AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It would be crazy if it was,” Tim tells me honestly. “But awesome too. You know what? I’m rooting for you. You will have to give me a call after the date to let me know how you get on. You have me intrigued now…”
“I will.” I grin to myself, glad to have my brother coming around to my point of view. “Oh, I will.”Chapter 4 – Gemma“Is this a joke?” I can’t keep the temper out of my tone as I snap this at Eve. “A blind date, are you serious? I wanted you to bid on something useful like a spa day or something that I could pass on to a client. Not this. This is stupid. I wake up to a text message that doesn’t make any sense with a date and time…”
“I just thought that it was time you went on a date again.” She shrugs her shoulders, completely unabashed. How can she be so blasé when she has upset me so much? She is just lucky that she has become such a good friend to me, or I might be tempted to fire her over this. This really is too much. She is interfering in my personal life in a way that I don’t like one bit. It is up to me what I do thank you very much. “It’s been forever.”
“Eve, the reason that I don’t go on dates is because I don’t have time for it at the moment.”
“Oh, come on that is just an excuse and you know it. This could be so much fun.”
“It also could be a disaster,” I remind her. “I mean, just think of the guys who were there at the event, who could have put a bid on for the date. It could be Roman.” I shudder hard. “Someone I hate. It’s probably going to be someone who is a business rival of mine and I really don’t like any of them.”
Eve is thankfully silent for a couple of minutes looking like she is really understanding how bad this is. Thank God because in a moment I am going to need her to cancel this damn date. I am happy to pay whatever is needed of me, but I am not going to go out with some guy who I don’t like. My time is too precious for that.
“I get that,” she finally says sadly. “But at the same time, I think it will be a bad business practice to not show up. It might seem rude to the other person who clearly wants a date. If it gets out that it is you who has backed out… well, it doesn’t look good, does it? Plus, it’s for charity and people do all kinds for charity…”
“When they have time, yes,” I bark back, not being backed down right now. “But I don’t have that.”
“I don’t know if you can use that as an excuse when everyone is in a similar position to you.”
I squeeze my fists angrily by my side, trying not to flip the fuck out. This is utter bullshit as far as I am concerned. A complete waste of time. I don’t want to have any part of it no matter how Eve tries to sell it to me. I am already being judged in the business world; I don’t think that being seen as rude will change that. And if it helps me to escape a night with someone as dreadful as Roman then I am all for it.
“This could be a new business contact for you anyway,” Eve declares with a one shouldered shrug. “I know how you like to network. This is clearly going to be someone in a position of success which could be good for you. You don’t know if you don’t try. And how often do you go out to dinner these days?”
“Never,” I admit. “But that’s for a reason, because I don’t have the time. I’m too busy…”
“Stop it.” Eve rests her hands on my shoulders and stares determinedly in to my eyes. “Stop acting like this. Stop making excuses to not go out. You know me well and you are very aware that I wouldn’t have done this for you if I didn’t think that it was the best thing to do. I always have your best interests at heart.”
“I know, but…” I try, but Eve isn’t about to let me get a word edgeways.
“No buts. Just go. See if you can have a good time. No one is saying that you need to stay there all night long. Just go for an hour, even you can commit to an hour, then you can leave if you want to. Just try it.”
I let out a giant breath and quietly seethe to myself. I suppose Eve is right really, I should give it a try. I should see what I can do when it comes to this date just in case it is someone worthwhile. And by that I definitely don’t mean the love of my life, that isn’t ever going to happen in this way, but in a business sense. I am always up for meeting new contacts; half of my business is making sure that I reach out to anyone and everyone possible.
