There was a candle on the table between them. It was not romantic, Gracie thought angrily, it was simply an accident waiting to happen. Didn't anyone care how easily that could start a fire?
Gracie's lips pursed. Here she was agonizing over the ethics of kissing him and he was entirely oblivious. What an utter fool she was!
“Thanks. You want a glass?” Chesney asked, seeing that her attention was caught by the bottle. Gracie shook her head. She didn't want to share in the dregs of his date.
“Shame,” Chesney said, refilling his already full glass. “I don't know much about wine but Huang ordered this so it's probably ridiculously expensive.”
“Your meeting was with Huang?”
“Uh-huh, he didn't stay long. You want to join me?”
A feeling of relief flooded through her, even though she knew she shouldn't care.
She really shouldn't. She shouldn't get involved with a guy she was investigating, a guy who didn't even know her real name and would have every reason to be angry when he found out she'd been lying to him all this time.
“I already ate,” she said, relaxing into her chair. The candlelight, despite being a fire hazard, was actually rather cozy.
“Hmm, can I tempt you with some dessert then?” His eyebrows wiggled enthusiastically. Gracie giggled, feeling her resolve crumble. What harm would it do to stay a few minutes? “They do the most amazing chocolate mousse.”
“You come here often enough to know the menu?”
Chesney grinned wide, all of his boyish charm directed just at her. “I like to be wined and dined while Huang yells at me.”
“You don't get on with Mr. Huang?”
Chesney shrugged, the carefree expression slipping away from his face. “Oh, he's the usual micromanaging boss.”
A waiter came over to take Chesney's plate and he ordered a dessert and two spoons. “Just in case I can tempt you. I've been meaning to ask you, where were you working before Huang hired you?”
Gracie smiled coyly. “On a cruise ship actually. It sounded like it was going to be a big adventure when I applied, but...after a while, I couldn't hack it anymore.”
“Hospitality, huh? Too many irate tourists upset about their sunburn?”
More like too much time spent waiting around, hoping to snap a photo of a cheating spouse.
“It was time for a change.”
“So you decided to see what it was like to be one of the passengers before you left.”
Gracie’s smile froze. She’d forgotten that she’d originally told him that she’d just returned from a cruise with her family. Instead of answering verbally, she shrugged with one shoulder.
“I'm sure your friends and family were pleased you decided to come home, right?”
The waiter arrived, putting an elegant glass full of chocolatey goodness in the middle of the table. Gracie smirked as she picked up a spoon. Was this Chesney's way of asking if she was single?
“Ha! I knew I'd tempt you to try some,” Chesney said.
Gracie bit back a moan as she tasted the delicate mousse. It was light, airy and decadent. She licked her lips, tracing the last taste of flavor. Chesney watched her, his eyes wide. He did not have any dessert himself, seeming content for Gracie to eat it all by herself.
“My Mom is glad I'm back in town,” Gracie said, snapping Chesney's attention from her lips to her eyes.
“Of course she is. Does she live nearby?”
“Not really,” Gracie began, intending to give Chesney a few vague truths about her Mom. Except he kept on asking questions. Some part of her knew that he was deliberately steering the conversation away from business and the intrigues at Attitude office...but at the same time, he seemed so genuinely interested in her answers. He listened attentively, making the occasional joke and then asking her another question about herself.
By the time she'd finished the chocolate mouse, Gracie had told him all about her Mom, including how her parents had first met.
Finally, she put the spoon down. The mousse was gone and it was time to go. Chesney had finished the wine while she was eating. He stumbled slightly as he stood up, even though the wine didn't seem to be affecting him otherwise.