Page 24 of Nefarious
“The quiet charm suits me,” he lied. He’d never had a chance to miss the city. He returned whenever he got the urge.
“Well, don’t take offense, but that surprises me. You went from the bleeding edge of technology to a glorified manager. You must miss the thrill of it.”
A small part of him perked up at the opportunity to unload the bitterness of the past three years. It would feel wonderful to lay his burden at someone’s feet, but as Noelle was the architect of his dissatisfaction, he gave her the magazine interview answer. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But it was exhausting and unrewarding. I never had a moment to enjoy any second of it.” He smiled, all sincerity. “I hope you don’t let the pressures of your new job make you forget to live a little.”
With impeccable timing, the waiter arrived to recite the specials. It wasn’t a coincidence. Tipping well had earned Dane a tailor-made dining atmosphere where a clandestine gesture would bring the servers to the table immediately. After asking Noelle if she drank red wine, Dane ordered a 1996 Château Lafite Rothschild. The restaurant kept this vintage on hand just for him. He paid a premium for that service—on top of the eight hundred dollars the bottle sold for at auction.
He didn’t always spring for his personal reserve, but tonight’s company was worth every expense.
When the server decanted the wine, Dane tilted his head toward Noelle. They both watched as an inch of the nearly black liquid filled her glass. She sipped it and nodded in approval. “You’ve started spending your money wisely, I see.”
“I did mention I like to enjoy life.”
Once the waiter had taken their orders and left, Dane struck a serious pose. “For too long, my money and my life were literally tied up in the stock market. When I was freed from the responsibilities of owning a company, I loosened up. And loosened my purse strings. What’s the point of money if you don’t spend it?”
“Freed from the responsibilities? That’s an interesting way to say ‘forced out.’ Are you really over it?”
He shrugged. “Would I rather have my own company back? Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Geraldo believes you and Val are working to sabotage him. Is he wrong?”
Dane tapped his finger on the wine glass, filing away that slip of information for Val and pondering a proper response. “Do we seem to be plotting to overthrow him? You see how hard Val has worked on her internship program. And my life has never been easier.”
Noelle’s shoulders had relaxed. “That was my impression. But I’m learning that things aren’t always as they appear.”
He couldn’t help but push the question. Val wouldn’t forgive him if he didn’t. “Did Geraldo do something?”
She laughed. “It’s more what he didn’t do.” She shook her head and reached for her goblet, swirling the wine around in the glass. She breathed it in. “Tell me. Is wine another metaphor for the man?”
That brought a genuine laugh from Dane, and he gladly dropped the interrogation. He much preferred to talk about himself. “Elegant, dark, and brooding. Full of complexity, with a great nose and just a hint of floral notes.”
She smiled. “That’s an interesting description.”
“And how would you characterize the wine?”
She thought a moment. “Ostentatious.” At the first sign of Dane’s protest, she raised a hand. “Though hardly subtle, it is surprisingly multi-layered.” She held it up to the light. “And easy on the eyes.”
Was she flirting with him? The slight stirring Dane had felt when he’d flattered Noelle earlier grew stronger with her own transparent attraction.
But then she added. “However, it’s not a wine I’d choose to drink every day. I’m afraid I’m far too practical to develop a habit I can’t maintain.”
Dane lifted his glass. “To tonight, then.”
She raised her own. “To tonight.”
The food arrived, and the verbal sparring gave way to questions of “how’s the steak?” and “have you ever tried charolais?”
They only hit one moment of awkwardness when Dane said, “This reminds me so much of that company party at Del Frisco’s.”
It had slipped out. He hadn’t intended to reminisce. The look of pity that crossed Noelle’s face at his accidental show of sentimentality made him curse himself.
Noelle’s blush crept down her neck, and at last she broke the silence. “I believe that was the night you first asked me out.”
Relieved, Dane let out a shuddering breath. “You remember.”
She smiled gently, and he worried for a minute she’d rebuff him again, but she laid her fork across her plate and sat back. “How could I ever forget that?”
Dane started to ask her what happened. Why had things changed so abruptly? But the waiter arrived to clear their empty plates, and he regained control over his impulses.
