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Everything about the woman was sexy as fuck. She was impressive as hell, aggressive and bold, forceful when needed and sweet as pie when honey would get the job done. In fact, she was a lot like Sadie, I realized. When employees came to her for advice, she was happy to offer it up in the plainest way possible, but she expected perfection. Always.
“I don’t want to hear excuses, Jamie. I just want it done. Got it?”
The poor suit didn’t know how to respond to that sapphire glare that was icy enough to freeze him dead, so he nodded and backed away slowly, gently shutting the door behind him.
“Jeez,” she said, shaking her head, “how hard is it to do your fucking job?”
I shrugged. “I always do my job perfectly, so I don’t have an answer for you.” She glared at me and I laughed. “It’s true.”
Kat turned back to her computer and tapped furiously on her keyboard, the way she did when she was pissed and trying to be nice to someone. Eventually, she leaned back in her seat and blew out a long breath.
“All right, I need to get out of here. Lunch?”
I blinked and looked around the empty office before pointing to myself. “With me?”
She rolled her eyes and pushed out of her chair with a groan.
“No, with Jim from marketing. Go ask him for me will ya?” Kat shook her head and reached for her purse. “Yes or no, Terry?”
My lips curled into a smile as I unfolded myself from the plush sofa.
“Yes. I’ll drive.”
Kat groaned but she didn’t argue. A pity really, since she was so damn sexy when she was all riled up. But the surprises kept coming when she directed me to a funky little bistro in the heart of Glitz.
“There’s customer parking around back,” she said matter-of-factly, her gaze burning the side of my face. “What?”
I shrugged and maneuvered the car around the block and through the narrow alley. “Nothing. Just surprised this is where you want to eat.”
Inside, the place looked like your basic greasy spoon diner, but if it had been purchased by some Warhol wannabe with booths in three different colors, paintings hanging crooked on the wall and light jazz playing in the background.
“Are you fucking with me, Kat?”
She looked around as if trying to see the place from my perspective and laughed. “No, I’m not. They have excellent French onion soup and the service is incredible.”
It was hard to believe her, but as soon as we were seated, a teenager came up to the table with a smirk. I was ready to jump in if I needed to, but he leaned forward and held up a fist, which Kat bumped, shocking the shit out of me. “Kat, you’re breaking my heart, babe.”
Babe? The kid couldn’t be more than eighteen years old and here he was, flirting with Kat and giving me a dirty look. Kat laughed.
“This is my friend Terry, Leander, and you have nothing to worry about. He thinks I’m a princess.”
“You are babe. And I’m trying to make you my Irish queen.”
Damn the kid was smooth and he managed to get a smile out of Kat I’d only started to receive recently.
“If this rich dude is too blind to see that, these eyes see it crystal clear.”
She laughed again. “With lines like that, I’m sure the girls at Glitz High are lining up to make an honest man of you.”
“Age ain’t nuthin’ but a number, Kat.” He laughed and turned to me.
“You really don’t want her?”
Kat giggled on the other side of the booth while the high schooler put me on the spot. “I never said that.”
“So you do want her?” His smirk said he already knew the answer.
“Come on dude, she’s hot, badass, and doesn’t think she’s too good for this place. I know you want her.”
I opened my mouth when an older woman appeared with a head of salt and pepper curls framing her dark, olive-toned skin.
“Leander, you over here flirting with Kat again? You ain’t man enough to handle a woman like that yet. Keep practicing on the young ’uns.”
Her thick southern accent made her sound like a southern belle, but she was dressed like a biker. Maybe a beatnik.
“How will I know if I don’t try, Miss Pearly?”
“Try with those young girls waiting on their milkshakes.”
At the mention of younger women, Leander’s eyes perked up and he flashed a smile at Kat.
“Gotta make sure I’m ready for the big leagues when they come callin’. See you later, beautiful.” He walked away and stopped in the middle of the restaurant. “I made the chili fresh last night, hoping I’d see you.”
“Thanks, Leander.”
He waved and headed toward the outdoor seating area in front. “He wants you, Kat. Trust me.”
With a wink, the kid pushed out the front door with a wide smile for the young girls.
