbation. She only noticed because at that exact moment she’d been focused on the shape and fullness of his lips. She’d kissed men with thin, flat lips before.
The common belief was that women were the only ones to need full, kissable lips, but every woman knew that a good set of peckers were just as important on a guy. Walid had a beautiful pair.
“I’m surprised they haven’t called,” she said. She hadn’t meant to, but the alcohol was making her chatty, and without actually talking happening, she could feel that she was soon liable to say almost anything.
“I’ve not checked,” he said. “My phone is kept on silent, especially when in fine establishments. It would be rude of me to look at my phone when such a beautiful woman sits across from me.”
Lacy gave a small laugh and held her glass in salute. “An alarming amount of self-control, I must say. You have my permission to check if they’ve left a message.”
He smiled, the first smile she’d seen on his face since… Was it the first one?
“The lady is gracious and forgiving,” he said. Then, taking out his phone, he gave a small sigh and replaced it in his pocket. “It would appear he is not going to make it tonight. Personal reasons. I beg your forgiveness. This was not the evening I had planned.”
“No need to apologize,” she said. “It’s not your fault someone else canceled. Thank you anyway. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.” She gathered up her purse and scooted her chair back as she spoke.
“You are leaving?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.
She stood, and he stood as well as a show of manners, but she paused. “This was to be a business meeting. I’ve nothing to discuss with you, and your partner isn’t showing.” She gave a small shrug.
“This does not mean we cannot have a meal together. We’ve waited this long, and you look lovely. I do not think we should waste the effort.”
Lacy looked at him, and tried to decide if he was joking or making fun of her at all. How could a man like him think she was anywhere near his level? She could only image the type of women he was used to being out with. She didn’t kid herself, she knew she wasn’t one of them.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I don’t want to waste your time if you had business to tend to.”
“My business right now is enjoying your company.” He moved around the table to the back of her chair. “Please.”
The skin of her neck and the entire left side of her rose in goose flesh at his sudden proximity. Her mind spun in a whirl of panic. What was the right move to make here? Professionally, it wasn’t smart to spend time out of the office with a male client like this.
Business meeting or not, it was difficult being a woman in this city in her profession. Rumors were career killers, and she could ill afford any, especially after this man’s altercation in his hotel room. And yet, when she looked behind her and into his eyes, for the life of her she couldn’t think of anywhere she would have rather been.
She lowered herself to sit again, and he scooted the chair in for her. She watched him as he went around to his place opposite her and waved for the waiter to return.
“Our third will not be coming tonight. Two menus, please, and another bottle of wine.”
Lacy gave an embarrassed laugh. “I don’t think I should have any more. I’ve had more than enough as it is.”
Walid smiled to her as he sat. “This is no longer a business meeting. You are free to drink as much as you like.”
Lacy smoothed out the table cloth in front of her, a nervous habit. It felt like silk, but she knew it couldn’t have been. “Business meeting or not, you are my client, and a certain decorum must be maintained.”
Walid smiled and stared off toward the other end of the restaurant past her. “You Americans and your luxuries, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.”
“Luxury comes at a price.”
He gave a thoughtful frown and looked back to her. “This is true. However, it seems to me that the price of luxury should not be so… stiff.”
Lacy tilted her head and took a sip of her wine. “I don’t follow.”
The chairs were large, carved wood. Each was almost a little throne, with large red cushions and arms. Walid leaned against one of these arms and adjusted his position. It was clear he was unimpressed with the chairs.
“Take this, for example.” He knocked his knuckles against the wood of the arm. “What purpose does it serve? According to your manners, you’re not to rest your elbows on anything.”
Lacy shrugged a shoulder. “It looks nice.”
“Does it?”
“So, you’re saying that our luxury is uncomfortable and serves no purpose?”
He readjusted again, and splayed his hands out defensively in front of him. “I’m not saying that, exactly. Perhaps it does service a purpose. If it does, however, I do not know it.”
“You know, it’s funny you’d say as much.” Lacy sipped her wine and debated telling him. Crossing the line into personal lives was generally a no-no, but she was deep in her wine on an empty stomach, and the conversation was touching on something she felt strongly about: her couch. “In my home, I have two living rooms. The large one, downstairs, I use for company. It has all of my expensive furniture in it, electronics, that sort of thing.”
“Yes,” Walid said, that accent of his becoming sexier with every word. “In my home, it is customary to have an entertaining room for guests as well.”
“Well,” Lacy said, and started smiling for no reason. Why was she smiling? She paused and became embarrassed by the fact that she couldn’t stop smiling, so she looked down at her silverware and straightened out the knife.
“In my second living room, where I spend time when I don’t have company, I have this… couch.”
“A couch.”
“Yes. It’s cheap. I bought it from a thrift store. Hand-me-down, that sort of thing.”
Walid squinted his eyes as he tried to understand where she was going.
“This couch is the most comfortable thing in the world, but it’s so cheap and ugly I have to hide it.”
Walid laughed, and slapped a hand down on the wooden arm of the chair. “Yes, there! You see? The cost of luxury in your country. You must retreat to your private rooms to enjoy the comfort of cheap furniture. That is fantastic.”
Lacy laughed with him and sipped her wine again, cursing herself for drinking more than she should be. It was becoming habit and already she could feel herself growing even tipsier. The food hadn’t even arrived yet.
“Yes, well, I’m just saying I understand.”
He smiled at her, his mirth calming into a quiet, bemused appraisal. “I feel you understand better than most.”
Lacy was grateful for the dark room and the soft candlelight at their table. For a business meeting, it was a bit silly, but for a romantic dinner for two, it was perfect. Not only did it set the mood, but it also did well to hide the fact that she was blushing.
The conversation melted from there into soft talk of one another. Their families, childhood experiences. None of it was overly personal, but it had certainly surpassed the point of professionalism.
What impressed Lacy, though, was how comfortable she felt about it all. Not only that, but how much she actually wanted to know about him. Once the professional façade was broken through, the chemistry between them ignited, and Lacy couldn’t say if it was the wine or the conversation, but she’d never felt more on fire.