Page 16 of The Billionaire Invitation

“Have you been waiting long?” present-day Dante asked. “Took me a minute to find the place.”

“I didn’t expect them to be so busy tonight.”

The Apex, a swanky, crowded bar downtown, was fairly new to the neighborhood. There was a sea of customers swarming the bar. Waitresses and waiters dodged each another while balancing trays of drinks. She’d been here a few times with Gabby. It was a great place to laugh over a martini, but not ideal for a cram sesh before her luncheon tomorrow.

“I brought my laptop, but I don’t think there’s going to be a flat surface to put it on.” She adjusted the strap of her leather bag on her shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m not seeing much in the way of open tables. If this was my town, no problem.”

“In LA, they clear out when you come around?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He slipped the bag from her shoulder and transferred it to his own. “I have a permanent reserved table.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. He had changed so much since they’d been together. It was like she knew him but also didn’t. “I was thinking about the day you told me that your grandfather had passed. And then you told me you were dropping out of Northwestern. And then we argued instead of focusing on what mattered.”

His mouth formed a grim line. “Deep thoughts indeed.”

“It’s just… I shouldn’t have argued with you. You were grieving, confused. We could have talked about us the next day or a week later.”

“I was in LA by then.”

“I know.”

“We can’t turn back the clock, Honesty.”

She knew that too. “When Christian died six months ago, if I had come to you sad and lost just four days later…” Her throat grew tight thinking about it. She swallowed around a lump there and confessed, “I would’ve said all the wrong things.”

The low rainclouds hanging over the city burst like water balloons. Dante grabbed her hand and stood with her under the overhang, sparing a look at the sky as if berating it for its shitty timing.

He turned that same intense expression on her. She wasn’t used to the hardened, shuttered version of him yet. “Let’s find shelter.”

“We could squeeze in at the bar.” But there were people hovering, on the lookout for the next available seat. “Maybe.”

“Somewhere quieter. With room for your laptop.”

“Okay. How about…” Her mind was a blank. She didn’t want to sit in a diner or a coffee shop. She wanted somewhere tucked away. Somewhere she could focus on the problem at hand. “I got nothin’.”

“The Crane Hotel bar is a block and a half from here.”

She’d never considered that. “Okay.”

“I’ll call a car.” He held out his hand as a taxi sped past.

“Let’s run for it.” She could use a baptism to wash away the bad memories.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” The rain was slowing as fast as it’d come on. They wouldn’t be dry when they arrived at the Crane but they wouldn’t be soaked through either. “We’ll hug the buildings. You’re not scared of a little rain are you, Dante? Are you made of sugar?”

His eyes narrowed in challenge. He loved to compete.

She grinned. “Race you?”

“Count of three.”

When he said “one” she took off running in the direction of the Crane.

He caught her easily, pulling her out of the way when a man with a huge black umbrella came barreling toward them.