Page 29 of Irresistible

Chapter 13

The rest of the day was somewhat uneventful. Luckily, it appeared that there would be no accounting difficulties like there were in the Mainsport branch. They would be able to head back to Mainsport in the evening. Richard took the opportunity to chat with the branch manager about some business matters. Scarlet took some notes, as Richard generally liked to document his conversations with branch managers so that he could reference them in making summaries for the next board meeting. He always included a summary of branch manager thoughts and complaints. It was just one of the many ways he was able to relay concerns about the day-to-day operation of branches without having to be physically present at those branches all the time.

Scarlet watched in amazement as he dealt with these intense conversations. It became clear to her very quickly why the bank chose him as CEO. He was clearly talented, but there was so much more to him than that. Most intelligent people could understand and internalize the concepts that he discussed throughout the day with various employees. But he dealt with them so fluently that he could direct people to act in productive ways. On top of all that, he was able to talk about these ideas and strategies with a confidence and charisma that eluded all but the cream of the banking crop. It was truly something to behold.

“Hey, do you want to go grab dinner?” Richard asked after finishing his last scheduled call of the day. Everyone else had left the branch about an hour earlier.

“Just…just the two of us?” Scarlet asked nervously.

“Of course. I don’t think we should invite those other ladies from lunch today, do you?”

She rolled her eyes at him. He was getting more comfortable around her.

“No. That seems like a bad idea,” she laughed. I’d love to get dinner? Where do you want to go?”

“I saw a diner on the way here that looked pretty good.”

Scarlet remembered it vividly, as it was uncharacteristic of the area. From the outside, it looked somewhat run down. She didn’t think there was any way he was serious.

“That place Paul’s? The one we saw from the highway?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“You’re kidding, right? That place looked like a total dive.”

“So. The hole-in-the-wall places often have the best food. Haven’t you ever heard that?” he said, smiling. He really was that chipper and adventurous.

“The CEO of Local Citizens Bank is going to eat at a dive diner that looks like it’s not even on the health inspector’s map. Fair enough. If it’s good enough for you, it’s definitely good enough for me. Let’s do it.”

“I think you’re a little too hung up on this ‘CEO’ thing. I am a person, after all,” Richard said, reaching for his jacket.

“I think everyone is hung up on those three letters. After all, they do symbolize one of the highest levels of professional achievement you can have, especially in a large company.”

“I just hope you come to think of me as more than that.”

“Of course. But it’s kind of a hard thing to ignore.”

“Fair enough,” Richard chortled as he followed Scarlet out of the branch.

The two climbed into Scarlet’s sedan. She wanted to jump him right there, but she could tell that the time was still not right. Sex before dinner, after all, just seemed out of place. Not to mention, she would still be taking a giant gamble to make a move like that so soon. If he made the first move, she had no doubt about how she would respond. But if he shot her down, it would be a huge embarrassment for both of them. No, it was all downside at this point.

Before long, Scarlet could make out the shabby exterior of Paul’s Diner. Parts of the sign were literally hanging off, and it was clear that no one had trimmed the shrubs around the restaurant in quite some time. She prayed that the diner had good food that wouldn’t make her sick. Food poisoning wouldn’t be a good look.

“Last chance. You’re sure you want to eat here?” Scarlet asked as she put her turn signal on to enter the restaurant’s parking lot.

“We can go somewhere else if you want? I don’t want to eat somewhere you’re not comfortable with.”

“No. I’m fine with eating here as long as it’s what you want.”

She wanted Richard to think she was adventurous, even though this was the last place she would have picked on her own.

The two nodded as the sedan pulled into the parking lot. At first glance, Scarlet wasn’t even sure that the restaurant was open. There were only a handful of other cars in the parking lot. The interior was so dimly lit that it appeared to be dark without further examination. It certainly wasn’t the most inviting little hovel. Richard held the door open for her, which revealed a short elderly man in a dirty apron clutching two menus. He ushered them to a booth, mumbling a few short salutations as they went.

“Well, that was fun,” Richard said, smiling and wiping some dust off the corner of the table.

“I gave you an opportunity to pick somewhere else,” Scarlet responded, grinning. Disgusting restaurant or not, she was still going to have a great time wherever Richard was.

“I still think you find the best food at places like this. I remember the last time I went to Asia, I was petrified at all the little street stands. But they’re way better than they look. In a lot of countries, they have better food than most of the restaurants. It’s more hit and miss here, obviously, but I’ve had some great experiences that I would have otherwise missed.”