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Sarai frowned for a moment and looked at what I was showing her. “It’s not a good option for some of them, is it? I think we need something with a pattern. I’m sure we can make an exception for these huts. Or maybe try something different entirely. It doesn’t have to be carpet.”
“What do you have in mind?” I put the carpet down and looked over at her. It would certainly make things easier to go for a different flooring material, but it was technically against the brief I had been given, and I didn’t doubt that it would add to the budget. So far, I had left all these moments to her, and I was grateful she had decided on it, but she seemed to switch off again and look less interested.
“I’m sure you can think of something. Wood, if it’s the only good solution. I trust you to sort the designs. Order the carpet for the huts it works for, and work on the rest tomorrow if you have time. They’re the last few to finish anyway.”
My insides knotted at the thought of having to make such an important decision. She didn’t appear to care about the money, but I knew that I wouldn’t rest easy unless I ran anything I wanted to buy past Sarai first.
She walked back over to her desk and glanced at her watch. “It’s time to get going. I want to change for dinner. Do you as well?”
“Possibly,” I replied, hedging my bets and not sure what she had planned.
“We’re going to Lorenzo’s.” She looked up at me as if this explained it, but I wasn’t sure who or what that was. I got the distinct impression that I should know.
“It’s been a long day, and it would be good to freshen up. How long would I have?”
“About another ten minutes, and then we’d need to go if I’m going to drop you off. I could send another car to pick you up again, though. Might buy you another fifteen. I don’t take very long to get ready. We should probably hurry so you’ve got the time you’ll need.” Sarai started shutting down her computer and tidying her desk.
I looked down at the carpet order I’d already put together and tried to hide the growing feeling of sickness rising up my stomach. It wasn’t easy to concentrate on numbers and costs when I was trying to figure out what to wear to an unknown location later. I knew Lukas would be joining us again, and not only that but there were always lots of important people on the project.
Taking several deep breaths and concentrating on the rhythm helped me calm just enough that I could finish my task, but Sarai was standing around waiting for me by the time I was done. She was jingling her car keys in her hand, and I knew she didn’t appreciate having to let me finish.
“Sorry. Math always takes me longer than I want it to. And I don’t want to get it wrong.” I smiled as if this explained everything and was entirely forgivable. If Sarai felt anything in response, she didn’t express it, only hurried me out to the car. We weren’t the last off-site, so we didn’t have to lock up, something I was very grateful for.
While she drove me to the apartment, Sarai didn’t say a lot, seemingly off in her own head and thinking about other things. I couldn’t tell if she was still irritated with me or not, so I kept the conversation to a minimum, merely checking what time the carwould arrive to pick me up again and how late we were likely to be out.
“You tell me, dear,” she replied to the last part, regaining a little of her enthusiasm and good nature suddenly. “Lukas will be there again, and I’m sure he’ll want to sit beside you.”
I flushed, not sure how to respond.
“Don’t be embarrassed. We all need a good vacation romance if we can get it. Makes life interesting. And don’t worry. No one minds or is particularly gossipy in this group. Everyone has noticed, but no one is saying anything about it.”
Although I wanted to point out that fallacy in the idea that they had noticed but not said anything, I kept quiet. You couldn’t be sure everyone had noticed if no one was talking about it. Someone had to say something. I wasn’t about to point that out to Sarai, however.
For now, she was back to her usual animated self, even if she was talking about my love life and her thoughts on Lukas.
“All in all, he’s the bachelor everyone wants,” Sarai finished after describing his wealth, achievements, and possible business connections.
The sentiment was strange to hear, given I had no intention of dating him for any of the reasons Sarai had listed. I liked him for who he was. He was caring and sweet, and the sex had been so hot it felt like I was unraveling before him. It made me nervous to think of exactly how dominant he might be, but I was also aroused by it. It was exciting, and I liked the idea of having someone I trusted completely.
Still, it was nice to know that she encouraged my relationship with Lukas. If nothing else, it beat the catty jealousy that the women around a man like Lukas sometimes showed. I didn’t want to ruffle feathers. Conflict was something I avoided if I could, and this was no different.
“All right, here we are. The car will be here to pick you up in about half an hour. See you at Lorenzo’s. You’re totally going to love it. It’s where all the amazing people go to eat. We should probably be saving going here until we’re done as a celebration, but tonight is a big night.”
I frowned, not sure I liked the sound of that any better. I was already anxious, and everything that Sarai told me was only making it worse. Getting out of the car was a relief, and I hurried inside to hide for a few minutes and gather myself.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
All the calm I had managed to cultivate vanished when I saw where we were going. Lorenzo’s was one of the most upmarket restaurants in Chicago. People couldn’t just turn up and get a table. Or necessarily reserve one. You had to know someone or be invited into a club or some group or something.
And even then, unless you were well-liked, you couldn’t just turn up. To have decided that we were all going to the restaurant as last minute as Sarai had was a very clear indication that they were well-liked in the Chicago social circles and had some power with the restaurant.
All that was cool. But it left me with one problem. What on earth did I wear?
When I had packed for this trip, I had been in a hurry while at the end of a project. I didn’t have a lot of clothing, and almost none of it was good enough for the day-to-day situation, not after seeing how well Sarai dressed on a regular basis. I couldn’t wear jeans and a T-shirt or a hooded sweatshirt every day like I did in the UK.
I hadn’t had time to go shopping either. I’d wanted to buy more clothes, and I’d known I needed nicer items, but there hadn’t been a good moment. Not in the end.
Now, I was practically hyperventilating as I stared at the meager amount of clothing I had with me in the massive walk-in closet. It was clear I would struggle to look good. I did the only thing that made sense and pulled out my best summer dress. It wasn’t that warm, but I knew I didn’t have much choice.
