‘It’s not used for retail space right now, but it’s in a prime position.’
‘Is it big enough for what you want?’
‘It’s the perfect size.’
At the restaurant they fell easily into business talk and the lunch flew by, even for Jack who finished the meeting happy he could still look interested and professional when he had to.
‘So tell me more about the building,’ said Jack as they waited for Braydon to escort the clients outside to the awaiting cab before rejoining them for coffees to debrief the meeting.
Kent told him of the building’s location near a shopping precinct that would be sure to attract the right clientele, his plans to gut the building and make it as upmarket as the rest of the company premises, the legalities of purchasing a building.
‘It sounds ideal,’ said Jack, when a scuffle at the revolving door to the restaurant had both his and Kent’s attention.
‘Oh my God, is that …’ Kent was out of his seat first, with Jack following soon after.
‘What the hell is going on?’ Jack pulled Braydon back from Evie and Kent moved to Nicole’s side.
The waiter looked questioningly at the party congregated outside the doors, at the businessmen who hadn’t yet paid for their meal. Jack handed the business credit card through the door and requested the bill. The waiter hurried off, seemingly glad the confrontation was taking place on the opposite side of the door.
‘Tell your Rottweiler to back off!’ Evie shrieked at Jack, but not before she’d stepped forwards and given Braydon a shove in the chest that almost caused him to lose his footing. Jack almost laughed at this delicate blonde pushing his stocky colleague.
‘Back off?’ he asked. ‘Why?’
‘You know why!’ Evie had her hands on her hips now. Blue eyes glared up at him. Her anger came out in white cloudy puffs of air from her mouth. God, it was freezing. Jack had left his jacket and coat inside and it was only a couple of degrees outside at most, the city glistening with a layer of frost beneath the early afternoon sun. ‘He’s making unfounded accusations, same as he made at the hospital.’
Braydon spoke up although didn’t step any closer. He glared at Evie. ‘People like you are all the same.’
‘There’s no need for that,’ Nicole came to Evie’s defence. ‘What has this young lady ever done to you?’
‘Oh, there’s plenty she probably could do to me, like she’s done to other men before me. How else would she be swanning around in fancy clothes, coming into restaurants like this?’
When Braydon smirked at them, Jack grabbed Evie’s arm with one hand and Nicole’s with the other. Kent looked on, gobsmacked, and only moved when he turned to settle the bill with the waiter who’d braved the confrontation to get a signature for the company credit card.
‘For your information,’ Nicole began, ‘this is my treat. It’s my birthday today and I wanted to take Evie out for a nice lunch. Not that it’s any of your business.’
‘Let’s get a cab back to the office,’ Kent suggested to Braydon.
Braydon harrumphed. ‘Whatever you say, boss.’ Jack ignored the snipe. ‘I’ll get the coats from inside.’ Braydon went back through the revolving door, and the four remaining took a deep collective breath.
‘I’m so sorry about that, Nicole.’ Kent was first to speak. ‘And I think we need to talk.’
‘Kent,’ Nicole said confidently, although if Jack wasn’t mistaken, he detected nerves underlying her speech. ‘I’d like you to meet Evie.’
Kent didn’t move, but he at least had the good grace to look at the girl and greet her. ‘Hello, Evie.’
Evie was as quiet as the first time they’d met, all of the fight gone out of her for the time being. She nodded to Kent and gave a small smile.
‘Can we talk again, soon?’ Kent’s eyes searched Nicole’s until she agreed to his request. ‘And happy birthday,’ he smiled. ‘Did you buy a poinsettia?’
Nicole’s shoulders relaxed, her gaze held Kent’s and something passed between them as she nodded.
‘You know I still think of them as the Christmas flowers,’ Kent went on.
Jack was about to ask the significance of the plant, but Braydon pushed through the revolving door and came back to them before he had a chance.
‘Well, well, isn’t this cosy?’ Braydon smirked, handing jackets and coats to the other two men. Evidently the time inside the restaurant hadn’t improved his mood.
‘What’s it to you?’ Evie snapped.
