And we never would.
I smiled and touched his forearm lightly. His skin was warm. “For me?”
“How about lunch?”
“Sure. I’d be happy to buy you lunch.”
“No,” he said. “I’m a gentleman. A lady never pays when she goes out with me.”
Damn. “How are you getting paid, then?”
“The company of a beautiful woman, of course.”
Was he for real? I stopped myself from shaking my head.
What the heck? Jade had told me to get out there. To meet someone.
Dominic James was definitely someone.
“Okay. You’ve got yourself a client.”
“Perfect,” he said. “I have another client coming in ten minutes. After our half-hour session, I’ll shower and change, and then it will be lunchtime. Meet me at the front desk at noon?”
“Well, I—”
“Treat yourself to a steam.”
“A half hour in the steam room? I’d be a puddle,” I said. “But I have some lifting to do. I’ll do that, and then I’ll steam and shower. I guess I’ll see you at noon.”
He smiled once more. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Dominic James was even better looking in street clothes. Jeans, a T-shirt, and a black hoodie did a lot for him.
So he wasn’t Bryce Simpson. He wasn’t blond and beautiful.
But he was dark and handsome.
And he was here.
More importantly, he was interested.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“Since I’m new around here, where’s a good place for lunch?”
“Depends on what you’re in the mood for. Jenny’s is good for typical diner food. Then there’s the Noodle. They serve Asian fusion and ramen. Sushi in the evening. There’s the Bungalow that’s run by Mrs. Pagliacci. She serves amazing pasta and other Italian stuff.”
“They all sound wonderful. I’m sure we’ll sample all of them while we work together. You choose.”
I loved them all, but where was I least likely to run into Bryce? He and Henry could still be downtown. He’d most likely choose the diner, where Henry could have crackers and soup. Next to that, the Noodle. What kid didn’t love noodles?
“Let’s try the Bungalow,” I said.
“Good enough.” He gestured for me to walk ahead of him, and we left the gym.
The Bungalow was a block over, and we made it without running into Bryce and Henry. I was tense the whole way. We were seated quickly, and the server gave us water and menus.