Page 19 of The Tempo of Truth (The Monsters Duet #3)
Winnie
“Thank you so much for taking the time to meet me for lunch. I was getting tired of eating out of to-go containers in the boardroom.”
I glanced across the table at the attractive man who’d been asking me out for lunch and dinner every time we met for business.
Initially, I planned to keep turning him down because I didn’t want Oliver Byrd to get the impression I was interested in anything more than our shared business interests.
The only reason I agreed to have a meal with him today was to divert attention away from Lowe and Ky.
I thought the media frenzy around my private life would die down once there was something else to stir up the news cycle, but so far, my relationship—or lack thereof—with Lowe’s father was still dominating headlines in both entertainment and financial media.
I hoped stepping out with a handsome, well-connected man might act like chum in the water and divert the sharks looking for blood onto a new target.
I had no clue if Oliver knew he was being used or not, but he appeared to be treating the meal as a first date.
I’d done my best to set the record straight and insisted I had no intention of leading him on.
The words made no difference, and he was still pouring on the charm as if he were looking for an opportunity to win me over.
He’d been nothing but a gentleman. I could tell we’d survived the same sort of rigorous upbringing.
It wasn’t a stretch to assume he’d had to suffer through the same etiquette and manners classes my grandmother forced upon me, although he didn’t appear as resentful of all the time spent learning to be as proper and polished as I was.
I took a sip of water and forked a mouthful of saucy pasta into my mouth.
The restaurant was newly opened, a couple of streets over from Halliday headquarters.
The portions were big, and the food was hearty.
I had no complaints about the ambiance or what was on my plate.
The company was also fine, other than Oliver only eating a Caesar salad while doing his best to impress me with his lengthy list of accomplishments.
I didn’t want to interrupt him when he was talking about attending an Ivy League college, or when he mentioned he was a season ticket holder to both the ballet and the city’s major league baseball team.
I knew he was trying to show that he had diverse interests, but I would’ve been more impressed if he shoveled some carbs into his mouth and chugged a glass of wine during the middle of the day.
It was a tad arduous to spend time with someone who was just as proper and polite as I was.
I wiped my mouth and tried to cast a subtle look at the time on my phone screen.
“I’m not really a ballet fan. My grandmother made me take lessons when I was in middle school.
Even though I was thin as a toothpick back then, the teacher told me I wasn’t built right for ballet.
” I motioned to my much healthier and rounder figure.
“Definitely not cut out to be a dancer these days. My best friend is an opera singer. I’m a lifetime ticket holder for classical theater.
” I smiled faintly when I mentioned Lowe.
“My son likes football. Maybe he’ll branch out as he gets older; for now, he’s not interested in anything other than kicking the ball around and protecting the goal. ”
Oliver’s knife scratched across his plate. The sound made my back teeth hurt. I looked at him in surprise since it was the first faux pas he’d made while in my presence.
He cleared his throat and reached for his glass of water. “What about you? I’ve heard that you were a big soccer fan. So much so that you decided to attend college abroad.”
I laughed and motioned for the server to bring me the dessert menu.
“I went overseas for a lot of reasons. It’s easier to be a Halliday when there is an ocean between you and the town named after your family.
Plus, my father was recently married at the time, and my aunt and uncle had a house full of kids.
Everyone did their job and raised me to the point I was old enough and confident enough to make my own choices about things.
Attending an international school was the first big decision I made on my own.
” I handed the menu back, and he looked confused when asked if he wanted dessert as well.
It seemed like sugar was also a foreign concept to him.
“I still enjoy football. I follow whichever team Lowe is rooting for at the time. Now that I’m officially learning the ropes at the company, I have less time to indulge in outside interests.
I’m going to have to work on the whole work-life balance thing. ”
Oliver cleared his throat and gave me a probing look. So far, he’d been on his best behavior, but I felt the shift in his energy as he asked, “What about boxing? Is that a new interest, or is your enthusiasm limited to a specific fighter?”
I sat back in my chair and felt both of my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. “Are you having me followed?” I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was. His nice-guy act was nearly flawless.
Oliver shook his head, his features showing blatant disgust when a fat piece of cheesecake covered in strawberries was placed in front of me.
I’d most definitely inherited my Uncle Win’s sweet tooth.
Any sugary, decadent dessert reminded me of all the times he’d snuck me away from my grandmother to indulge in something she would never allow.
“Not me. The board of directors from Byrd Enterprises. You know they don’t want this merger to go through.
They’re happy with the status quo and think working with Halliday Inc.
will cause business to expand beyond our means.
I’m sure they see you as the weak link. They’re looking for any means to sway the vote back in their direction.
I know it’s an invasion of privacy, but I have to say,” he stared at me, confusion clear on his handsome features.
“I didn’t expect to see you coming and going from such a sketchy establishment.
I don’t think a woman like you belongs in a place like that. ”
I stabbed the cheesecake with my fork and scoffed.
“A woman like me belongs wherever she wants to be.” I wasn’t about to let anyone dictate where I could and couldn’t go.
Never again. Once my grandmother, the esteemed Colette Halliday, was six feet under, the days of me abiding by someone else’s standards were a thing of the past. “You never know what you’ll find when you wander into interesting and unexpected places. ”
Oliver leaned forward, his gaze intent on mine as I savored the rich dessert.
“I don’t mean to pry, but what exactly is your relationship with Kyser Kent?
The reports I’ve seen are varied. From the outside looking in, he doesn’t seem to be a very stand-up or reliable guy.
Are you sure he won’t use his relationship with your son to take advantage of you? ”
I chuckled and waved for the bill. We’d been dining long enough for any intrepid paparazzi to snap a photo to sell.
And if I wasn’t mistaken, several of the young diners had already posted about this pseudo-date on their social media accounts.
An heiress out in the wild always made for good content, especially since I was around the same age as a lot of the people who were following my story purely for entertainment value.
Who didn’t love getting a peek into the drama and intricacies of the super-wealthy?
Oliver tried to fight me for the bill. I refused to let him pay for me because that would make this interaction more date-like than it already was.
He eventually agreed to split the check.
While he was grumbling under his breath about how the afternoon didn’t go as planned, I shocked him even more when I told him, “I appreciate your concern. I doubt you’ll believe me when I tell you that I’m the one who wants to take advantage of Ky.
I’d offer him anything he asked for if I thought it would get him to stick around. ”
The amiable expression on his face shifted to one of confusion and irritation. I could tell he didn’t appreciate my response.
“Is that guy really someone who can be a positive influence on a developing mind? He’s got a highly questionable past. One that is peppered with criminal activity. Most people wouldn’t want someone like that around their vulnerable and impressionable child.”
“I’m not putting in the work to lure Ky out of the dark for anyone other than myself.
” I tapped my phone to pay the bill and left a generous tip.
It was easy to tell the server had been tasked with taking extra good care of our table.
She was very attentive without hovering.
“I’d like to have him be a consistent figure in my life and let him get to know my son better.
” I stated my true intentions with no remorse.
My decades-long obsession with Kyser Kent surely wasn’t a poorly kept secret anymore.
“Thank you for joining me for lunch, Oliver. When you return to your company, let them know I don’t mind them following me because I don’t have anything to hide.
However, they should bear in mind that not everyone around me feels the same way.
Some of those stones they’re determined to turn over are large enough to crush a man to death if they lose their grip on them. ”