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She pursed her lips. “If you really want to work with him after he’s done at Zosca, then that will be up to you.”
He smiled that weird smile again. “Maybe, but I have a feeling you’ll want a say in it.”
She shrugged. “I thought we were changing the subject.”
She was glad that Cameron let it go and started talking about the house he and Piper had bought in Summer Lake. He kept encouraging her to go up there to visit. She might just do that when she got time. She’d really liked it there when she’d been for Smoke and Laura’s wedding.
Chapter Ten
Grant checked himself over in the mirror. He looked fine. He didn’t really feel like going out, but Antonio had insisted—and had promised that it was fine if he wanted to leave after dinner. He planned to. It seemed Antonio liked the idea of making their Saturday night out a regular event while Grant was in town. It’d be fine by Grant as long as it was a case of eating dinner and catching up. He wasn’t looking to find a girl to take home—not unless it was Chelsea again. Damn. He needed to stop thinking like that.
He let himself out of the room and headed for the elevator, determined not to think about her while he was in there. His determination was no match for the memories that crowded his mind. It never was. He could even smell her perfume as he remembered the way she’d kissed him back so eagerly.
He nodded at the girls behind the reception desk on his way out. They smiled and whispered to each other. He wished Antonio hadn’t shown such an interest in them—they seemed to have the idea that there’d be a double date happening at some point. Grant tried to be friendly but wished he could just spell out for them that he wasn’t interested.
He’d told Antonio he’d meet him at Muse. The walk would do him good. He’d been getting plenty of exercise in the hotel gym, but it wasn’t the same as a stroll in the fresh air. When he got to Muse, the Maître D’ greeted him with a smile and a warm handshake. “Mr. Dawson, it’s good to see you again. Antonio asked me to give you his apologies; he’s running a little late. However, I’ll show you to your table. Mr. Hamilton is already here.”
Grant frowned to himself as he followed the guy outside. Why would Mr. Hamilton be dining with them? He hoped there wasn’t a problem. He hoped even more that he didn’t want some kind of progress report. Grant could give him one, but he wasn’t prepared, and it wasn’t what he’d had in mind for his Saturday night. He let out a chuckle when he saw Cameron sitting at the table. Of course, he was also a Mr. Hamilton.
The Maître D’ smiled. “Here we are, Mr. Dawson.”
Grant smiled back. “Please, call me Grant, and what’s your name?”
“Rodney,” the guy said with a smile.
“Thanks, Rodney. It’s nice to meet you.”
Cameron smiled as Grant took a seat. “Hi. I hope you don’t mind me crashing your dinner. Piper’s away this weekend, and when I called Antonio, he asked me along.”
“Not at all. I’m glad you’re here.” Grant smiled but had a feeling he wasn’t pulling off a genuine smile. He felt bad about that. He had nothing against Cameron. He liked the guy, but he was Chelsea’s brother. What would Cameron think if he knew what Grant had been doing with her this time last week?
“How’s it going at Zosca?”
Grant nodded. “So far, so good.” He smiled. “In some ways, I feel as though I’m working with my hands tied behind my back. I can document changes, but I can’t make any.”
“That’s got to be tough.”
“Yeah. I’m trying to use it as an exercise. I tend to come in all guns blazing and get straight down to the tough stuff. Maybe I’ll learn something by having to wait and observe for so long first.”
Cameron laughed. “Maybe. I tend to think of it as like ripping off a Band-Aid. If you have to do it, you may as well get it over with.”
Grant laughed with him. “It sounds like we’re of the same mind there.”
“Yeah, but Chelsea isn’t. She’d rather take her time, try to figure out which way will be least painful.”
Grant nodded. He didn’t know what to say. He’d hoped Chelsea’s name wouldn’t come up tonight. That was a bit unrealistic, but he’d hoped anyway. “Yeah. In this situation, I’m glad I’m not getting straight down to business. I think she’d hate me if I were doing my usual job here.”
There was an odd gleam in Cameron’s eye. “I don’t think she’d hate you, but she wouldn’t be too pleased. She’d fight you every step of the way.”
“I can imagine.”
“Hey, guys.” They both looked up as Antonio came to join them. “Sorry I’m late. And what am I missing?” He looked at Grant. “Who’d fight you every step of the way? Have you found some feisty little mare?”
Grant pressed his lips together, but Cameron answered for him. “You don’t know? Grant’s working with Chelsea.”
Antonio looked from Cameron to Grant and back again a couple of times before he burst out laughing. “You’re here to rescue Zosca? Seriously?”
Grant nodded. “I told you I couldn’t tell you who my client was.” He looked at Cameron, but Cameron just grinned at him.
