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So, he wasn’t the only one not quite in the Christmas spirit. “Right? So, do you work close by?”
“I do––over in the Transamerica Pyramid. How about you?” She sipped her whiskey.
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. Let me see, lawyer or corporate finance?” She had a polish about her that screamed sophisticated, high-level executive. Kind of his polar opposite.
She wrinkled her small straight nose. “Hey, do I look that much like a stick in the mud?” Something flickered behind her clear green eyes.
He leaned in closer, catching another hint of her intoxicating scent. Damn, she smelled delicious. “No way. More like a badass boss lady.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “Badass boss lady. That should be my new title. Thank you. I’m in finance, like a lot of people around here. So, if you don’t work in the neighborhood, let me guess where you spend your days.”
Her eyes narrowed and she tapped her fingers against her lips. “You’re either an international supermodel or a spy.”
Now it was his turn to chuckle. “You’ve caught me. I’m a spy who masquerades as a model, likeZoolander. Promise not to tell?” He winked.
She pressed one hand to her heart, then waved toward an approaching waiter. “Promise. What are you drinking and are you ready for another, James Bond?”
“I am. Red Breast 15, just like you.” His pulse kicked up. Chemistry crackled between them, and not simply physical attraction––she was compelling on every level.
A reed-slim waiter with a shock of white hair materialized next to the table and took their order.
“So, what do you like to do on the weekends?” Boring first date question but hey, he hadn’t been on a first date in more than a decade and he wanted to know.
“I love to get outside, ride my bike, head over to wine country, see live music. What do spies do for fun besides fencing and saving the world?” She angled her chair toward him, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
“That’s classified information, sorry. But I can share that I’m a runner and a big reader. Does that make me a stick in the mud?” He turned around her phrasing, hoping to tease out another grin.
Her lips twitched. “Well, it all depends on what you’re reading. Spy novels?”
He laughed. “No way––I get too annoyed because they never get the details of my job right. No, I read a lot of history and Greek mythology.”
“I love Greek mythology and I’d love to go to Athens and see the Greek islands. Delve into all that magic. Have you been?”
“Not yet, but it’s on the list.” He hadn’t wanted to make the journey alone and it wasn’t exactly a guys’ trip.
The waiter returned and set their cocktails down just as her purse buzzed.
“Excuse me a minute. I just need to make sure it isn’t urgent.” She fished out her phone, grimaced at the screen, typed a message, and powered it off. “I’m sorry about that. I just blocked that jerk. The guy’s got a lot of nerve.”
“Nerve?” Trent’s fingers tightened on his glass, and he braced for Camille to launch into a diatribe, despite her request they not discuss her ex. The least he could do was listen, right? But he wanted to keep the focus on the two of them––on tonight––on the chance for something new.
She smoothed back a strand of long golden hair. “Forget it, I don’t want to talk about him. So, 007, are you free tomorrow?”
“I don’t have any plans to save the world or anything. Why?”
“I’m participating in a big fundraiser, and I need a partner. It’s an afternoon scavenger hunt and an evening gala raising money for women’s heart disease.”
He massaged his right shoulder absently. “It doesn’t involve throwing anything, does it?”
“Not that I know of––the only requirement is everyone wears red. It starts at the cable car stop at Powell and Mason and finishes at the Fairmont Hotel with a formal celebration. Spies have tuxedos, right?” She laid one hand on his forearm and his whole body leapt to attention.
He shifted in his seat. “I do. And I’m always up for a good cause.” His whole world revolved around his non-profit kids’ baseball camp now.
She beamed at him. “Great. It starts at 1:00, if you want to meet me there.”
“It’s a date.” He smiled at her across the table, enjoying the way the light played off her shiny hair.
Her eyes lit up and her smile deepened. “And full disclosure, I want to win. I’m doing this to honor my college roommate, Lisa, who developed a heart condition a few years back. My company will match the funds I’ve raised if we finish in the top three. You up for the competition?”
