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“Well, you’ve certainly given me a lot to think about,” I say, getting to my feet. Richard looks surprised, as if he was expecting me to immediately agree to his traitorous terms.
“You’re leaving already?”
“I said, I had a hair appointment. But this has been very interesting…” I give him my most charming smile. “You know, you have hidden depths, Mr. Wolfe. It’s a shame Sebastian doesn’t see how smart you are. He underestimates you.”
I figure that blatant flattery is enough to buy me some time, and sure enough, Richard chuckles. “The same to you, my dear.”
Then I waltz out—making sure to stop at the hostess stand, and leave a massive tip for our poor waitress.
Richard may not realize, but I always pay my debts.
* * *
I mullthe meeting with Richard for the rest of the day. Even though he’s clearly gunning for Sebastian too, I know, he can’t be trusted.
The question is, how long can I play him off, acting like a gold digger—before he starts to make life difficult for me.
Because sure, right now he’s just fishing for any extra intel I could throw his way about Sebastian and the business, but I know men like him. They always want more. And now that he has leverage over me, those photos and info about my daily activities…
He could be a problem. A big one.
Sebastian texts me, inviting me to dinner with some business clients, so I decide to make good on my lies: I spend the rest of the day getting my hair done and beauty treatments, as my mind works overtime, gaming out different scenarios. By the time I waltz into the cool, hip restaurant to meet Sebastian that evening, I’ve just about figured out my game plan.
“Hi,” I greet him with a breezy kiss. “You look happy.” I can tell he’s in a great mood as soon as I lay eyes on him. He’s got a relaxed smile on his face, and I notice the way his eyes skim down to my chest, where the V-neck of my dress shows off my cleavage.
“I’m always happy to see you,” he says, drawing me closer. “Did you have a good day?”
“Mhmm,” I busy myself taking a seat at the long table. His guests haven’t arrived just yet, and I need to use this window. “Oh, I saw your uncle at lunch today.”
My voice is casual, but Sebastian’s head snaps up. “Richard?” he demands, immediately tense.
“Yup. He came by my table, sat himself down and everything.” I give a little roll of my eyes.
“What did he want with you?” Sebastian looks suspicious.
I shrug. “Just small talk. He was fishing for information about you and the company, but I didn’t tell him anything,” I add. “He kind of gives me the creeps.”
I peel off my jacket, painfully aware of Sebastian’s eyes burning into me. It’s a high-risk gambit, telling half-truths like this, but it’s the safest option. Richard probably had someone taking photos of us together, to use as even more leverage.
I need to disarm him and pretending to come clean is the best way.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, acting like I’ve just noticed Sebastian’s mood. “Should I not have talked to him? It would have been kind of rude to ignore him, since he went out of his way to say hello. And with all those people around…”
Sebastian slowly exhales. “No, of course not. You did the right thing.”
He’s frowning, still distracted by the idea of Richard, so I decide to push it one step further, and try to neutralize his other big secret about me.
“You know, there’s something I wanted to talk about,” I say with another tentative smile. “You asked about what I wanted to do with my life now, and… Well…”
“What is it?” Sebastian looks back at me.
“I’ve been thinking about maybe going back to school,” I announce, my heart racing. “I never got to finish college, and, I don’t know, I think it would be fun to study some more. Maybe music, or history. I’ve been spending some time at the library, looking at different colleges and courses, seeing if it’s even possible for me.”
I stop, and swallow hard.
Will he buy it?
It’s the most innocent explanation I can think of for the hours I’ve spent at the British Library. But still, it’s a gamble—and could raise more questions that I don’t have answers for.
