Huh, isn’t somebody just a hint too cocky?
I grit my teeth.
I hear Murphy’s voice behind me. “My brother is a diamond in the rough, Eva. Don’t judge him too hard. Give him a chance.”
I turn and blink at him, and he gives me an encouraging smile. Then he waves a hand as if ushering me to follow his brother.
I stand there staring at Nathan’s back, trying to decide what to do. Nathan hasn’t told me yet why he wants to speak to me, but I don’t have a hard time figuring it out. He’s walking in a straight line, so he isn’t drunk. It’s unlikely that he’s a great fan of salsa. That leaves number three. And I already know how those conversations end. What’s the point in carrying through with this then?
But if I head back to the changing rooms without accommodating Nathan’s wish, Alfonso will be upset. He’ll accuse me of hurting business with my impolite behavior and maybe take a cut from my monthly salary as punishment. I really can’t have that. Not if I want to start my plans for refurbishing our garage.
I sigh and force my feet to follow Nathan. As I walk, I do my best to convince myself that my fear of Alfonso’s potential retaliation is the only reason I’m going through with this. But a small part of me is thinking about Murphy’s odd comment which has me intrigued.
Nathan is already in one of the booths, waiting for me when I get there. I settle down on the seat opposite him, but to my shock Nathan jumps up as soon as I sit.
“What are you doing?” I glare at him, wide-eyed.
He comes around and hops down beside me. “Swapping places.”
His thigh squeezes against mine for a second as he installs himself in a comfortable position. I shift to the right to increase the space between us and to escape from the heat of his body.
Not because it perplexes me. No, that’s not the reason at all.
“You had plenty of room over there, you know.” I scoff.
Nathan doesn’t pick up on my annoyance, or if he does, he ignores it. “I prefer to sit beside people when I talk to them. For a very good reason.”
“Why is that?” I ask, but regret it immediately. I’ve just bought into his cheap strategy of making me curious.
I wait for his answer, but when it doesn’t come, I pivot my chest toward him.
His lips curl up symmetrically, confirming that he’s enjoying whatever game he’s playing.
It’s the first real smile I’ve seen from him. Tiny crinkles appear at the corner of his eyes and two deep but adorable dimples show on his cheeks. Gosh, I thought he looked intriguing when he was broody, but he sure looks gorgeous when he’s amused.
What’s gotten into me? Where am I even going with this thought?
He points at me. “Because of this. If you’re sitting beside someone, you know instantly if they’re interested in you. When they are, they turn their entire torso toward you. You can’t see this if you’re sitting face-to-face. It’s a basic trick in negotiations.”
“Oh.” My mouth moves into a little circle and I turn away from him.
My suspicions have just been confirmed.
Nathan belongs to group three. His flirty undertone and the ambiguity of his words were probably meant as a warm-up to a proposal he’s about to make. Well, at least it’ll be something I know how to react to. I inhale and blink back at Nathan, careful to keep my chest facing forward. “To the best of my knowledge, we’re just having a friendly chat. We aren’t negotiating.”
“True.” He nods. “We aren’t… At least, not yet.”
Chapter 5
(Nathan)
Eva frowns as she takes in my words.
Somehow she isn’t reacting like I expected her to. Perhaps Murphy didn’t do me a favor by picking her for our bet. I had assumed a woman like Eva would be more impressed with a rich man.
Not that I count on my money to dazzle her. Murphy’s condition is to awaken “true love”—whatever that is. But it wouldn’t hurt to start my seduction scheme with a little boost, right? If Eva were interested in my social status, we could get things going way faster between us.
For now, nonetheless, this doesn’t seem to be the case. Maybe if I spell out that I’m not merely an employee of AMEA?
“What would you want to negotiate with me about?” Eva’s voice pulls me out of my contemplation. I shift an inch closer to her, hoping to detect any change in her breathing. But as I watch her forehead crease into delicate lines, I’m at a loss again.
No, stay positive. The stakes are too high. Her reluctance is just like the initial struggle at any meeting. “Before we go any further with this argument, we should introduce ourselves properly. I don’t even know your last name yet.” I flash a grin at her.
Murphy is always chewing my ear about how a simple smile can convey one’s good intentions. I’ve tried a few of my brother’s suggested techniques for my acquisitions, and a couple did yield excellent results. Of course I don’t want Murphy to know I’m implementing any of his psychobabble. It would just encourage him to throw more of it at me.
Eva purses her lips and folds her arms across her chest. “It’s Flores.”
Okay, so my smile didn’t soften her up. Maybe my family name will. “And mine is Montgregor.”
Her jaw goes slack. “Montgregor? As in the founder of AMEA?”
Now we’re talking.
I straighten in my seat. “Yes, indeed. My father founded and led the firm till his death. I work there now as an executive director and will soon, if the stars align correctly, follow in his footsteps as the company’s leader.”
Why did I have to add this last detail? It’s not a wise move,
