“Oh, yes.”
“I’m surprised to see you here. I don’t recall telling you where I worked.”
Where he worked was an understatement. He was a successful, wealthy tycoon. There was a spark of amusement in his dark, ravishing eyes. Jen noticed he had the sexiest eyes with the longest lashes she’d ever seen on a man.
“I…um…I found out.” Jen didn’t want to get Rose into any trouble but she didn’t want to lie outright either.
“Oh, well, have you eaten yet?”
“Actually, no. Not yet.”
“Good. There’s a nice place I’d like to take you.”
“Okay.”
“You’re not afraid of heights are you?”
“Why?”
“Because we’re going to the highest restaurant in the world. Near the top of the CN Tower.”
“The CN Tower?”
“Yes. Almost two thousand feet high.”
Jen had heard of the restaurant 360 on the top floor of one of the tallest buildings in the world. The Restaurant at the CN Tower was one of Toronto's finest and featured unforgettable food combined with a magnificent revolving view of Toronto more than a thousand feet above ground level. It was truly a unique culinary experience.
Later at the restaurant, they ate summer tomato salad with black pearl olives and grilled Halloumi cheese. They also enjoyed sea salt crusted Atlantic Salmon with fried capers served with sweet butter potatoes while they captured in a breathtaking view of the city.
Jen and Blake had the most stimulating conversation over lunch, talking about everything from politics to sports and entertainment news. It was a breath of fresh air to have so much in common with a member of the opposite sex—that is, talking about more than just sex.
“You really work hard,” Jen told him.
“What makes you say that?” he said in a low voice, grinning.
“Well, we’ve been having lunch and your phone has buzzed like a hundred and fifty times. You’re very much in demand, I see. I hope you don’t always run this way every day. You have to stop and smell the roses.”
“You know something, you’re the first woman to tell me that.”
“Oh, is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Just a minute.” He pulled out his BlackBerry and called his assistant and told her to cancel his afternoon meetings and deal with any emergencies. “You’re right. I work seven days a week. I’m always on the go.”
“Wow. So you just cancelled your plans for me?”
“No. I did it for…us.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I should try something different for a change.”
Jen flushed.
“You get embarrassed easy, I see,” he teased her gently.
“Oh, I’m just a little hot, that’s all,” she lied quietly. It bothered her that her skin turned colour whenever she was embarrassed or put on the spot. She didn’t want him to think she was a timid girl.
“The truth is, I do whatever feels good for me at the time. I live in the moment, Jen. I’m not afraid to change my course of action when need be.”
“Oh, well, that’s good to hear,” Jen said as she picked up her glass and took a sip of her freshly squeezed orange juice.
He brought his glass up to hers. “Let’s toast, shall we?”
“Oh, of course. But what are we toasting?”
“To living in the moment.”
“Yes. Here’s to living in the moment.”
After their delicious late afternoon lunch, he took her to the Art Gallery of Ontario where they toured many exhibits. Jen was particularly interested in the various oil paintings.
“Beautiful. I wish I knew how to paint.”
“Maybe I can show you one day.”
“You paint?” Jen was surprised.
“And why does that surprise you?”
“I…I don’t know. I just never thought. I mean, do you have any paintings here?”
“Oh, no. Just in my home.”
“I’d love to see them.”
“You would?”
“Of course. Why not?”
“Well, if you have time we can stop over at my place and you can tell me what you think of them.” He held her lower back and she felt a tingling down her spine. A current of desire flow through her veins.