Laughter bubbles out of him. “You’re the most unpredictable woman I know, and I love that about you.”
“See, you’re not helping by saying nice things to me. It would really help if you turned broody and mean.”
“Right. You don’t dig broody guys, do you?”
“You have a great memory.”
Nate was staying at our house during a Christmas vacation, and by then, I’d known him for enough years to be comfortable around him. We usually had a lot of fun together, typically at the expense of my younger siblings, but he spent that entire vacation frowning and being moody, and I wasn’t having any of it. I wanted my laughing partner back.
I was still a kid, too young to really like him, but even then, my instincts were to comfort him. Mom had told me he had a big fight with his mother before Christmas. In my book, that wasn’t a good enough reason to sulk all the time. I wanted to take all his sadness away but didn’t know how. So in my typical fashion, I started picking on him.
“You’ll get wrinkles from so much frowning,” I informed him.
“No, I won’t.” His voice had been flat, and he didn’t seem interested in carrying on a conversation. And it was exactly what bothered me. Nate would usually crack a joke, or at least toss a witty reply my way when I picked on him. I folded my arms against my chest and gave him a cold stare.
“For your information, broody guys are so passé. Girls don’t dig them anymore. If you need someone to take that stick out of your ass, you’ll find me outside.”
Nate had watched me incredulously for a split second before bursting out laughing. It was the first time he’d laughed so wholeheartedly during his entire stay. I wasn’t just proud, but also happy.
“You’re right, let’s focus on this.” Nate looks down, reading through his notes. “I meant to ask, why do you work only with small, local farmers? Why the farm-to-table concept?”
Ah, I could talk about this all day.
“Farmers work hard. Remember, my parents used to do that work too.”
A long time ago,
before Sebastian founded Bennett Enterprises, our family was poor. Then our luck changed. Bennett Enterprises grew to become a mammoth, and our brother took care of the entire family. But before that, my parents owned a ranch. Cattle was their main occupation, but they also had fruit and vegetables. Growing them required dedication and care. Selling them was another matter altogether.
“Farmers put in long hours, work themselves to the bone. But when it comes to selling their products, it’s hard for them to compete with the big guys. Supermarket chains often force them to sell far under the price to squeeze out a profit. Restaurants rarely choose to buy directly from small farmers because their prices aren’t competitive. But if you’re smart, you can make a profit without taking advantage of those hardworking people.”
Nate nods but doesn’t take notes.
“Why aren’t you writing this down?”
“I’ll remember it. I’ve never seen you talk so passionately about anything. You’re brilliant.”
“Why, thank you, mister. I suggest you lay off the compliments. Remember, you’re not allowed to knock my socks off.”
“Stop saying socks like that, Alice.” The way my name rolls off his tongue should be outlawed. There is so much sensuality in those two syllables, it’s giving me whiplash. The man isn’t even trying to seduce me. I wonder what he’d sound like if he tried. Damn. It’s this line of thinking that got me into trouble in the first place. I have to stop, or there is nothing good in store for me.
“How?”
“Like you mean panties instead.” His eyes snap fire, and the intensity in them travels straight through me. I involuntarily press my thighs together, hoping to assuage the ache between them.
“You sure like getting ahead of yourself.” I don’t know if humor will get me out of this situation or sink me more, but I’m not one to abandon a project midway. Still, sticking to the topic of the TV show is probably a safer bet. Pointing to his notebook, I ask, “Do you have everything you need?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. Can we wrap this up, then?”
“Afraid to be alone with me much longer?”
A witty reply begs to tumble from my lips, but I force the words back down and instead say, “No, but I need to get to one of my other restaurants. Saturday is our busiest day.”
Nate nods, and I’m relieved I’m off the hook. He takes off his reading glasses, which is a pity. We rise from our chairs, and after I collect my coat, shrugging into it, we head out of the restaurant. I feel his gaze on me the entire time. Outside, I inhale a much-needed breath of fresh air.
“When will you pitch this to the network?”