Why we are here, outside of his having mentioned he wanted to buy the place, is besides me. We haven’t so much as discussed any of that.
As our dinner plates are removed, I decide to broach the topic. “So, why did we come here? Are we testing the cuisine, or are you looking to renovate the place?”
He shakes his head. “Neither.”
I raise a brow. “Neither?”
“Neither,” he repeats, smiling. “I wanted to celebrate your promotion.”
I blink. What? He brought me to one of the fanciest restaurants in the city for . . . me?
“Celebrate?” I say, voice thick with emotion.
“Has anyone else taken you to dinner? You got a huge job, Bailey. Someone needs to celebrate it with you.”
My eyes lower to the table as I admit, “I don’t really have any friends around here.”
I feel stupid voicing that out loud. It sounds childish and pathetic, even to me.
“I know the feeling,” he says, and I frown. “Just because I know a lot of people who call me their friend doesn’t mean I actually have friends, Bailey. People will say whatever they want if it’ll benefit them in some way. It doesn’t have to be the truth. I have a lot of acquaintances but very few real friends.”
An insane feeling of sadness washes through me. Despite whatever’s been said about Drew, every interaction I’ve had with him has been pleasant. More than. He truly seems to be a good guy with a good heart. Not once has he said anything that’s led me to believe his thoughtfulness comes with expectations. He’s been nothing but a gentleman.
It makes me sad that he seems to feel mostly alone. How horrible it must feel to constantly be used. I know exactly how that feels.
“A long time ago, I hung with a pretty eclectic crowd,” I admit. “Some of them came from very little, and it wasn’t until much later into our ‘friendship,’” I use air quotes on the word, “that I realized they were using me for my parents’ money. They wanted access to . . . stuff I could afford, and they couldn’t.”
“They befriended you for the access?” he parrots, looking as though he knows that feeling far too well. “What happened? They left when you finally figured it out?”
I laughed but without humor. “When I realized I had to change, they left. They only wanted to be friends with me for what my money could buy.”
His eyes narrow, but thankfully, he doesn’t pry. I’m not ready to talk about my past.
Especially not tonight. Not here in this luxurious restaurant, surrounded by the New York elite. For one night, I want to feel like something other than a failure. Something more than my sister’s ward and my mother’s dirty secret.
“If you could do anything or be anyone, what would you choose?” Drew asks me, seeming truly curious.
“Honestly? I’d choose me as I am now. It took me a long time to get here, and I still have a way to go, but I think that our past helps mold our future. I’ve been through some really dark times, but I know that with this opportunity you’ve given me, all my dreams are finally at my fingertips. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Bailey. I see potential in you, and I want to give you this chance. In the short time you’ve been employed by Silver, you’ve worked circles around the other girls. I wouldn’t trust any one of them with this project.”
I don’t have a chance to react to Drew’s words because our waiter is back, placing a plate full of mini desserts and a bottle of champagne on the table. He pours two glasses, setting one in front of me and one in front of Drew.
“Thank you,” Drew says to the man, who bows slightly and walks away.
“What’s this?” I say, smiling.
“Sorry about that.” He reaches out and moves the glass away from in front of me. “I told them it was a celebration, so they must have assumed . . . Now that I fucked that up, let’s move to the second part of the celebration,” he says, holding up his spoon. “Congratulations, Bailey. May this be the beginning of a successful career with Lawson Enterprises.”
I lift my spoon and smile even wider. “Thank you,” I say, clinking the metal utensil with his before looking down at the plate. “What do we have here?” I ask, inspecting the various confections.
There are glazed donuts with a side of what appears to be chocolate and caramel glazes, mini tarts, and a small chocolate lava cake.
I put a sampling of each on my plate and dig into the lava cake first. When my lips wrap around the spoon and taste the delicious cake, I moan around the first bite. When my eyes open, I catch Drew swallowing down something that looks a lot like desire. His eyes blaze as he’s focused on my mouth.