“I’m going out with Alexander, okay? Slade cannot be part of my thought process right now.” I grab my purse and strut out of the office.

“Just trust your heart. If you want a date with Alexander, go for it. I’m friends with Slade, but I’m friends with you, too. Best friends. I’m not the enemy.”

I exhale through my nose. “I’m sorry I got upset. I know you only want to help.”

“I get it. I really do. Go and enjoy your date. You deserve it.”

My heels click against the dark wooden floor. There is a lounge in the front of the restaurant, complete with a bar and low white couches, and then a separate dining room in the back.

The shiny wooden tables in the main restaurant are already out, large to accommodate big groups and smaller ones around the perimeter. There is also a long, rectangular table in the center of the space, which I assume is for communal dining. Raising my head, I count seven huge chandeliers hanging from the massive ceiling. Well, I’m impressed.

Suddenly, the lights dim.

“Hey.” I hear a masculine voice behind me, and I turn around, startled. “Sorry, I was playing with the lighting. Don’t want you thinking it’s tacky.” He laughs. In a trim navy suit and white shirt, unbuttoned at the top, he looks like casual elegance personified.

“I realize what I’m about to say might be too much information way too soon, but I just want to get it off my chest.” I bite my lip.

He nods, waiting for me to continue.

“There was someone else recently. And we didn’t date long, but he did a serious number on me. I’m not in the state of mind to get into anything real with anyone. Whatever this is between us, it’s capped at fun.”

He raises his dark eyebrows. “Lauren, you don’t even know me. Why not give us a chance? I’m not asking for love right now. Not yet. If fun is what you need, I can do that. For now.”

He gives me a sexy grin, and I know Alexander’s got the patience of a saint. He’s already invested a month into coaxing me to go out with him, and he’s accomplished it. My little speech didn’t seem to bring him down at all. If anything, he looks like a man ready for a challenge.

“Just a little time, okay. But it will be temporary. I’m older than you, if you haven’t noticed, and eventually, I want to find someone to settle down with. Once I’m back to myself, of course. So, right now, with us, it’s just fun.”

“Fun and temporary,” he repeats in all seriousness. “I get it.” There’s a sheen in his eye like he doesn’t actually believe what he’s saying. “Let me show you around.”

I nod.

We spend about thirty minutes walking through the restaurant. My body tightens with nerves anytime his hand grazes my back, but I do my best to stay relaxed.