Page 41 of Origins of Eternity

“For what, exactly?”

“Our second date, Arwen,” Iro said with a smile. “This lunch doesn’t count. I really was just in the area and couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Arwen watched Iro’s hand as it moved down her neck, over her shirt, and rested between her breasts.

“Tomorrow night is good. I would tonight, but I have a mountain of work to do, and I might need to check on that stubborn best friend of mine,” she replied.

“Let’s go get lunch. If you want to do this in the car on the way there, I’m more than fine with that.”

Iro pulled her in closer.

Arwen laughed and said, “I think we’ll be sitting next to each other, with our seatbelts on, so that might be difficult.”

“Well, that’s disappointing,” Iro said before kissing her quickly.

Then, she held out her hand, and Arwen took it, grabbing her purse on their way out.

“Ma’am?” the driver asked once they got into the car.

“The restaurant I mentioned,” Iro told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

Then, Iro’s phone rang.

“I apologize. Just let me see who it is,” Iro said, pulling her phone out of her suit jacket. “Sorry. One moment. Please excuse me.” She put the phone to her ear. “Yes?”

Arwen placed her hand on Iro’s thigh and felt Iro’s free hand in hers a second later.

“I’ll be there at two-thirty, as we discussed. Please make sure to have everything ready. I don’t want any delays on this. It’s already cost us millions,” Iro said into the phone. “Yes. Goodbye.” She disconnected the call and slid the phone back into her pocket. “My apologies,” she added and brought Arwen’s hand to her lips to kiss.

“Talk about tough. What wasthatabout?”

“A real estate deal,” Iro shared. “I acquired land years ago, and I have been waiting for someone to express interest once the area around it became more desirable. Unfortunately, there have been issues with a city council member, permitting, and more. It has been a wreck, really, but if this meeting goes as planned, I will still make a nice profit despite the unpredicted costs.”

“How much is a nice profit if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I paid three hundred million dollars for it. It’ll sell for four hundred and fifty or thereabout.”

“A hundred and fifty million dollars?” she asked, surprised. “Holy crap, Iro.”

“You knew I had money, Arwen.”

“Yes, but that’s just one deal. God, what are you doing withme? You could easily marry a Vanderbilt or a Kennedy. Are those still the rich people? I don’t know; I don’t keep up with rich people unless I’m going against them on a case.”

Iro chuckled and said, “This is a once-in-a-decade kind of deal, if that makes you feel any better. It’s a waterfront property in a bad part of town that I knew would turn into an up-and-coming good part of town one day, so I bet on it, and I’m about to win. Not all investing is this lucrative, and not all of it pays off.”

“Why do I think it probably pays off for you more than it doesn’t?” Arwen asked.

Iro leaned over, kissed her on the temple, and said, “You would be right. I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years.”

“Years? I’m thirty-six, and you look younger than me.”

“I’m thirty-one years old,” Iro said.

“You’re only thirty-one?”

“I’ll take that as an insult if you’re not careful.”