Page 79 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

RICK

A stiff wind pushed the collar of my jacket up as I got out of the back seat of the car. Rain started splattering against the windshield and my driver pulled away from the curb, leaving me shielding my eyes against the wind as I peered up at the front doors of the restaurant Shawn had sent me to.

It didn’t look like much from the outside.

The girl I’d been set up on a date with was apparently waiting for me inside. I’d been told she’d been shown a picture of me and would recognize me when I walked in. No matter how much I pried, Shawn wouldn’t give me any information on her.

Maybe he suspected I’d get cold feet and bail.

I almost had anyway.

I talked myself in and out of coming on this date ten times over as I got ready earlier this evening.

Chessie had eventually convinced me to just go.

She’d sat on my bed with her legs crossed neatly under herself and watched as I did up the cuffs of my sleeves, and then she not so subtly told me to get out of my head and go on a date.

What was the worst that could happen?

I sighed up at the front doors.

I could end up with someone like Verity.

And that wouldn’t likely happen because now I knew how to catch all the red flags. Now I knew what qualities I actually wanted in a woman. And I would not get caught settling for anything less than extraordinary.

Like Kim.

I straightened out my jacket and moved up to the front doors. A hostess in a black dress pulled them open for me with a charming smile and brought me to the podium, where a second host asked for my name.

“Rick Garrett.”

Her big blue eyes scanned the guest list in front of her and she lifted her gaze back up to me. “Your companion has already arrived. Lucy will see you to your table. Have a good evening, Mr. Garrett.”

“You too.” I followed Lucy through the winding maze of tables in the restaurant. It was a bit of an edgy place, with high ceilings and exposed piping above my head. The tables were mostly set for two and almost all were occupied. We rounded a corner booth and Lucy stepped aside to reveal my date.

I blinked. “Kim?”

Kim had a glass of red wine in her hand. Her lips were pursed to the edge of the glass and her eyes went wider than I’d ever seen them when she saw me. She set the glass down, leaving a perfect red imprint on the rim. “Rick? What are you doing here?”

Lucy gestured for me to sit. “This is your table, sir.”

“Uh…”

Kim laughed and shook her head. Then she motioned for me to sit and thanked the hostess, who took her leave as I sat down, feeling out of place and a little out of sorts.

“Jackson,” Kim muttered. “He’s always manipulating things behind my back. And he always thinks he knows what’s best for me. The little snake. I’m gonna get him one of these days.”

“Care to explain what’s happening?” I asked.

Kim sighed and crossed her arms to rest her elbows on the table.

I got caught up in how beautiful she looked tonight.

Her full lips were a brilliant, deep shade of red, and her eyes were more dramatic than usual, with winged eyeliner and long lashes.

Sparkly gold hoop earrings peeked out from her dark curls and she lifted one hand to mindlessly play with one while she answered me.

“Well, I can’t explain what happened to you, but I’m assuming someone in your life set you up on a blind date this evening? ”

“Uh, yes.”

She nodded knowingly. “Mhm. Well, one of my best friends is a world-famous matchmaker and he’s singlehandedly obliterated my dating life over the past six months. I suspect this is his cheeky way of apologizing.”

“By sitting you down to dinner with an ex?” I asked skeptically. “That doesn’t seem like a very friendly thing to do.”

She eyed me curiously. “Just because I broke things off doesn’t mean it isn’t good to see you, Rick. Because it is. It’s very good to see you.”

I felt a bit like an ass as I straightened out my cutlery. “It’s good to see you too.”

She picked up her wine and I pretended to busy myself with putting my napkin over my knee. Then I kicked myself. This was Kim. I didn’t have to skirt around her like I might some other ex-girlfriend.

“How have you been?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Fine. You?”

“Fine.”

Her eyes sparkled a bit. “I’m lying. I’m terrible, Rick. I’m utterly terrible. This whole thing? It’s such a fucking mess.”

I sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Please. Don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault.”

Our waitress appeared and I ordered a glass of whatever Kim was drinking. When we were alone again, I caught her watching me. I ran a hand along my jaw. “I’m not necessarily apologizing for the media,” I said, “because those bastards are out of my control.”

She cocked her head to the side. “What are you apologizing for then?”

“For how things fell apart so quickly.”

Kim opened her mouth to say something but I held up a hand.

“Please, Kim. Let me finish. This is all I’ve been able to think about, and now that I have an opportunity to sit down face to face with you, I don’t want to blow it.”

Kim licked her lips. Then she leaned back and nodded. “Okay. Go on.”

“I’m sorry that we never had a chance to see what this thing could have really been between us.

If we hadn’t run into outside forces tearing us apart, I know we’d still be together.

I’ve never felt this way about a woman before.

I’ve never wanted to spend every minute of every day with someone who wasn’t Chessie.

And when I think about Chessie and I think about you, all I can feel is this hollow disappointment, like the best thing that could have happened to Chessie was you and it was stolen away from her too soon. ”

Kim blinked. Her eyes were glassy.

“Fuck,” I said. “I don’t want to make you cry.

But I need you to know where I stand. I think about you every goddamn minute of every goddamn day and I doubt that’s going to change anytime soon.

I’m angry that this decision was stolen from us.

I’m angry that the world thinks they know us.

And I’m angry that I didn’t properly prepare you for what might happen if we were seen together in the public eye like that. ”

Kim dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her thumbs and cleared her throat. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. But there are things I need you to know. Important things.”

“Rick, there’s something I need to tell you, too.”

“Let me get this off my chest first.”

Kim nodded.

This was it. The point of no return.I wanted to tell her I loved her.

I’d loved her since the first night we spent together but I hadn’t been able to riddle out what those warm fuzzy feelings were inside my chest and gut because it had been so long since I’d last felt them.

And with Verity, it had been so different.

It had been thrilling almost, like I was catching something I knew I should release.

But with Kim?

There was no urge to release. I wanted to hold on tight. And the harder the world tried to pull us apart, the tighter I would hold on.

She needed to know I loved her. Then, with all the cards on the table, maybe we could try this again. It was worth a shot.

“Kim, I—”

Her phone buzzed. “Oh my God,” she breathed, opening her clutch and fishing her phone out. “I’m so sorry, Rick. I meant to put this on silent. Hold on. Let me just—” She paused and looked at the screen. Then she frowned up at me. “Do you mind if I take this? It’s Vanessa.”

“Go ahead.”

She answered the phone. She hardly got three words out before a deep male voice reached my ears through the speakers. Kim’s eyes widened. She gripped the edge of her table with her free hand. “Are you serious?” she asked. “Okay. Okay. I’m on my way. Do you need anything? I can bring food or—”

Whoever was on the line said something succinct and then hung up.

Kim stared at her phone and her wide eyes slid slowly up to me. “My best friend is having her baby.”

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

“Um.” Kim looked around. Then she crammed her phone back in her purse and threw a hand in the air to flag down a server. “I’m so sorry, Rick. I need to go. This is… wow. I can’t believe this is happening.” She started laughing. Then she started crying.

By the time the server arrived, I’d already dropped some cash on the table. I told her to keep the change and got to my feet. Then I called my driver to swing back up the block and come pick me up. He said he’d be there in two minutes.

Kim and I hurried to the front doors. It was still windy.

“Let me drive you to the hospital,” I said. “My driver is just around the corner.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive!”

Kim pressed a hand to her forehead. “I knew this was coming but now that it’s here, it doesn’t feel real. A baby? Holy crap.”

I chuckled. “It’s a big deal. Did they say they needed anything?”

She shook her head. “Rhys was too overwhelmed. He was hardly making sense on the phone.”

“Would you like to stop somewhere anyway?”

Kim nodded up at me. “Would you mind?”

“Not at all.”

Secretly, I was happy about the timing. This gave me more time with Kim. Even if it wasn’t the time I was expecting, I’d take it.