Exquisite (6 page)

"
We
made a killing. You
have stakes in this place as well."

Nodding she grinned, looking like a
12 year old instead of 30. She was a free spirit and expressed herself through
any means possible, from the food she created to the red tips in her hair.
Today she was dressed in black and white checked chef pants and a purple chef
jacket Mason had specifically ordered for her.

"So? You going to tell me who
you were talking to at the bar last night?"

Mason knew exactly who she was
referring to but feigned indifference, "I spoke to a lot of people last
night."

"Don't try and be cute with me
Mason Langley. The buttoned up suit talking to you while you tried
unsuccessfully to charm her."

Mason's mouth dropped open and he
blinked at his sister. "How do you know it was unsuccessful?"

"Cause Wendy said the suit
called you disgusting."

"Interfering, gossipy
women." he mumbled.

"Aww come on Mase. You know
you love us."

He raised his left eyebrow and
rocked back in his leather chair. "Well Wendy is half right. She doesn't really
like me a whole lot at the moment, but I did get her to go on a date with me
tonight." he tacked on the end.

"By what, threatening
her?"

"No I kind of manipulated her
into it." he admitted with a smile tugging the corner of his mouth. Rachel
laughed and slapped her palm on her leg.

"Wow, that has to be a first
for you right? Usually women throw themselves at your feet."

"It's not quiet that dramatic
Rachel."

She tilted her head to the side and
looked at him thoughtfully, "Do you forget I had a girl ask me if she
could give me her panties to give to you?"

Mason tried, unsuccessfully, not to
laugh. "Oh come on that was one time and I think you misjudged her."

"Her panties Mason." she
said slowly and loudly, enunciating each syllable, "She couldn't write the
name on paper but on the crotch of her panties."

Now he did laugh loudly, "You
have to give her credit for creativity."

Rachel screwed her nose up and
stood, "No I don't. That's gross." she walked to the door and looked
back, "She didn't make it easy for you. I like her already.” then she
disappeared out the door. Mason sat in silence and thought,
I don't think
anything about Lena is going to be easy.

L
ena found herself once again
sitting in her car at
Exquisite
. This time however, she knew Shelly
wasn't inside to be her buffer. She ran through different scenarios she could
use to leave early. Excuses. Her pager could go off, except she wasn't on call.
Or maybe her dog got out, except she didn't own a dog. Closing her eyes and taking
a deep breath she opened the door and stepped out into the cool air. It wasn't
even the fact that it was
him
she was going to meet. It was the whole
situation she couldn't stand. The false conversation they would have over
dinner, the awkward silences, the fake interest he’d show. So she could be
what? Lucky number thirty-four?
Please
, she thought looking around,
can't
something give me a plausible means of escape?
When nothing immediately
presented itself Lena trudged inside repeating the phrase,
the sooner I
arrive the sooner I can leav
e.

Mason was still in his office when
Wendy came to the open doorway grinning. “Guess who just walked in?”

Mason dropped the pen and leaned
back stretching his long arms over his head, “I'm going to go out on a limb and
guess my date.”

“Yep.” Wendy said popping the P.
“And she looks miserable.”

“Now why do you say that like
you're enjoying it?” Mason asked as he stood straightening the desk a little.
Wendy leaned her shoulder against the frame and crossed a leg in front of the
other. “Because I’ve never seen a date of yours turn up in a pants suit
ensemble looking as though she just swallowed a lemon.” Whistling low between
her lips she tacked on. “Boy she really doesn't want to go on a date with you
huh?”

Mason came around the desk and
walked right up to her. “I'll have you know,” he paused watching her tilt her
head, then he grinned full blown, “You’re exactly right. She's probably out
there looking for the fire escape.”

Wendy laughed and rolled her eyes,
“Then why’d you ask her out?”

Walking past her to the entrance he
answered, “I have no idea.”

Lena saw him the minute he stepped
out from behind the huge frosted glass doors at the far end of the restaurant.
She remained at the front by the hostess stand, glued to the wall,

as he started to make his way
toward her. Tonight he was dressed in the same black slacks, however he had a
white buttoned down shirt over them. The sleeves were rolled up mid arm and his
watch glimmered as he walked under the lights. His long legs seemed to eat up
the distance and before she knew it he was sanding in front of her.

“Ah the lovely Lena.” he said as he
moved around the hostess stand.  Lena watched as two of the women who’d been
sitting in the waiting area looked up at him and stopped their conversations.
She couldn't believe she was standing there preparing to voluntarily eat
dinner with him.
What on earth had possessed her to do this again?
Then
he smiled down at her and his damn dimples appeared.
Sneaky
, she thought
knowing he had just answered her question for her. Oh well, no need to be
anything other than what she’d been from the start and with that self reminder
Lena grimaced a little.

“Save the charm Romeo. I don't want
it and I certainly don't need it.”

“Lena I think you're wrong there.”
he paused, “If anyone could benefit from some charm it’d be you.”

Lena watched him as he turned to
the hostess, trying to decide if the smug bastard had just complimented
her or insulted her. She decided it had to be a veiled insult because that’d
been their weapon of choice from the very beginning. After conversing with the
woman behind the stand he turned back to her and inclined his head a little.

“Well come on through Lena and I’ll
show you our table.”

Lena heard one of the ladies behind
her sigh and she rolled her eyes at the absurdity of their simpering. Mason
caught her look and raised his eyebrows as if to ask,
what
? As if he
didn't know what the two sighing idiots behind her were thinking. She brushed
past him muttering, “Oh I bet you're loving this.” She heard him chuckle as he
followed her. He led them through the main dining room, over to the frosted
double doors then when she stopped he moved around her pushing one of the doors
open to the kitchen. He kept it like that with his hip as she raised an eyebrow
at him.

“We're eating in the kitchen?”

“No.” he stated and she walked
through cautiously watching the bustling activity going on back there. Just
remember she told herself,
the sooner I arrive the sooner I can leave
.

 There were waiters running in
and out a door at the far end. Three men behind a stainless steel pass, where a
series of grills lined the back wall, were tossing food in fry pans and yelling
at each other all the while smiling and going about their business like a well
oiled machine. Over in another corner Lena spotted a short lady in a bright
purple chef smock and a hot pink bandana. Just then the lady glanced right at
them grinned then winked at Mason.
Great. Another groupie in our midst
,
Lena thought looking back up at Mason.

“So if not here, where?”

He walked down the aisle directly
in front of him then made a left turn. Lena followed until they finally came to
a standstill in a narrow hall. He leaned against the wall facing her as she
came to a standstill on the opposite side. She looked at the closed door then
back at him. “So we're eating in there?”

He nodded then grinned, “Yep.”

Trying not to look at him as though
he was the most idiotic man on the planet she asked. “Let me get this straight.
I left
my
office to come down here and eat dinner in
your
office?”

Lena stepped back as he pushed
himself off the wall and moved toward her. Two steps forward and he was close
enough that his shirt brushed the front of hers. She sucked in a quick breath
and was now standing with her back pushed up against the wall. Not one to be
intimidated she tilted her head up to face him and watched as the left side of
his mouth pulled up in a smirk. “Do you ever have anything nice to say?” he
asked, his voice dipping down low enough to make Lena’s pulse pick up. She
swallowed once trying not to notice the way his tone was slowly melting her
resistance.

“What can I say?” she paused,
licked her bottom lip, then continued, “You bring out the best in me.”

Leaning down closer to her he moved
to the side at the last moment and grabbed the door handle pushing it open.
Slowly taking a step back he ushered her inside. When she managed to catch her
breath she moved past him and heard him say. “Now why do I doubt that?”

Mason watched as she marched into
his office still stiff as a board. For a moment there he’d noticed her eyes
widen and her breath catch when he’d moved in a little closer than necessary.
He wondered whether it was because she couldn’t stand the thought of him
touching her or if it was because she wanted him
too
touch her.
Somehow
,
he thought looking at her as she stopped in front of his desk then looked back
at him with an expression of, well?
He concluded it was the former
. Just
to irritate her further he smiled wide and walked in shutting the door with a
definite click as the lock sounded. He noticed her eyes narrow on his hand then
she turned back around and took a seat in the chair opposite his. Walking
around his desk he sat down as she took inventory of his office. Sure this
wasn’t what he’d originally planned. He had only come here to grab his jacket
at first. However, when she’d turned on the snotty attitude he’d changed his
mind and thought,
let the games begin.

“So do you conduct all your first
dates in such a formal manner Mason?” she asked bringing her gaze back to rest
on him. “Or in here would you prefer it if I call you
Mr.
Langley?”

Rocking back on his chair Mason
laughed and watched her as she put her purse down on the floor. “Oh so you do
have a sense of humor hiding somewhere under that suit of armor?”

“I was actually being serious but I
think I’ll stick with Langley. Mr implies you’re a gentleman,” she paused,
“Suit of armor?”

He looked her over from head to toe.
“You know? That outfit designed to deter me from seeing you as a woman.
Buttoned up from waist to neck and pants covering any skin available.” he
paused then sat forward, “I hate to be the one to break it to you Lena but it
does the exact opposite. It just makes me want to know what’s under there and
how I can get to it.”

Lena had made a promise to herself
that there was no way she would
ever
sleep with Mason Langley. However,
as she sat there with her legs crossed and a desk between them she felt an ache
start to form deep down inside. His words, spoken in that deep honeyed tone,
slid right under her skin and kept playing on repeat as she stared at him,
speechless. As the silence seemed to echo through the small space she realized
he was waiting for her to say something. Finally pulling herself together she
swallowed trying to moisten her dry throat and instead of acknowledging his
seductive comment she blurted out. “I Googled you.”

He sat back bringing his left foot
up to rest his ankle on his right knee. “Did you? Well I guess you have me at a
disadvantage. I don't even know your last name.”

For a moment Lena stared at him in
shock then she felt her face morph to disbelief that he didn't know her last
name
and
that she’d never told him! Here she was sitting in a tiny room,
make that a tiny
locked
room! On a date, with a man who hadn't even
asked her last name.
The sooner I arrive the sooner I can leave,
she
repeated to herself.

“Is that really a requirement for
you? Obviously it wasn't that important since you still don't know it.”

Expecting some kind of apology Lena
was shocked when he shrugged, “No. I don't care either way.” Before she could
come back with an equally degrading reply he went on. “So what did you learn
from Google, Lena?” Sitting back in the chair again he watched her with
laughter in his eyes.

“I figured out that there are at
least thirty-three very unintelligent women roaming the streets of Chicago.”
she finally grinned at him and he stopped rocking the chair abruptly. He sat up
straight and rested his long forearms on the desk. She couldn't help but glance
at them, then she looked back up to meet his steady gaze. He smiled slowly and
his dimples appeared.

“I don't know what you mean by that
but from the unholy grin on your face, it had to be a great insult. I'm just
sorry I don't understand.”

Standing up he came around the desk
and stepped in front of it then leaned back resting against it.

“Maybe
you
should Google
it?”

Suddenly he leaned down and grabbed
the sides of the chair she was sitting in bringing them almost nose to nose.
“Maybe you should tell me your last name.”

Losing the grin Lena stared right
back at him. “Why?”

“Don't you think I deserve to know
who insults me?”

Lena held his stare and narrowed
her eyes, “I've been insulting you since we met, and my last name was on the
flowers you delivered and yet you still don't know. Maybe I was right all along
and you really can't read?”

She felt his hands grip the chair
tighter and watched his jaw clench then he stood and spun away from her running
a hand through his hair.