“No, she won’t.” How dare he think he could tell her what to eat. Richard never minded that she ate a lot of salad. He never tried to tell her what to eat. It was the one thing he hadn’t tried to change about her.
Suddenly Indy realized she was doing exactly what Richard had last night: comparing someone to her ex. Which didn’t even make sense since she and Griffin were nowhere near being a couple.
This time, his eyes stayed on Lily. “Two burgers. One salad.”
Lily turned away, but Indy saw her bite her lip to conceal a smile.
“I’m not that hungry. Ordering a cheeseburger for me is a waste.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
She wanted to ask him why he cared, but she pressed her lips together to stop the question. She answered coolly, “I had some chocolate cake last night.”
“You’re drained and you need something more substantial.”
“Look. I didn’t come here to fight.” She couldn’t handle a fight with him.
“So don’t fight. Let’s talk.” He took a drink of coffee, and his phone bleeped. He took it from his pocket, checked the caller, and hesitated. He scored points for consideration.
“You can take that if you need to.”
“Sure?”
“Yes. Business is business.”
She zoned out for a few minutes while Griffin dealt with his call. She needed to organize a bridal shower for Quinn. She couldn’t expect Kate to foot the bill by herself. If they held it at Quinn’s loft, it would save a lot over using a banquet hall. They’d have to plan fast.
“Sorry.”
Indy snapped her attention back to the table. “No problem.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Kate and I have to plan a shower for Quinn. I was thinking about how to save some money by having it at Quinn’s.” She took a sip of coffee, now cool. “Speaking of which, how is it you got the news about Quinn being pregnant before me?”
His broad shoulders rose. “I’m a good listener.”
“Hmm-mmm.”
Griffin placed his cup back on the saucer. “What do you think about it?”
“Quinn being pregnant? Not too surprised, really. It’s all she’s been talking about for months. Why? You have a problem with it?” A sensation pricked the back of her neck. She might not be up for a fight about herself, but she’d sure as hell defend Quinn.
He turned his cup in slow circles. “It’s so fast. How well can they possibly know each other? Marriage is crazy enough, but to add in a kid . . .”
“Sometimes you just know, I guess. I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes, but it suits them.”
“That it does.”
Lily breezed by, topped off their cups and let them know their food would be ready soon. Griffin stared at her coming and going.
The girl appeared barely old enough to drink. It didn’t matter that this was a business lunch and not a date. It was rude to check out other women. “Isn’t she a little young for you?”
“Yeah.” He shook his head and turned his attention to Indy. “I know her, but it looks like she doesn’t remember me.”
“So many conquests, hard to keep track, I’m sure.”
“I never slept with her.”
His gaze tracked over Indy’s shoulder to the counter. He shook his head again.
“I’ll be back in a minute.” He stood and walked to the bathroom. Lily returned, loaded with plates. After placing the food, she smiled at Indy. “He hasn’t figured it out yet, has he?”
“You do know him.” Indy put her cup down.
“Yeah. Griffin and I go way back. He’s a good guy.” She walked away before Indy could ask any questions.
Griffin returned and pulled a napkin from the dispenser. Indy squeezed lemon over the plain iceberg lettuce.
She poked at her salad. Her stomach felt so empty it hurt. The coffee sloshed around like acid. “I thought you wanted to talk about houses. You haven’t given me much to go on.”
“We’ll get there. I wanted a chance to get to know you better.” He popped a fry into his mouth.
“What do you want to know?”
“Why are you dating a married man?”
She dropped her fork, and it clanged against her plate. “What does my personal life have to do with how well I perform my job?”
“In general, nothing.” He settled back against the booth. “I know better than anyone that my personal life should have nothing to do with my professional one. Unfortunately, one leaves impressions on the other whether I want it to or not.”
His straightforwardness surprised her. He didn’t strike her as the kind of guy to lay all his cards on the table. “If my personal life bothers you, why not find another agent?”
“Why can’t you answer my question?”
She sighed. She could tell him she broke up with Richard. That would lead to more questions, questions she didn’t want to discuss. “Not everything is black and white. Legally, Richard was married when we met. They’d already separated and papers were filed, but it was one of those never-ending messy divorces.”
“Oh.”
He obviously hadn’t expected that. “It never even occurred to you to give me the benefit of the doubt, did it? You automatically assumed I played the part of a mistress.”
He leaned forward, lips parted in an almost smile. “In my defense, one of the first times I saw you, you sang a karaoke song about being the other woman and you left Ryan’s bar in tears.”
Indy thought back. She and Richard had had a fight. He’d canceled a date with her because he was with his wife. “Sometimes I felt like the mistress. That doesn’t make me one. I would never date a truly married man.”
“Okay.”
Indy thought he looked relieved somehow, which made no sense. Why would he care? He was supposed to be a client, nothing more. But Griffin was a good conversationalist—no, a good listener. Just like he’d said.
After swallowing a bite of burger, Griffin asked, “Why real estate?”
She stopped licking the salt left from a French fry off her finger, and he regretted interrupting. He shifted in his seat. Everything this woman did turned him on.
“I kind of fell into it. A girl I used to waitress with was studying for the exam. It sounded like fun. The other girl didn’t pass, but I had Quinn, who helped me study.” She scooped another fry and dragged it through a puddle of ketchup. “Why video games?”
“I discovered early on I had a knack for computers. I like to tinker with things. Then I found out I could actually get paid to play video games all day.”
“Boys and their toys.” She eased into a smile and stabbed at her salad.
“I’m an equal opportunity employer. I have a couple of women working for me who happen to be two of the best hackers I’ve ever met.”
Indy looked intently at him as if evaluating what he’d said. He saw a lot going on behind her beautiful face.
“I actually want to show you something.”
She tilted her head. “I am not playing a game of ‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.’ ”
He bit the inside of his cheek. While it came out wrong, he definitely wouldn’t mind seeing hers. “Okay, that sounded like a proposition. I want to show you something that will help you understand what kind of house I’m looking for.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she nibbled on her lip. “Fine, let’s finish and go.”
“We don’t have to go anywhere.” Her acquiescence came quicker than expected. He needed to make sure Indy was the right person to talk to about his foundation. He didn’t want word being spread until he was ready. His small pilot program at a west side school drew no attention from anyone. He wanted to keep it that way.
It was the sole reason for meeting at KD’s. No one here would care about his conversation. KD’s had been a safe place for him as a kid. He still clung to that notion.
They finished their food and slid the plates near the edge of the tabl
e. He reached beside him and popped open his briefcase. He handed her the file with the information on the program and the foundation. A strange feeling fluttered in his stomach, one he hadn’t felt since childhood. He squashed the nervousness down the way he would an opponent in the boardroom—quick and ruthless. She’d either get his vision or she wouldn’t.
He wanted Indy to get it and to like it.
“What’s this?”
“I’ve started a charitable foundation. I plan to work with inner-city kids and teach them computers.”
“Okay.” She flipped open the file.
“The program is intense. Better than they’d get anywhere else.”
“And?”
He was losing her. She didn’t get it.
“No one cares about these kids. I’m targeting kids who are smart but who have had trouble. If I can get them involved, where they can make a real future for themselves, I can change a lot of lives.”
She looked up from the folder. “What does this have to do with me?”
“My house is part of the program. That’s why I need so much space. I plan to run the foundation out of my house. Classes will be held where I live.” He turned the pages in her hand to the sketch of what would be the workroom. “This is a rough sketch, since I don’t have an actual room to base it on.”
She took the drawing and studied it. “So you’re going to take a bunch of inner-city kids and trust them in your mansion.”
He snatched the file back. Irritation pinched his nerves. “Go ahead and laugh. I know what I’m doing.”
“I’m not laughing. I’m trying to understand. Have you forgotten my sister has taught kids like these for years? I’ve heard her talk about kids whose lives have been changed once they were given a shot, a chance to believe in themselves. I get it.” She reached across the table and curled her fingers over his fist. Her soft, smooth skin eased his tension.
He sighed and loosened his grip. He’d never considered Quinn would tell Indy about teaching in that neighborhood. Obviously Indy paid closer attention to her sister than anyone gave her credit for. “They need to know they’re trusted. What better way to do it than to share my home with them?”
“So you need a house with space that can be divided without looking like it’s been divided. You trust them to be in your home, but you still need your own space, away from kids, away from work.”
The tension in his torso eased. She did get it. Kendra would be thrilled. Indy was about as normal as he could find. She’d never appeared on the society page, at least not according to Google. “Yes, but I want a separate wing. I need enough space for the kids to work as the foundation grows in size. I’ll also need offices for staff.”
Lily slid the green-and-white bill on the table and scooped up the dishes.
Indy leaned forward, her elbows propped on the Formica. “She knows you.”
Wallet in hand, Griffin stopped. “How do you know?”
“She told me. Actually, she gloated about you not being able to figure it out. She said you go way back.” Indy’s sly smile was borderline flirtatious.
“What else did she say?”
She hesitated and pulled away from the table. “She said you’re a good guy.”
“Hmm. That’s it?” His mind continued to search for any memory of Lily.
“In a nutshell.” She pulled her wallet out and tilted her head to see the total.
“I said I’d buy you lunch.”
“And I’ll leave the tip.” She pulled a ten out and tucked it under her cup.
“That’s almost a forty percent tip.”
“Lunch cost me nothing, and in a place like this, good tips are few and far between. I think Lily would appreciate it. And I enjoyed watching her make you squirm.” She slid from the booth and waited by the door while he paid at the register.
Lily rang him out with a smile. “Have a nice day. Come back soon.”
“I will.”
She winked at him and went back to wiping down the counter.
Indy opened the door with her keys in hand. “Thanks again for lunch. I’ll start a new search for you today. I’ll let you know what I find.”
He walked Indy to her run-down car. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.”
“A piece of advice. Don’t talk to him. When he calls, don’t answer.”
Her eyes widened, then she laughed. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been upset all afternoon. You look like you spent the night crying instead of sleeping. There are few reasons for a woman to do that. A man leads the list. Don’t talk to him.”
She stood at her open car door, looking vulnerable. “What makes you think he’ll call?”
He’d be stupid not to. “You’re an easy mark.” Her head jerked as if he’d slapped her. “He’ll be back. Don’t be a yo-yo. You’re better than that.”
She said nothing before closing the door and starting the engine. He hadn’t meant to piss her off or hurt her, but coming off a visit with Malcolm made him edgy. Malcolm specialized in jerking women around. Hopefully this ass wasn’t anything like Malcolm.
Griffin looked back at the diner. He tossed his keys in the air and then caught them. Memories flooded his brain. Good memories. Blond hair, near white, with soft curls framing the little girl’s face. Big blue eyes staring up at him like he was a god.
When he reentered the diner, Lily was filling saltshakers at the counter. She turned at the sound of the door.
“Back so soon?”
He walked quickly to her. “Little Lily. Are you going to keep pretending you don’t know me?”
“I wondered how long it would take.” She smiled brightly.
He scooped her up in a hug, and she squealed in his ear. Some things never change. Sure, she’d grown taller, and her hair was longer, but the shriek hadn’t changed.
“Who’s out there, Lily?” a voice called from the kitchen.
Lily raised a finger to keep Griffin quiet while she answered. “There’s a guy who says he really needs to talk to you, Mom.”
The kitchen door swung open, and stout KD pushed through. She’d aged, of course, but she was the same. She looked up at him and smiled. “Well, it’s about time you came to visit. You think you’re too rich and uppity to hang out with us peons now?”
“Never, KD.” He bent over and hugged her. “It has been too long.”
At twelve, he walked through her door for the first time to apply for a job, determined to help his mother. Instead of laughing at him, KD hired him to do menial tasks. Later, she paid Griffin to babysit Lily when she needed a few hours. Her husband thought Griffin was weird, but KD trusted him.
Why had he stayed away so long?
KD eased onto one of the counter stools. “Hungry?”
“No, I just ate.”
“Why didn’t you come to the kitchen to say hi?”
He sat beside her while Lily continued to fill salt. “I didn’t think you’d still be here. I figured you’d have hired someone else to do your grunt work.”
“Ha! I won’t leave this place till I keel over. How are things going with you?”
“Good. Busy.”
“You married yet? Kids? I read the article about you in a magazine. I bet they were coming out of the woodwork. Chicago’s most eligible bachelor.”
“You know it. Not the most, I was one of fifty. No wife or kids. I’d never get married and not invite you, KD.” He turned to look at Lily. “I’ve been waiting all these years for Lily to grow up and fall in love with me.”
She blushed. “Not likely, Griffin. I couldn’t compete with the women who trail after you. The one today was pretty.”
KD smacked his arm. “You brought a woman here and didn’t have the decency to introduce us?”
He rubbed the spot on his arm. “She’s my real estate agent. And her sister is marrying Ryan O’Leary.”
Lily’s head whipped around. “One of the mighty O’Learys has fallen?”
&n
bsp; Griffin nodded with a smile. “Two. Michael’s engaged too.”
“Wow.” Lily plopped on a stool. “How about Liam?”
“Single as far as I know. He’s thinking about opening his own restaurant. How do you know Liam?”
She waved her hand quickly. “The O’Leary boys are legendary. All troublemakers and all lady’s men. But the things they say about you almost put the O’Learys to shame.”
“Wow. Didn’t know you cared so much, Lily-pad.”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not four anymore.”
He tugged at her ponytail. “I can see.”
Lily poured coffee for all of them and he spent the next hour catching up on neighborhood gossip. It felt good to be home.
Chapter 3
Indy wanted to kill Quinn. If they weren’t sisters, she’d probably have followed through. But then again, if they weren’t sisters, she wouldn’t be stuck going to a stupid family dinner after having to switch schedules at the bar.
She wasn’t up for seeing their dad. There hadn’t been enough time to mentally prepare for him. Especially on the heels of her breakup with Richard.
Walt Adams was not an easy man.
Indy rushed down the block from the bus stop, still in her uniform of spandex shorts and too-tight T-shirt. Her bag of clothes thumped against her side as she ran. She was determined to not only not be late but to beat her father to Quinn’s. If her car hadn’t been in the shop, she would’ve had plenty of time.
As she rounded the corner, her cell phone chirped. She sucked in a gulp of air. “Hello.”
“He’s here. Early. Please tell me you’re almost here.”
Shit. Shit. Shit. Her heart crashed against her ribs. Nerves or exertion? Instinct told her to run the opposite way, but she’d promised Quinn she’d be there. “I’m outside. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
Indy tucked the phone back in her bag and leaned against the cool brick of the building to catch her breath and calm her heart. She thought of stripping and changing right there on the street. It would be less humiliating than facing her father. If she’d packed better, she could slip her clothes over her uniform, but the white blouse couldn’t hide her uniform shirt.
A Good Time Page 4