“Fine,” I cave. Challenge accepted. “But only until something better comes along.”
“If it comes along.” He winks at me.
My cheeks flame, and I cool my wandering thoughts with my lemonade. Jax holds out his glass in the middle of the table. “To new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings,” I cheer, clinking my glass against theirs.
Did I seriously just agree to being an assistant?
Jax looks around, fingers drumming against the table. “Where did our waitress go? I’m ready to order.”
“I think you scared her away with your ideas.” Johnathan laughs.
“Well, I’m going on a hunt for the bathroom.” Jax looks my way. “If she does come back, tell her I want the Salmon Fresco.”
“One salmon coming right up.”
I do my best to act normal as he walks away. We’re finally alone. I don’t look at Johnathan, afraid he might see the lust lingering in my eyes. The last thing I want to come across as is desperate.
“So, should I start calling you boss now or after dinner?” I ask, gripping my menu.
“I think we should wait till the ink’s dry before we start getting too formal.”
I can feel his eyes on me but refuse to look up, the shrimp on the page staring back at me. “All right.”
“Why don’t you pass by the office tomorrow and we can sort everything out? I can show you around the place and we can get better acquainted.”
My heart does a backflip, and I clear my throat. “Anything in particular you want me to wear?”
“Does it matter?”
I break my staring contest with the shrimp and meet his gaze, his teeth grazing his bottom lip. A tease through and through. Well, two can play at that game.
“I guess it all depends on how much of me you want?”
“More than I have right now.” His eyes rake every inch of me, and I bite my own lip. Maybe I can get Jax drunk enough to send him back home alone in a cab. I’ll charm Johnathan to take me back to his place and then…
“All ready to order?”
I look up and blink at the waitress. How long has she been standing there? I look around for Jax and sigh in relief when he’s nowhere in sight.
“Yes, my friend will be having the Salmon Fresco,” Johnathan says. “I’ll have the Ravioli Special.”
“What I miss?” Jax asks, plopping back in his chair between us.
“Not much.” I shrug, glancing at my menu before ordering. I’m calm. There’s nothing happening between me and Johnathan. Nothing at all.
* * *
“I’m telling you,he was flirting with you.”
I click on the light of my room and toss my shoes in the corner. “Give it a rest, Jax.”
“I’m serious,” he slurs. “If he does something to you at work, you let me know. I’ll come right down there.”
“And do what? Take him out to another dinner?”
He pouts from the doorframe. “I’m just trying to make sure my baby sister is safe.”