They did the half-hug, half-thump on the back like old buddies and Elle just stared. Her escort and Lane knew each other?
Isaiah glanced her way and smiled. “Elle, this is Lane, an old friend from school. Lane, this is Elle.”
Elle. Well, that was vague enough.
Lane smiled. “Yes, we already know each other.”
Isaiah looked between the two of them again. “Oh?”
Elle tried to force the shock off her face and act like a normal human being. “Yes, we work together.”
“Oh, great. Well, Elle was just indulging me by listening to my pitch about why I am a far superior financial planner to the one she has now. I’m hoping she’ll move her accounts over with my company, but she’s a tough customer.” Isaiah handled it all with smooth social grace. He was clearly used to being on his toes and playing it by ear. In his job, he no doubt traveled in some high-powered circles and would have to know how to hold his own and have a cover story.
Lane’s attention returned to her, something dangerous in his eyes. “Oh, she’s a tough customer all right. She’ll be your toughest one yet.”
Isaiah glanced her way, a thoughtful look on his face, but he gave the appropriate laugh for Lane’s joke-that-wasn’t-a-joke. “Well, it was good seeing you. We should get together for a drink soon and catch up.”
“Absolutely,” Lane agreed. He gave Isaiah a pat on the back and then stepped closer to Elle. “Elle, it was good seeing you.” She stiffened as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. His mouth brushed past her ear. “Bathroom hallway. Be there in two minutes.”
The whispered words shot through her system like a flare of heat, but she sent him a narrow-eyed look. Who the hell was he to order her around? “See you at work, Lane.”
The head shake he gave was nearly imperceptible but she got the message. Not that she was going to heed it. She turned back toward Isaiah and smiled. “So tell me more about your plan.”
Lane walked off but not out the front door. He turned the corner and she knew he’d be in the bathroom hallway, expecting her to show up. Well, he could hold his breath and wait. If nothing else, seeing him had cemented her reasons for inviting Isaiah here. Isaiah was the right choice. No drama. A sexy, friendly guy who was willing to provide what she wanted without requiring anything else.
“Sorry about that,” Isaiah said, settling back in his chair. “If it helps any, I don’t know where Lane works. I haven’t seen him in a long time, so he didn’t reveal anything about you.”
She shrugged, giving up on the hope of total anonymity. “It’s fine. Things like that are going to happen. I need to be prepared to run into people who may know me. I’m a doctor.”
He smiled. “I’m impressed.”
“But now you understand why discretion is so important.”
“Of course. Like I said, your secrets are safe with me. Now, back to—”
But he was cut off by the waitress stopping by to take their orders.
Elle ordered a random sandwich from the menu and her gaze strayed to the clock. How many minutes had passed since Lane had walked off? Was he still in the hallway? What did he want to talk about? Her heart was still beating too fast from seeing him here. She shouldn’t care, but she couldn’t shake the thought that he was there waiting for her. No way was she going to be able to concentrate on the conversation she needed to have if Lane was hovering in the back of her thoughts. Damn that man.
After Isaiah put in his order and turned his smile back to her, she slid her chair backward. “Excuse me for a second. I’ll be right back.”
“No problem. Everything okay?”
“Of course. Just too much tea.”
He smiled an easy smile and she made her way to the restrooms. When she turned the corner, she didn’t see Lane, and some weird combination of relief and disappointment filled her. She let out a breath. He’d left. Okay. Good. Now she’d be able to work this thing out with Isaiah and not think about the way just having Lane’s words brush against her ear had sent a trail of goose bumps over her skin.
She pushed open the door to the ladies’ room, deciding she might as well go if she was there, and then touched up her lipstick afterward. The woman staring back at her in the mirror looked determined, resolute. She could do this. Just because Isaiah hadn’t yet sparked that rush of desire in her didn’t mean he wouldn’t. They just needed to get past the awkward planning and negotiating phase first.
Elle stepped back out into the hallway, feeling calmer, and was quickly blocked by a wall of muscle. She let out a startled gasp and almost ran right into Lane’s chest. He smiled down at her. “I knew you couldn’t resist.”
Chapter 9
I knew you couldn’t resist. Elle’s fists curled tight at Lane’s pompous words. The words were one-hundred percent true, but no way in hell was she letting him know that. “I had to pee.”
“Uh-huh. I need a minute.” Lane reached down, grabbed her wrist, and tugged. Before she could protest, he pulled her through a half-open doorway behind him.
“What are you doing?”