“No, I’m not driving, but I’m not on vacation anymore, either.”
“Piper, the next few weeks are going to be more of a vacation than you’ve ever had if you can relax and go with the flow. Seriously, add holistic massage to the list of your allowable expenses. You seem to need it.” He watched her face as she appeared to consider his suggestion. There were dark circles under her eyes; she could probably do with some pampering. He guessed things hadn’t been too easy for her. “What’s your favorite restaurant?”
“The Loft is, but—”
“Great. I’ll take you there and buy you anything you want. I feel like celebrating.”
She smiled nervously and then the tension in her face seemed to melt. At last. “Okay, the Loft for lunch, then. I’ll have the rib eye steak with shrimp, a side of onion rings, and the best Cabernet Sauvignon they have.”
“Cabernet, hmmm?”
“Merlot is so passé.”
“Do you want some nuts with that?”
“Olives, the imported ones hand-stuffed with garlic by nuns.”
He picked up his jacket and slid it back on. “In that case, I’ll have the biggest lobster in town. With melted garlic butter.”
Her smile became a grin. “And I thought you could live on peanuts and potato chips, Mr. DeLeo.”
“I can. And beer. It’s nutritious. In fact, I’m thinking of devising a diet based on it. Write a book, develop an app, maybe design some ultra-cool merchandise.”
She tilted her head to one side. “The tragic thing is that I can see you actually doing that.”
Chapter Three
Piper’s cheeks tingled as the cold air outside the brewery office building hit her full on. Matt DeLeo was no more than a foot behind her—she could feel his heat in the cool Colorado air, she would swear to it.
“Which way from here?” she murmured. “Are we walking?”
“Why not?” His voice was deep and calm, such a contrast to how she felt. “We can be there in about five minutes. Or I can get us a car.”
She turned to face him. “I can walk five minutes to the Loft if that’s where you want to go.”
“I’ve never been there, but if it’s your favorite, that’s good enough for me.”
“It’s great, but—”
“Then let’s get there because my stomach is going to be making really bad noises soon.”
Piper wanted to say she was scared her buddies would spot her, that the bartender would be indiscreet, and that her best haunt was about to be sullied forever. She hadn’t thought about that when she’d blurted out that the Loft was her favorite place. “Okay, but don’t embarrass me. I’m a regular.”
“Now why would I do that?”
The way he said that made her even more fearful. She couldn’t trust him after he’d threatened to put her panties up behind the bar of the Railway Tavern, could she? She made a snap decision to lie for everyone’s benefit. “And to be honest, I’ve heard the chef’s not so hot on seafood.”
“Really?”
“I’ve never actually had the lobster myself, but the last time I was there, I did hear someone complaining.”
“Would you like to go somewhere else?”
She held in the sigh of relief. “I think it would be best. Perhaps Fernando’s?” She’d never set foot in the place because it was so expensive, but if Matt wanted to play this game to the max, she could get a nice meal out of it. “Although I hear they have a waiting list for tables as long as your arm.”
“They’ll fit us in,” he said confidently. “But it’s not close by and it’s freezing out here. Let’s have a drink somewhere while we wait for a car and I give Fernando’s a call.” He gestured to a red and yellow awning a few yards ahead. “Tapas bar, perfect.”
The heavy wood and glass door swung closed behind them and the warm air scented with garlic, chorizo, and sherry was heavenly in contrast with the gray chill outside. “I must do Spain one day,” Piper mused. “So colorful and vibrant.”
“And warm.” Matt pulled out a tall wooden stool at the bar for her. “Although Seville in July can be a challenge.”
“You’ve been there?”
“I’ve been a whole lot of places, the upside of having an itinerant and pretty much wasted youth before I got stuck in an office. And then a regular paycheck made last-minute cheap flights during vacation time irresistible.”
“Lucky you.” Sometimes Piper wished she hadn’t always been so square and reliable, Sanibel excluded—that was a crazy blip. “Sounds like fun.”
He stared for a moment at the arch-shaped wooden wine rack behind the bar. Could it be that he was suddenly feeling wistful? Piper knew damn well she would be. Leaving the Atlantic Coast and its soft white sand had been bad enough.
“What would you like to drink?”
Her head was still thick from lack of sleep, but what the hell. “Whatever you’re having, as long as it’s not beer.”
He smiled at the bartender and gestured that he wanted to order. “Two large Tempranillos, por favor.”
The bartender grinned back. “Want any tapas with that, mate?”
Matt nodded. “Yeah, a couple of small ones, whatever’s best today.”
They watched as the young guy poured rich, ruby-colored liquid into the glass bowls of two tall wine goblets. “It’s nice here,” Piper said. “Why don’t we stay here and eat instead of trekking across town?”
Matt shrugged. “Not sure they do big meals like steak and shrimp, just the tapas. I can ask about the Cabernet.”
“I’m fine with the cute little dishes.” She closed her eyes and took a sip of the wine, tiny beaded bubbles still spinning on the surface from being poured. “This red wine is good. Is your cold executive heart set on lobster?”
“I’ll live without the crustacean. In that case, let’s sit somewhere more comfortable.” He pointed to a small table set into an alcove. “Grab that one and I’ll get our server to bulk up our order.”
Piper panicked slightly in the minute it took Matt to upgrade their order and she sat fiddling with a coaster while she waited for him. Conversation had flowed effortlessly between them in Florida and it hadn’t just been because of the alcohol. However, this was a very different feeling situation. Her best bet was to keep this as business-like as possible, to remain neutral and professional, however companions or girlfriends of convenience managed to do that. When he sat down she forced a smile, looked away, and took a sip of her wine before speaking.