The Deal With Triplets

by Rayner, Holly

  Lucas stopped in his tracks. “I suppose I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

  “You and me, we only have ourselves to worry about,” I started, unsure exactly of where I was going with this. “Ourselves, our companies, our jobs. But most of the others have families to worry about. They have husbands and wives, sons and daughters, even pets to worry about. That sort of stress affects a whole family.”

  I could’ve cut the tension between us with a knife. Instead, I stood there and let the words reverberate in Lucas’s mind. He appeared pensive. Maybe he was actually considering what I’d said, not that there was a clear solution for this situation anyway. It wasn’t as if I expected him to go back to Borroni and say, “Hey, guys! Just kidding about what I said. I’m actually a nice, funny guy, and I was just pretending so I could see your full potential.”

  It may have been true, but it certainly wouldn’t help him. I knew my coworkers well enough that they’d be upset on two fronts—that he’d made them worry for no reason, and that he’d treated them like children who couldn’t be trusted to be on their best behavior without bribery.

  I looked up into Lucas’s eyes for some insight, some idea of what might come next. Just as I expected him to speak, he looked down at his wrist.

  “We should get going,” he said. “The next seminar starts in an hour, and we’ll need time to freshen up.”

  I wasn’t sure what to think. Was he deflecting or ignoring what I’d said? Or was he considering it but masquerading his surprise by pushing us on to our next activity? I supposed only time would tell.

  Chapter 7

  Lucas

  With half an hour until I was slated to meet up with Zoe, I checked my reflection in the mirror for what had to be the fifth or sixth time since I’d gotten dressed. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this nervous for a date, especially considering this wasn’t even really a date. It had been at least six or eight months since I’d taken a woman to dinner, and I wanted to make sure everything went well.

  Even if there was no chance for a romantic connection between us, I wanted Zoe to see me as someone respectable, maybe even a bit charming. No one wanted a CEO with mismatched clothing and chronic bedhead. Lucky for me, my teal button-down and slacks seemed as though they’d fit right in.

  Zoe had given me a lot to think about since we’d gotten to Hawaii. Besides offering up some brilliant ideas based on what we’d learned at the different seminars, she’d provided some much-needed perspective on my persona at Borroni Chocolates.

  I’d expected the rest of the afternoon to be awkward after she basically told me on the beach that she disagreed with my tactics as CEO, but we hadn’t missed a beat. We’d sat together during our final seminar, a roundtable called “Cookies and Milk: Perfecting Your Pairings to Sell Your Products,” and jotted down ideas and notes to one another in a joint notebook during the lulls. After that, we’d gone to the last round of pitch sessions and shared whispers between presentations.

  I was grateful for that. I didn’t want to be the type of leader that made others afraid to speak their mind, or made them feel as if they couldn’t be themselves around me. Zoe was proof that there could be a balance between honesty and professionalism.

  Maybe she was right and I had come off harsher than I’d realized. I’d wanted to see how Borroni operated at their full potential, but Zoe had made a solid point that I’d jeopardized a good working relationship with my employees. I’d have to reconsider my approach when we got back to Chicago. After all, this wasn’t a short-term investment. I was committed to making Borroni by Cadieux an even bigger player in the United States market, and that relied on a mutual trust between myself and my employees.

  There was a soft knock on the door, a knock I presumed belonged to Zoe. I drew in a breath and told myself to leave any worries about work behind. This was our last night in Hawaii, and I wanted it to be enjoyable. Talks of company policies and campaign strategies could wait until we were back in Chicago.

  I opened my hotel room door to reveal what was easily the most beautiful face I’d ever laid eyes on. Zoe was wearing a maroon-colored dress with tiny sunflowers printed all over, a nice, whimsical change from the business attire she usually wore at the office. Her gorgeous brown tresses were tied up in a neat bun atop her head, and she wore a pair of white wedges that brought her height up to my shoulders. The ensemble accentuated her perfect figure, and I had to remind myself that I was her boss, and we were on a business trip.

  “You look lovely,” I said, trying to strike a balance of casual and complimentary.

  She smiled nervously. “Thanks,” she said. “You ready?”

  “I’m famished!”

  I grinned. “That makes two of us.”

  I followed her down the hall, and we discussed our dinner preferences. The picnic earlier had been lovely, but the food hadn’t exactly been the most filling. While I was hungry enough to eat just about anything, Zoe’s request was “something we can’t find back in Chicago.” That was a reasonable request in my eyes, one that seemed easy enough to fulfill.

  Unfortunately for us, the resort restaurant was filled to the rafters with conference attendees anxious to network and make new contacts. Every person we came across looked guarded and uptight, and that wasn’t how I wanted to spend my last night in paradise. I could tell from the look on Zoe’s face that she agreed.

  “How about that Italian restaurant around the corner?” Zoe offered.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m fairly certain you can find Italian food back in Chicago,” I said.

  “Fair enough. But we’re hungry, and it’s close by.”

  I nodded in her direction, and she took the lead on the quick walk over to the Italian restaurant we’d passed at least half a dozen times over the past two days. We didn’t need to step inside to see that it was full beyond belief. The same voices we’d heard all weekend carried throughout the restaurant and onto the streets. There was no way we were getting in there—not that I was positive we even wanted to.

  I turned to Zoe.

  “Are you up for an adventure?” I asked.

  Her eyes lit up.

  “What do you have in mind?” she said.

  “Somewhere delicious, gorgeous, and far, far away from all of these stuffy conversations about work.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  I hailed a taxi, still not completely sure what I was doing. I stepped up to the window as the driver slowed to a stop.

  “We’re looking for somewhere to eat,” I said. “Somewhere along the beach, perhaps, away from the crowds. Do you know of anything that fits the bill? Money is no issue.”

  The driver nodded, a proud smile emerging onto his face. “I know the perfect place,” he said. “It’s where I proposed to my wife twenty years ago. It’s pricey, but it’s the best food on the island.”

  “That sounds like just what we have in mind.”

  I slid into the backseat beside Zoe, wondering how much of our conversation she’d heard. The driver’s mention of his marriage proposal made me nervous that the place would be too romantic or intimate for dinner with an employee, but, at this point, we were both hungry and anxious to get away from the conference, so it would have to do.

  We both stared in awe out of our respective windows as our taxi made its way further up the coast. The rocky shores were breathtaking in the sunset. Our taxi driver, Kai, as we learned, spoke a bit about our surroundings, particularly when we passed the small village he’d grown up in. Based on his knowledge and overall enthusiasm, I was confident he wouldn’t be steering us wrong for this meal.

  About ten miles up the coast from our resort, we pulled up to a beautiful stone building right on the sand. It looked more like a large villa than a restaurant, but that only added to the mystique. We thanked Kai for his guidance, and he gave us his card and told us to call when we needed a ride back. I held Zoe’s hand to assist her out of the car. Her skin was warm and soft, and a thrill went up my s
pine at her touch.

  The inside of the restaurant was just as charming as the outside. Abstract pieces of artwork lined the walls, and copper lighting fixtures created an inviting yet sophisticated atmosphere. The best part was that there wasn’t a single chocolatier in sight. No mention of collaborations or promises to set up business calls.

  “This place is gorgeous,” Zoe said as the waiter brought us to a table in the corner of the main dining room.

  I held her chair and pushed it in as she sat. A blush rose on her cheeks.

  “I’ll admit that I’m impressed by Kai’s pick,” I said, pleased to see her reaction to my attention to her.

  The waiter handed us each a menu, and we quietly leafed through it, perusing the many options. I wasn’t sure if the number of unfamiliar items to me was because they were native to Hawaii, or because they were simply popular in America but not Belgium.

  I took a sip from my water glass. “What are you thinking about getting?”

  “I’m not sure.” Zoe scanned the menu again before looking up at me. “Everything sounds so interesting. I’m tempted to try the kalua pig, since that’s sort of what Hawaii’s known for, but the mahi-mahi sounds delicious, too.”

  Even though this wasn’t a date, it felt like it was, and I could never imagine not letting a date of mine get any item on the menu she pleased.

  “How about the tasting menu?” I said. “Any interest in being adventurous with me?”

  I waited as Zoe looked over the chef’s tasting menu. It had a sample of everything—some exclusively Hawaiian dishes, and others that were simply the restaurant’s specialties. The starters were ahi poke, shrimp spring rolls, and spinach and artichoke crostini, all of which made my mouth water just based on their descriptions. The main courses included the kalua pig and mahi-mahi Zoe was considering, along with braised short rib and coconut-crusted shrimp. The dessert description simply said “trio of chef’s classics,” but we’d eaten enough sweets this weekend that any dessert would suffice.

  Zoe’s eyes were wide when she looked back up from the menu. The light fixture above our heads illuminated her already-sparkling eyes, adding to her beauty.

  “Every single thing on this tasting menu sounds incredible,” she said, looking up at me from under long eyelashes. “It’s on the expensive side, though, so if you don’t want—”

  I held up my hand. “Don’t be silly. You’ve made this conference one of the most bearable ones I’ve been to, and you saved my presentation. It’s the least I can do.”

  I called over the waiter and ordered the tasting menu for two, along with a bottle of their house wine. It couldn’t have been more than two minutes before the first of our appetizers appeared on the table.

  “I’ve never had ahi poke in my life,” Zoe said between bites. “But I’m pretty sure it’s in my top five favorite foods now.”

  I couldn’t help but grin. She talked with so much zest, so much life, something I wasn’t used to in a fairly serious work environment. I found myself wanting to hold her hand again. Or run my fingers through her silky hair.

  Clearing my throat, I searched my thoughts for something to say to keep the conversation flowing and my mind off of how badly I would rather this be a date.

  “So, I don’t know much about you outside of work. What do you do for fun? What’s your family like?”

  “I don’t have much time for fun.” She giggled, but it was more of a nervous laugh than anything. “But I like to take workout classes, like barre and spin, and I read to unwind before I go to bed.”

  “What do you like to read?”

  She took a quick sip of water. “All sorts of books. I like mysteries a lot, and I try to read marketing and industry books, too.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound very relaxing.”

  “Yeah, well, I told you my work is pretty much my entire life.” She smiled and tilted her head.

  Was she flirting? It seemed like she was. But I was her boss. I decided I should try to stop watching her full lips as she ate.

  I nodded and took a bite of a shrimp spring roll to distract myself. The ingredients tasted fresh, as if the owners had just gone out and caught the shrimp and picked the cabbage this morning. This was already shaping up to be the best dinner I’d had since arriving in America a week ago.

  “And your family?” I asked.

  “It’s your typical family,” she said. “My mom’s a teacher at the local high school, and my dad’s an accountant. My brother Evan is two years older than me. He’s sort of a job hopper. Last I heard, he was working at my cousin’s auto body shop.”

  “Are you close with them?”

  I hoped I wasn’t prying. I was just genuinely interested in learning more about Zoe. There was something about her, a sort of mystery I wanted to unravel. Besides, given the lack of family in my own life, it was nice to live vicariously through others from time to time.

  Zoe hesitated with her answer. “I’d say we’re about average as far as closeness goes. I see them most years on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and usually once or twice during the summer. Mom comes to visit at least once a summer since she has it off from school. Evan and my parents have dinner together every Sunday night, so I guess you could say they’re close. I don’t have any bad blood with them or anything. It’s just that I live further away now. About three hours without traffic.”

  “It’s nice that you get to see them, though.”

  “I guess,” Zoe said. She seemed anxious to get the focus off of her. “What about your parents?”

  “My dad passed away six years ago,” I said. “My mom died when I was ten.”

  Zoe appeared absolutely mortified to have dug up the past. I didn’t blame her for asking, though. She was just reciprocating and showing an interest, and I admired that.

  “I’m sorry, Lucas. I didn’t realize.”

  “It’s okay, really. You couldn’t have known.”

  “It must have been really difficult for you when your mom passed.”

  I nodded, avoiding her gaze. “Me and…” I almost mentioned Benoit, but I stopped myself just in time, not ready to open that wound. “…my dad really struggled after that. I think he buried himself in his work even more, not wanting to deal with his grief.

  “I’m sorry, Lucas,” Zoe said. “That sounds awful.”

  I shook my head. “But tonight isn’t about dwelling on the past. Let’s drink to brighter futures.”

  Zoe held up her half-full wine glass and gently clinked it against mine. “Cheers to that.”

  As if on cue, the waiter brought out a tray full of delectable-smelling plates. I hadn’t considered the possibility that it might be awkward to share dishes until they were on the table, but, fortunately, Zoe was a graceful sharer. We both agreed that the mahi-mahi was the star of the night, but that we were glad to have been able to try some of the other Hawaiian favorites.

  Along with espresso, dessert was a platter of tiny, delicate pastries, each one more delicious than the last.

  “Try this one,” Zoe said, handing me half of a cocoa-dusted confection, perhaps a cheesecake. “It’s incredible.”

  I indulged her and took the piece from her hand. Our pinkies brushed, normally not a big deal, but it was clear that the atmosphere had shifted beyond being purely professional. A blush had risen on her face and neck. I made a comment about how much I enjoyed the dessert Zoe had handed me as I considered what to say next.

  She was my employee. I was her boss. Still, I couldn’t ignore the vibe between us. This felt more like a date than a business meal, or even a meal between friends.

  “So, I haven’t seen you at the coffee shop lately,” I said, trying to get a read on her.

  “W-What?”

  “Mocha Madness. I went there a few times throughout the week and haven’t seen you since we first met.” I glanced at the espresso she was sipping on. “And, judging by the espresso in your hand, you haven’t given up caffeine.”

  A fluste
red look took over Zoe’s face, but I couldn’t tell if it was a flattered sort of flustered or an embarrassed sort of flustered. I hadn’t meant to make things awkward between us. I was just genuinely curious why she’d stopped going, especially since I suspected it had something to do with me. I’d figured that, if ever there was a time to ask, it was now, while we were still in paradise and she was three glasses of wine deep.

  “I didn’t want to risk mixing business with pleasure,” she said, her cheeks blushing scarlet. “We hit it off so well that first day, before I knew you were my new boss, and I didn’t want to jeopardize our working relationship by getting involved personally.”

  “I see,” I said softly. I wasn’t sure where it came from, but I heard myself saying, “Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”

  I glanced around to make sure I wasn’t misreading the situation. The lights were dimmed, candles were lit on the tables around us, and we were sharing dishes like we were on a date.

  “I…uh…”

  “Look,” I started. “I’m not the kind of guy to beat around the bush, as I’m sure you’ve been able to gather by now. There’s clearly something between us. My question is, are we going to do something about it?”

  Zoe stared at the empty dessert plate, avoiding any semblance of eye contact. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?” she said.

  The waiter came over to clear our plates, at which time handed over my credit card to pay for the meal. I waited until the waiter was out of earshot before answering.

  “I suppose that’s up to us to decide.”

  Zoe was quiet as I called the number our taxi driver had given me and told him we were ready to be picked up. To my surprise, Kai was already waiting for us down the street.

  “Are you ready?” I asked Zoe.

  She nodded. “Thank you for dinner,” she said. “This might’ve been the best meal of my life. I’m so full you may have to roll me out of here.”

  We laughed, and, just like that, the tension was broken. We made small talk in the taxi on the way back to the resort, stealing glances at each other when we thought the other wasn’t looking. I could tell that Zoe was still thinking about my proposition, and I had an inkling that her answer was going to be yes.