Page 12 of Thiago (Family Ties #6)
Chapter Twelve
“ S o, what do you think? I can pick you up on Friday, and we can go from there.”
India and Leo had been playing phone tag all weekend, and he’d finally caught up with her as she was walking back from lunch.
“I love the idea, but since this is the first time we’re going out, how about we meet at the comedy club instead?” India asked, side-stepping a man coming toward her on the sidewalk.
“No problem, but I promise, I’ve been vetted by Josh and Kiara,” Leo told her.
“I love Josh and Kiara to death and know they would never risk my safety, but since I don’t know you, I’d still like to be careful. Does meeting up work for you?” She hoped her insistence didn’t turn him off. She had enjoyed talking to him and looked forward to finally meeting.
“Listen, I want you to be comfortable, so meeting up is not a problem. I’ll see you Friday?”
“See you Friday. Text me the location.”
“Done. I’ll touch base with you on Thursday to make sure nothing’s changed.”
After the call disconnected, India dropped the phone inside the pocket of her blazer as she briskly walked the few blocks to the Santana International building, hurrying back to work so she wouldn’t be late.
She’d had to wolf down her sandwich earlier because she had taken part of her lunch break to run to the bank, and the line had been long.
As an executive, no one would bat an eye if she returned late, but she liked to set a good example for the staff.
The phone buzzed in her pocket, and she removed it to find that Leo had texted the information, as promised.
He was taking her to see a stand-up comedian on Friday since he had to work Saturday and Sunday because a big artist was in town for an exhibition.
She had contemplated canceling but decided she wanted to meet him right away—if for no other reason than to determine if she wanted to keep him on her list of prospects.
She hated canceling on Thiago again, though. Hopefully, he’d understand, but she dreaded telling him.
Speak of the devil, she thought.
Up ahead, a driver held open the door to a limo in front of the building, and Thiago emerged from the back seat.
Her pulse jumped at the sight of him, tall and imposing as he adjusted the cuffs of his navy blue jacket, which he’d paired with a pale yellow shirt today.
His neatly coiffed hair glimmered under the rays of the midday sun.
Once again, she thought he looked handsome enough to be a model.
When he saw her, his footsteps slowed. “India,” he greeted her, his voice crisp and professional as he opened the door to the building.
“Thank you.” She slipped in ahead of him.
Employees and visitors milled around the lobby, entering and exiting, their footsteps echoing on the ceramic tile. One of the security guards at the desk nodded respectfully as they passed by.
After a short wait at the bank of elevators, they entered the cabin with three employees.
Thiago’s hand briefly brushed hers as they made their way to the back, and a tremor of awareness went through India.
It seemed like forever since they’d touched, and the brief contact ignited her skin, sending a spark all the way to her core.
The doors closed, and the employees whispered softly to each other in front of them.
“Nice lunch?” Thiago asked in his cultured, accented voice.
“Yes. Did you have a good one?”
They sounded stiff and formal, far removed from the teasing banter they engaged in when he came to her apartment.
Granted, they weren’t alone and were always careful at work—except for the tense seconds the other day when he grabbed her—but their conversations had never been this stilted. The difference saddened her.
“Yes. It was a working lunch, very productive.”
The elevator doors opened, and the employees filed out, going in different directions on the floor. The doors closed, and India and Thiago were alone.
“We ate at Garlique,” he added.
She shot a look at his strong profile. “Your brother’s restaurant, right?”
He nodded. “The very first one he opened. Last year it won the James Beard award for outstanding restaurant.”
No mistaking the pride in his voice at his brother’s accomplishment.
“Impressive.”
Not that India was surprised. Benicio and his wife Rose, Thiago’s stepmother, had done an excellent job with their children. They were all accomplished in their own way.
“How was your weekend?” Thiago turned his dark eyes on her, and the air in the elevator contracted.
“Nice, thanks. And yours?” India purposely shifted the conversation back to him.
“Fine,” he said shortly.
The cabin stopped on the executive level.
“I assume you’re free this Friday?” Thiago asked as the doors slid open.
He asked the question she had hoped she wouldn’t have to answer for at least another day or two.
Tension tightened her belly as they stepped onto the top floor. The receptionist hadn’t returned to her desk yet, so the lobby was thankfully empty.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to see you on Friday.”
His eyebrows snapped together. “Again?” There was a massive amount of incredulity in the single word.
“My schedule is crazy right now.” The explanation sounded vague and flimsy to her ears. “I should be free next week Friday, though.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped, his irritation evident in the firm set of his features. “I see. Is this going to become a habit?”
“No. Like I said, my schedule is out of control right now, and I’ve had to… move some things around—our Friday night appointment being one of those things.”
Admittedly, she really was having a hard time juggling two additional men, and she’d only recently started. Surely the situation would get easier. She couldn’t go out during the week, which left the weekend, but both men had jobs that sometimes required weekend hours.
After her date with Leo on Friday night, she had another one with Simon on Saturday. She had invited him over to her apartment for a low-key, relaxing evening of pizza and movie-watching with the hope they’d get to know each other better and she’d perhaps develop more romantic feelings for him.
After their second date last week, he kissed her before they parted ways. The experience had been… underwhelming. No spark. No fire. She liked him well enough and hoped the situation would improve.
“Appointment.” Thiago repeated the word she had used with distaste, as if it soiled his mouth.
India smoothed the hair at her nape. “We’ve never given what we do a name. I didn’t know what else to call it,” she said.
“I suppose calling it the night we screw would be crass,” he said.
“Crass, but accurate, don’t you agree?”
He stepped closer, but she held her ground.
“You’re different.” The words sounded like an accusation.
“I’m busy.”
“You’ve never been this damn busy.”
“It’s very simple, Thiago. Things change, and we learn to adjust,” India said lightly, longing to end the conversation.
“Are you seeing someone else?”
India hesitated then lifted her chin higher. “Yes.”
His eyes flashed with emotion. He definitely didn’t like that bit of information.
“If there’s nothing else…”
“There is nothing else—for now,” Thiago said ominously.
She opened her mouth to demand to know what he meant, but the elevator pinged and the doors opened. The receptionist and one of the admins exited the cabin.
“Good afternoon,” they said in unison.
India smiled in acknowledgment as they walked past, the admin going down the hall and the receptionist stepping behind the huge desk.
Thiago kept his gaze on India, and the air vibrated with tension. Then, as cool as you please, he turned and walked away.
She released the breath she had been holding. The receptionist was making a big show of working, which looked more like she was simply moving around items on her desk to avoid looking at India and Thiago.
India took off in the opposite direction of Thiago, relieved he now knew she was seeing other people. When all of this started several weeks ago, she hadn’t intended to pull back from him. She had simply wanted to explore her options, but a little distance might be good.
Self-preserving. Heart-protecting.
Because she’d had plenty of time to think and acknowledged she was dangerously close to falling for Thiago.
She wanted to see him on Friday nights and every night, which was a problem.
She had spent all this time with a man she had no future with—a situation she hadn’t squarely faced until she thought she was literally going to die.
She needed to wean herself off her need for him and squash the feelings threatening to overrule her common sense. Dating other men was the perfect mechanism by which to accomplish her goal.
Now she had to convince her heart she was making the right decision.