was that young, then he was definitely the ruthless kind. She made a mental note to be polite but to stay on her guard.
His suit was expensively cut—the sort that had been hand-made by a good tailor, rather than bought off the peg—and she’d just bet if she looked under the table his shoes would be the same kind of quality. His shirt was well cut, too, and that understated tie was top of the range. He radiated money and style, looking more like a model advertising a super-expensive watch than a hotel magnate, and she felt totally scruffy and underdressed in her jeans and T-shirt. Right then she really missed the armour of her business suit.
He stood up as she reached his table and held out his hand. ‘Thank you for coming, Ms Thomas.’
His handshake was firm and a little tingle ran down Nicole’s spine at the touch of his skin against hers. How inappropriate was that? They were on opposite sides and she’d better remember that. Apart from the fact that she never wanted to get involved with anyone again, the fact Gabriel Hunter was her business rival meant he was totally out of the running as a potential date. Even if he was one of the nicest-looking men she’d ever met. Didn’t they say that handsome is as handsome does?
‘Mr Hunter,’ she said coolly.
‘Call me Gabriel.’
She had no intention of doing that—or of inviting him to call her by her own first name. They weren’t friends; they were business rivals.
‘How do you like your coffee?’ he asked.
‘Espresso, please.’
‘Me, too.’ He smiled at her, and her heart felt as if it had done a backflip.
‘If you haven’t been here before, I’d recommend the Guatemala blend.’
‘Thank you. That would be lovely,’ she said politely.
This was the kind of café that sold a dozen different types of coffee, from simple Americanos and cappuccinos through to pour-over-and-siphon coffee; and she noted from the chalk board above the counter that there were a dozen different blends to choose from, all with tasting notes, so this was the kind of place that was frequented by serious coffee drinkers. The kind of coffee bar she half had in mind for the Electric Palace, depending on whether she kept it as a cinema or turned it into a craft café.
But Gabriel Hunter unsettled her.
She wasn’t used to reacting like that towards someone. She hadn’t reacted to anyone like that since Jeff. Given her poor judgement when it came to relationships, she really didn’t want to be attracted to Gabriel Hunter.
Focus, Nicole, she told herself sharply. Business. Work. Nothing else.
Gabriel came back to the table carrying two espressos, and set one cup and saucer in front of her before sitting down opposite her again.
She took a sip. ‘You’re right; this is excellent. Thank you.’
‘Pleasure.’ He inclined his head.
Enough pleasantries, she decided. This was business, so they might as well save some time and cut to the chase. ‘So, what are these mutual interests you wanted to discuss?’ she asked.
‘Our businesses are next door to each other. And they’re both works in progress,’ he said, ‘though obviously the hotel renovation is quite a bit further on than the cinema.’
‘Are you thinking mutual customers?’
‘And mutual parking.’
His eyes really were sharp, she thought. As if they saw everything.
‘Are you really going to run the place as a cinema?’ he asked.
She frowned. ‘Why would I discuss my business strategy with a competitor?’
‘True. But, if you are going to run it as a cinema, I’m not sure you’ll manage to make it pay, and it’s not going to be good for my business if the place next door to me is boarded up and looks derelict,’ he said bluntly. ‘Most people would choose to take the Tube into the West End and go to a multiplex to see the latest blockbuster. One screen doesn’t give your customers a lot of choice, and you’ll be competing directly with established businesses that can offer those customers an awful lot more.’
‘That all depends on the programming.’ She’d been researching that; and she needed to think about whether to show the blockbusters as they came out, or to develop the Electric Palace as an art-house cinema, or to have a diverse programme with certain kinds of movies showing on certain nights.
‘With your background in banking—’ well, of course he’d checked her out and would know that ‘—obviously you’re more than capable of handling the figures and the finance,’ he said. ‘But the building needs a lot of work, and restoring something properly takes a lot of experience or at least knowing who to ask.’
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