Page 29 of How Not to Date a Griffin

“I took you there because those are genuinely my favorite places in the city, like I told you.”

“I don’t have any control here,” Nolan breathed. “I—

“Hate your dad. Makes sense now, knowing it’s George Whittier, and all. We have that in common.”

Nolan smiled wryly. “Yippee.”

Reid grinned at that, a chuckle spilling out.

“I’m sorry,” Nolan said. “Not that it means much, but… I wish I could change it.”

Reid grimaced. “It’s not like you personally selected the location of the new place, right?”

Nolan shook his head. “I’m only here to make him look like a family man,” Nolan scoffed. “And to… sell the business to the possible shareholders.”

“Nolan!” Reid hissed.

Nolan groaned, letting his head tilt back and wishing he was anyone else. “I know. I’m the one giving the fucking presentations.” Nolan was the one in charge of convincing the shareholders to invest, persuading them to support the build of the hotel. If he did what he was brought here to do… if he succeeded, then…

Reid’s business was done for.

And it would be Nolan’s fault.

Reid

Fuck.

Fuck.

This so wasn’t fair. Why hadn’t Reid let himself explore the niggling in the back of his head the night before? When Nolan’s name had struck a familiar chord in him?

He’d been so besotted with the weird man, he’d wanted to live in the moment with him.

Well, look where that fucking moment had lead him.

From his bed—much to Reid’s surprise upon waking, and then delight when he’d seen the note next to his pillow—to this stupid conference he was literally here to protest.

“What do we do now?” Nolan asked sheepishly.

Reid’s hand tightened over the back of his neck before he dropped it and ran his hands through his own hair. “You’re here to convince them to bulldoze the business I spent my whole life building.”

Nolan deflated before his eyes—not physically, his shoulders didn’t sink and his expression didn’t change—but Reid felt the tension shift, felt the guilt solidify within him.

“But that’s not your fault. You didn’t know. I didn’t know,” he said again.

“I’m sorry,” Nolan replied, rolling those blue eyes up to him.

“It’s… Nolan, I don’t blame you. I had fun last night.” More fun than he would care to admit, and like Nolan had said… “It was special for me, too,” he admitted. But he still dropped his hand, Nolan’s warm skin slipping away as Reid stepped back. “But this is my life, Nolan. I can’t… I just wish we’d met under different circumstances.”

Nolan nodded, steeling his expression and taking the water bottle Reid held out for him. “I do, too. For what it’s worth, I hope whatever you have planned to make my father’s life difficult works. Give him hell.”

Despite the sinking feeling in his gut, Reid chuckled. Even to his own ears, it didn’t sound as genuine as it normally did in Nolan’s presence. “Oh, I will.”

He nodded once more, and the silence settled between them, but unlike last night, it was rife with tension and uncertainty. Reid did not like the weighty disappointment that anchored in his stomach. He wanted to kiss Nolan, despite everything. He wanted to grab his hand and escape the hotel and – and all of this.

But his restaurant, those businesses he grew up with, they were important.

Surely more important than whatever crush he was harboring… on the enemy.