The driver dropped us off on a busy street where several food trucks were parked, and large crowds of people were walking and waiting for their orders. I followed Adrian, who left his suit jacket and tie in the car. He looked uncharacteristically casual with his shirtsleeves rolled up to reveal tan, deliciously strong forearms.
We ordered from a barbecue truck and walked for a little before we ate, following the sound of music. We eventually found a man in a straw hat playing guitar and singing. There was a large crowd, so Adrian looked around for a place to get a better view.
“Here,” he said, motioning for me to follow him. He climbed on the hood of a parked van and stuck his free hand out for me.
“You don’t think they’ll mind us eating on top of their van?”
“Live a little, Miss Adams,” he said, grinning boyishly.
I wondered what had gotten into him but wasn’t going to complain if my usually stuck up bosshole wanted to be in a good mood for once. I let him pull me up, then scurried up the windshield to sit on the top of the large white van beside Adrian.
I was reminded of how intense he’d been when he talked about this presentation and getting to Coleton Central. I guessed this really was a celebration for him. Even better, I was the reason it had worked. His uncharacteristically good mood suddenly made a lot more sense.
He took a pinch of the pulled pork on his tray and popped it into his mouth, patting the space beside him. “Come on. I won’t bite this time.”
I slid next to him. I’d ordered a barbecue taco fusion. My first bite was delicious, and I could taste pineapple in the sauce. I made a happy sound, then smiled. “This is so good. Is yours?”
He nodded. Except he was hardly eating. He’d already set his tray aside and was leaning back with his long legs splayed out, watching the musician.
“You said you can only tolerate a couple fancy meals a day,” I said while the musician stopped to tune up his guitar after a song. “I have to admit, I kind of pictured you as the kind of guy who grew up with money and loved everything about the lifestyle.”
He shook his head. God, he looked amazing. There was a warm breeze and a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. His dark hair was rippling in the wind and getting caught against his forehead in thick locks that clung to his skin. I found myself staring at his full lips while he seemed to mull over the right words. “My parents never had much,” he finally said.
“What? Really? How’d you wind up at Coleton?”
“My dad actually worked for Coleton. For most of his life.”
“Is he still…”
“Alive?” Adrian asked. “No, he died ten years back.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“It was a long time ago,” he said. He sounded dismissive. “What about you? What do your parents do?”
I swallowed. From the moment I met Adrian, I’d almost assumed I would never have to answer a direct question about myself. All he cared about was work. “Well,” I said, struggling for the right answer. I still hadn’t lied to him. Not directly. I’d omitted the truth, yes, but I hadn’t lied. “My dad is in business.”
“Anywhere I’ve heard of?”
I cringed. “Probably.” I tried to sound casual, hoping I’d stop him from asking more. “But he always acted like business was a man’s world. You know? Like I couldn’t possibly understand it or succeed if I tried. I think I’ve always wanted to prove him wrong.”
Adrian chuckled. “That’s good. I respect that.”
I took another bite of my taco. It really was good. The music was, too. It was honestly the perfect afternoon, and I couldn’t even complain that I had to share it with my asshole boss because, well… he wasn’t being an asshole. Not today, at least.
“I’ve been hard on you,” he said. “But I’m hard on everyone. So I don’t want you to take it too personally.”
“Yeah. You were really hard on me back in the airplane bathroom,” I blurted. I clapped my hand to my mouth, cheeks burning. Please tell me I did not just say that out loud.
Adrian looked like he was trying and failing not to smile. “Yeah,” was all he managed.
I licked my lips. Shit. There was no avoiding the awkwardness that was about to come. Might as well dive in headfirst. “I have to admit I don’t get it. You seem so serious and strict. Like flirting with an employee would be the last thing you’d ever consider. So I don’t get why you were, well…”
“You see, when a man finds a woman sexually attractive, blood starts to flow to his-”
I held up my hand, laughing. Adrian smiled back. “I mean I didn’t get why the boss who acted like I was a plague upon his life would react to me… like that.”