Chapter 16

We were thrown together a lot getting the business off the ground. I helped where I could, but it was her baby so I left it up to her. Gradually she was calling me every day to ask my opinion about various business related topics. Then we began to have “working” lunches and a couple of dinners. She began giving me soft touches once in a while, and held my hand or arm when we walked. I got a glimpse of her true feelings once we ran into a former lover. We’d parted on good terms and when she saw me at the restaurant she came up to say hi. Sandy had gone to the restroom and when she came back we were standing there talking. She locked down on my arm so hard she left bruises as I introduced her. April just grinned, kissed me on the cheek, and walked away.

I looked over, surprised to see Sandra steaming. “What?”

“I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. Take me home, please.”

‘‘No.”

“What?!”

“I said no. I don’t know exactly what’s happening here, but I know I don’t like it. You’re an adult. At least I think you are. April and I were close once but we both knew it wasn’t going anywhere so we decided to go back to being friends. She was telling me she had found the right man and would be getting married in six months. I expect the invitation soon. If you need to leave I’ll call you an Uber. Just so you know, if you leave, there will be no more lunches or dinners. Our only interaction will be about the restaurant.”

I watched the emotions flit across her face. Then she got a determined look on her face. “Steve, can I ask you something? Do you have a problem with mixed race couples?”

“Not that I know of. My second wife was Costa Rican and it never bothered me. I wanted the woman, not the race.”

“Ever dated a black woman?”

“As a matter of fact I have. Two.”

“Why did you stop dating them?”

“One was a gold digger, attracted to the money I was making. She was subtle, but I had it figured out by the fourth date. When she started talking about moving in together, I stopped seeing her. It was not exactly an amicable breakup.”

“What about the other one?”

“Honestly, she was boring. She was a lawyer that I met through Ms. Chen, attractive, intelligent, but there was no spark. We made love after the fifth date, and realized our relationship would never progress. We never dated again, but we’ve become pretty good friends. Why the interest?”

She snorted. “Don’t play that game, white boy. I’ve sent you enough signals to get a fleet moving, but you’ve ignored them. My progressive bitchiness is a result. If you just want this to be a strictly professional relationship then I can live with that. I wouldn’t like it, but I would deal with it.”

“You know, there’s a well-known rule in the business world. Never mix business with pleasure. Then again, if I’d followed rules all my life I wouldn’t be where I am today. So yes, I’d love to explore, see if we connect on a romantic level. I want one promise. If either of us decides we’re not that compatible, we part ways and maintain a courteous professional relationship. Is that agreeable to you?”

She studied my face for a minute before grinning. “Agreed. You may take me out Saturday. It may be the last Saturday we get for a long time when the restaurant opens. Just so you know, the restaurant will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so you need to adjust your schedule.”