if I didn’t know where you lived, then after we slept together I wouldn’t expect anything from you. DC is a big place. What were the odds that we’d run into each other?”
“You couldn’t be further from the truth,” he told her. “You never asked me where I lived and I only knew you lived outside of DC because one of your friends mentioned your company’s name to Pete. Besides, back on the island, you acted like you never wanted to see me again. So what difference does it make where I live? We had never run into each other before the island, so I assumed we’d never run into each other in the future.”
Her eyes widened. “Assumed?” Her loud exclamation had heads turning their way. “Assumed?” she repeated softly. “You’ve got to be kidding.” With that, she spun around again and walked away.
Damn, if she didn’t look good enough to eat, wearing that emerald-green formfitting dress. Even angry, she was hot.
He shook his head to clear it of thoughts he shouldn’t be having.
How exactly had they ended up at the same place tonight? What were the odds? He glanced around, considering those people in the restaurant who might have arranged their accidental meeting.
His mother was speaking with the chef—Pinar, he believed was her name. His mother had given him the ticket, supposedly a friendly gesture from Pinar. And as far as he knew, his mother had never met Bree. Besides, she had insinuated that she was inviting Pete to introduce him to Pinar. As if Nick had been more of an afterthought in the invitation.
At least, that was what he’d thought until right this moment. Pete hadn’t seemed especially excited about coming tonight, but maybe he was just acting his part. Had Pete planned this reunion with Bree all along so Nick could ask her for financial help? His mother could have just been a pawn in Pete’s plan.
The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that he’d been tricked into coming. He ought to leave right now, if not for the fact that he was starving. He also liked to keep up with local food trends. Not to mention that he didn’t want to leave things so badly with Bree.
“Hi, Nick.”
A hand touched his arm and he turned to see a familiar petite blonde looking up at him. “Hey, Hannah. How are you?” He hoped he’d gotten her name right. For some reason he had trouble keeping Bree’s friends’ names straight.
She smiled at him. “I’m fine. Just surprised to see you.”
He forced a smile. “Not as surprised as I am to see all of you.” He nodded in Bree’s direction. “So how did you end up here?”
“The chef, Pinar Garcia, is our client. We’re here to decide whether we should help finance her new restaurant.”
That made perfect sense. Maybe this meeting between Bree and him had been accidental all along.
“So how did you hear about the pop-up?” she asked. “Do you know Pinar?”
He shook his head. “No, we’ve never met. But, apparently, she takes the same yoga class as my mother. Pinar gave her some tickets for tonight.”
“Ah, I see. And your mom coerced you into coming,” she surmised with a grin.
“That about sums it up. When she came into my restaurant today she admitted to having an ulterior motive.”
“An ulterior motive?” Hannah cocked her head to one side.
He nodded. “She’s become a matchmaker, hoping for grandchildren. Right now, she’s got Pete and Pinar in her sights.”
Hannah laughed. “Good for her.” She glanced around the room and then back at Nick. “You said your restaurant? Are you a chef or the owner?”
“Both.”
Hannah nodded. “Where is it?”
He swallowed the last sip of his watered-down soda now that the ice had nearly melted. “It’s called The Fresh Pantry and it’s in Old Town. We serve American classics with a twist, using fresh, local ingredients. Meat loaf, steaks, fried chicken, pastas. Then we have things like spaghetti and tacos that have become Americanized.” He shrugged. “You get the picture.”
“Sounds great. We’ll have to come by.”
He took a business card from his wallet and held it out to her. “When you call for a reservation, make sure you mention that you’re a friend of the owner.” He smiled, wondering if she’d bring her friends, including Bree, with her. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that after tonight’s run-in. “How’s the food here?” he asked, instead. “I haven’t had any yet.”
“Delicious.” She took his arm. “Come on, let’s get you some.”
He allowed himself to be led, but abruptly stopped when the crowd separated and he came within a few feet of Bree. Roxie and Amber stood with her. From the concerned expressions on their faces, he inferred that something was wrong with Bree.
“Do you need some air?” Roxie was asking her. That’s when Nick noticed how pale Bree was.
She didn’t answer as her eyelids fluttered closed. She began to crumple to the floor and would have injured herself on the hardwood if Nick hadn’t stepped forward quickly to catch her.
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