by Tina Martin
“My advice?”
“About Melanie.”
“Okay. So what did you do?”
“Well, I saw her with Emily at lunch today so I decided to apologize about the interview.”
Dante nodded. “Good.”
“And I told her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”
With a look of surprise on his face and raised eyebrows, Dante said, “You did what?”
Dimitrius smirked. “Look, man. I like her, okay. I’ve had my eyes on her for a long time now. I’ve just been avoiding her.”
“Why?”
“Because I wasn’t sure if I was ready for another commitment…not sure if I wanted to attempt to go down that road again. You know things didn’t end well between me and Kyra.”
Dante nodded. He knew that all too well.
“I think it’s time for me to settle down and watching you and Emily so happy together has made me realize that it’s what I want.”
“So you told her that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her?” Dante asked with a smirk.
Dimitrius chuckled. “I did. She looked like he wanted to slap me…that’s after she laughed at me.”
“Why did you go at her so strong?”
“Is there any other way to go in? You went after Emily even stronger if I recall.”
Dante grinned, remembering how he had borderline stalked Emily. But in the end, he got what he wanted and now, they were a happily married couple.
“Do you believe what father used to tell us? That a man knows the exact moment when he meets the woman he wants to marry?”
“Of course. I believe it. I believed it when I met Anita. That’s why, when she died, I felt such a heavy loss. I didn’t think I would ever have that feeling again. But when I saw Emily, I knew. Even before I ever had a conversation with her, I knew.”
“That’s the same way I feel about Melanie. When I first saw her, I knew there was something there.”
“Then, do whatever it takes.”
“That’s what I plan on doing, bro,” Dimitrius said. “Now let’s talk about this app. I already have it built. In a few days, I’m hoping to run a debuggable version of it.”
“Okay. What about a simplistic user guide for it?”
“I’m building the user guide into the program under a help menu.”
“And do you think it will be ready for the presentation in Vegas.”
“It’ll be ready. One thing I need to know from you is, are we making this a free app that goes along with the new eRoll software package, or will there be a charge for the app?”
“Hmm…that’s a good question.”
“If you’re on the fence about it, what I could do is make a lite version of it for free. The lite version could allow for time entry only. Then I could do a premium version that contains all the bells and whistles.”
“How much time will that take?”
“The lite version will be ready for the presentation. The premium version wouldn’t be ready until sometime after.”
“You know what…I think we should only make one version of the program. And we should charge at least two dollars per download. I know most apps are free nowadays, but the app will make it easier for users to input their time, so I don’t think it’s too much to ask for users to pay a two-dollar fee for convenience.”
Dimitrius nodded. “I agree.”
“Then, it’s settled.”
“Cool,” Dimitrius said, standing. “Well, I’m going to get out of your hair.”
“Alright Dimitrius. Later.”
Chapter 8
At home, Melanie finger-combed her hair into a thick ponytail. She decided to meet Dimitrius for dinner, but only to turn him down easy, thus keeping their communication intact. Emily was right about one thing. If she had to work with Dimitrius, then things would seem weird and strained if she didn’t show up at Connelley’s to, at the very least, talk to him. And she already had what she would say in mind. She would tell him that she was flattered by his bold proposal (although she hadn’t been), that she knew there must’ve been a flood of women waiting for a chance to be with him, but she wasn’t the one. She was just getting over her ex, Scott. She didn’t want to invite unnecessary chaos into her life. Being with a man like Dimitrius would bring just that, and then some.
Connelley’s, a place well known for having the juiciest steaks around, was an upscale restaurant in Asheville with reservation booked months in advance. Melanie had never been there, but had heard about the place. It was usually where the elite would dine. Barack and Michelle Obama had dined there once on a visit to Asheville, so Melanie knew the place must’ve had a strict dress code. Keeping things simple, she slid into a comfortable pair of black slacks, a modest, light pink blouse then threaded a pair of silver bangles in her ears. After stepping into a pair of black flats, she grabbed her purse and was out the door. The time was 6:45 p.m. She knew Dimitrius had a thing about punctuality, so she thought she would ruffle his feathers a bit by getting there late.
* * *
She walked in the restaurant at 7:06 p.m., following the waitress to the table. When her eyes locked with Dimitrius’, she knew this was going to be a long, interesting night, one that she’d hoped to cut short, but by the look on his face, she could tell he had a lot to say.
“Hi,” he said, standing, walking over to her side of the table. He pulled out a chair, allowing her to sit.
Dimitrius is a gentleman? Hmm…who knew, she thought to herself. “Thank you,” Melanie said.
“You’re welcome, Melanie.”
Why did the way he said her name have to sound so seductive? It rolled off his tongue effortlessly and, at the same time, she caught a trace of his cologne. She watched him sit again, across from her at the small, round table, wearing the same three-piece suit he’d worn earlier.
“You’re late again,” he said.
Melanie frowned. Seriously?
“It was a joke,” he replied once he saw the disturbance in her forehead.
“Usually when people joke, they smile, laugh…something of the sort,” she admonished.
He smirked.
“That’s a start,” Melanie said, smiling. “So, Mr. Champion, what am I doing here?”
“My name is Dimitrius.”
“I’m aware of that, but I don’t think we’re on a first-name basis just yet.”
“Well I’m giving you permission to be on a first-name basis.”
Short of rolling her eyes, Melanie said, “So Di-mi-tri-us, what am I doing here? What are you trying to accomplish? Is this like a test or something to see if I’ll be a good fit for the company?”
“We’ll talk about that after we eat. Right now, I want us to enjoy dinner together and get to know one another.”
“But why the sudden urge to know me all of a sudden, especially after you bit my head off this morning?”
He narrowed his hazel eyes at her. “You don’t listen very well, do you?”
“Excuse me?” Melanie said, snapping her head back.
He grinned. “I said we’ll talk about it after we eat, but since you can’t wait then, fine.” With his elbows resting on the table, he brought his hands to a steeple and said, “I’m not conducting a test with you, nor is anything about me wanting you is all of a sudden. We first met a year ago…at the hotel where you work.”
“No we didn’t.”
“Yes we did. We locked eyes. We shared a moment. We didn’t officially speak to each other, no, but we had a moment where, as far as I’m concerned, it was just the two of us in that crowded hotel lobby. Tell me I’m wrong.”
Goodness the man was a persuasive as he was fine. But, Melanie didn’t like being backed into a corner, even though he was right, so she replied, “You’re wrong.”
“And you’re not a good liar, Melanie Summers.”
“I’m not lying,” she said, barely looking at him.
“You are,” he said, smiling, “But, at any rate, that’s
where we met. Then my brother recommended you for the marketing manager position and, knowing Dante like I know him, the job is pretty much yours. So while it was easy for me to ignore you before, because I didn’t have to see you on a daily basis, I can’t do that when you’re slated to work in my building, now can I?”
Melanie smirked to hide her uneasiness. The reality was, she was so nervous, so completely off her guard that she didn’t know what to say to Dimitrius. And the way he stared at her had her legs shivering underneath the table. She could feel her heart rate quicken just by the fact that he mentioned that he wanted her. And had he noticed that her breathing seemed forced? She hoped he hadn’t.
“Was that answer satisfactory?” he asked, leaning back in his chair while loosening his necktie at the same time.
When he did, Melanie paid close attention to his strong hands, so large and thick with the imprint of his veins running through them like streaks of lightning bolts. He wore cuff links that looked to cost more than her mini Cooper and his goatee – how had she not noticed that man had hair on his face before – hair that was well-kempt. Shaven. Even. It complimented his caramel-colored skin, black hair, hazel eyes and full lips.
Melanie took a sip of water to relieve the dryness in her throat. She was irritated that Dimitrius had such an effect on her, making her forget the script that she had went over and over to herself on the drive to the restaurant. So, attempting to take control of the conversation, she said, “Out of all the women you could have, you chose me. Why?”
“Because I like you,” was his simple, straightforward reply.
“Like me? You don’t know me. You don’t know the first thing about me.”
“Well, that’s what we’re doing now…getting to know one another.”
“Good evening, Mr. Champion,” the waitress said, interrupting their conversation.
“Good evening, Bailey.”
Looks like I wasn’t the only one you’ve been getting to know, Melanie thought to herself, looking at the flirty, twenty-something-year-old brunette – a Mila Kunis look-a-like, standing there with a pen and a little notepad.
“Good evening, madam,” the waitress said, looking at Melanie.
Melanie offered up a warm smile and said, “Good evening.”
“What can I bring you to drink?” she asked.
“Do you drink red wine, dear?” Dimitrius asked, looking across the table at Melanie.
Melanie hid a frown. Since when did she become his dear? “Yes, I do.”
Then, looking up at Bailey, Dimitrius said, “Bring us a bottle of Jordan, Cabernet Sauvignon Imperial.”
“Awesome. I’ll be right back with that and two wine glasses.”
“Thank you, Bailey,” Dimitrius said before she walked away.
Melanie smiled. “I take it you know her.”
“Yes. I come here every Monday evening for dinner.”
“Wow. Guess I’m the flavor of the week this week, huh?”
Dimitrius frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You said you come here every Monday evening for dinner…”
“Yes, and I’m usually alone. Sometimes my brothers join me but with Dante being happily married now and Desmond being out of town on business quite frequently, it’s usually just me.”
Like you really expect me to believe that. “Oh okay,” Melanie said and left it alone. Besides, he wasn’t her man. He owed her no explanation as to his whereabouts and who he may or may not have been wining and dining in this swanky joint.
“Have you dined here before, Melanie?”
“No. My income doesn’t allow me to splurge on thousand-dollar bottles of wine and seventy-five dollar steaks.”
Dimitrius grinned slightly.
“Why is that funny?” Melanie asked, thinking the man had a weird sense of humor.
“It’s not. I was thinking that nothing here is over-priced. It’s quality.”
“If you say so,” she said, then nervously interlocked her fingers, feeling the heat of his eyes on her. And just to think that she had planned on being the one to dominate the night and the conversation. Her plan had flopped because, she was in the hot seat, sweating and feeling the force of attraction tug at her insides. And why was he staring at her with his darling eyes like she was one of the dinner choices on the menu?
Then again, was he staring at her? She hadn’t looked up to find out. Maybe he was looking at something behind her. Or maybe he was looking at the menu? To be certain, she looked up at him and their gazes locked. Held.
Dimitrius swallowed hard and refused to take his eyes away from her. She needed to know that he wanted her, that he intended to have her and he wasn’t a man who gave up easily. If she expected such, then she was in for the surprise of her life. A smile came to his lips just thinking about that. And he thought about something else too – things that men typically don’t think about. He thought about how long it would take for her to agree to marry him. How their children would look. Would their daughter look more like her or him? Would they have a boy first, or a girl?
Do something, Melanie, she told herself in the midst of this stare-down standoff with Dimitrius, feeling his gaze infiltrate her, deep down into her bones. If she didn’t look away soon, she was liable to become putty in his hands. Goodness…
“I’m going to take a look at the menu,” she said, finally breaking their gazes and, while she scanned through the selection of offerings with prices that made her head spin, she could feel Dimitrius’ eyes on her. She couldn’t help but wonder why he was staring so much, so in an effort to keep his vision from stalking her, she slowly eased the menu up in front of her face, smiling at herself for being silly, especially since he couldn’t see her now.
“Melanie,” Dimitrius said.
“Yes?” she answered, hiding sarcasm from her voice but hadn’t removed the menu from in front of her face.
“Are you seriously hiding behind the menu?”
She folded the menu shut, placed it on the table and with a huge smile and red cheeks, she giggled. “Yes. I was hiding. There. Happy.”
“Why?”
“Because you won’t stop staring at me?”
“It’s not my fault you’re so beautiful.”
“Will you stop?” she asked, blushing harder.
He cracked his mouth to a small smile. This wasn’t the first time he’d made a woman blush. This time, it actually meant something – meant that the woman he intended to marry was attracted to him. That was a good thing. If he could make her blush, then he could certainly make her do other things…
“So what do you normally order here?” she asked.
“Their steaks. They have the best steaks in all of North Carolina.”
“Okay, then let’s make it simple. I’ll have what you’re having.”
“Perfect.”
Bailey brought over two wine glasses and the bottle of wine that Dimitrius had requested. Then, after pouring a little in both glasses, she said, “Do you know what you’re ordering?”
“Yes,” Dimitrius said. “We’re both going to have the same thing – the New York strip with asparagus, and a baked potato.”
“Butter and sour cream on the side?” Bailey asked.
“Yes,” Melanie and Dimitrius replied together.
Dimitrius looked at Melanie and smiled.
Bailey scooped up the menus and said, “Cool. I will put that in right away for you.”
When Bailey walked away, Melanie looked up at Dimitrius and figured she may as well initiate the next topic of conversation. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to make it through dinner. “So what do you do at The Champion Corporation?”
“Shouldn’t you know that already?”
Melanie couldn’t help but laugh. “And why would I know that?”
“That’s what people do typically before they have a job interview. They browse the company’s website, check out the main players—”
“Well skip all that. I’m asking you now. Face t
o face. Man to woman. Mano y womano.”
“Womano?” he repeated, then laughed.
“Yes. I mean, after all, you did invite me to dinner.”
“Okay. I’ll give you that.” When he was finally able to stop laughing, he said, “I head up the accounts department. I won’t go into the specifics, but basically, I’m in charge of every single account that runs through the various lines of businesses. I do a lot of analytical work.”
“Oh, you’re one of those.”
“One of those?” he asked with one brow raised.
“Yes. Analytical thinkers.”
“I am. And I’m good at it. I’ve always been good at analyzing numbers, people, things and situations.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really. That’s why I know you better than you think I know you, Melanie.”
Melanie frowned. “And just what do you think you know about me?”
“Are you sure you want to test me?” he said with arrogant eyes.
“Are you sure you want to embarrass yourself?” she tossed back.
He smiled, ready to accept her challenge. “Okay. I know that I’ve never seen you with a man, which means that you’re single, intentionally, because I know men try to pick you up all the time but you turn them down. You’re not ready to date again…to love again, probably due to some idiot from your past who didn’t know a good thing when he had it. I know you like to laugh and have fun which is one of many reasons why I think we’ll make the perfect couple because, I’m usually more serious…something I’m making an effort to change about myself. Your favorite color is pink and if it’s not then, it should be for the simple fact that it looks heavenly against your soft, light-caramel skin. I know you have trust issues. I know you hate meeting new people and you like to live your life as simple as possible. I know you’re interested in me even though you’re trying hard to pretend that you’re not having a good time tonight. And finally, I know that, after this date is over – and yes, I called it a date because, well, that’s what this is – you probably wouldn’t want to see me again. How’d I do?”
Melanie took a sip of wine and leaned back in her chair. The man had her all figured out. But how? For the first time tonight, she actually thought she was out of her league. Dimitrius wasn’t the typical, random guy who tried to holla. He was the real deal and he had his eyes on her.