The Wager: A Billionaire Romance (7 page)

"Try the crispy branzino with wild mushrooms and sunchoke," I suggested.

"Hmm that does sound good," she said, looking at the menu thoughtfully.

We placed our orders when the waiter arrived with our drinks. She surveyed me over the glass of her white wine openly and boldly. I held a breath I didn't know I was holding until she began to speak.

"I'm surprised you brought me here," she stated.

"You don't like it?" I asked, wondering where she was going with this.

"No, I like it a lot actually. I might have to come back. But honestly I thought you'd take me to one of those trendy, chic, and impossibly snooty places that you need to reserve like a year in advance. I never took you for one to fly under the radar." Her voice sounded almost accusatory.

"It happens sometimes," I said. I shrugged my shoulders, keeping my face impassive. I didn't know exactly what she was trying to insinuate, but somehow I felt like I had disappointed or offended her again.

Just as quickly, she threw off her black mood and shot me a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry; I was being rude just now. The truth is I haven't gone on a date in quite some time, not that this is a real date. I guess I need to work on my table manners."

I smiled at her confession, "I hadn't noticed."

"Good," she said relieved. "I don't know what whim possessed you to ask me out, but I'm just going to put it out of my mind for now and enjoy myself. Besides, I have a feeling you'd want to wring my neck if I asked you about it one more time."

"You'd be right," I laughed.

I found myself pleasantly surprised by her humor and self deprecation. It was charming and something I didn't expect in a dinner date. Then again, it wasn't as if I had been choosing my dates based on their conversational skills.

"All right, so that's one topic that's off the table. What should we talk about then?" she asked.

"How bout we talk about you?" Her face froze for just a brief moment before she composed herself and cocked her head to the side.

"What would you like to know?" she asked.

"Tell me about your favorite book."

I knew the question would throw her off balance. She probably thought I'd ask some deeply personal or overly sexual question and she was ready to shoot me down. She took on a thoughtful, almost dreamy expression, before finally breaking out into a grin.

"A man after my own heart! You're probably gonna regret asking me that once I talk your ear off," she said laughingly.

"I wouldn't dare. So which is it? Let me guess. You strike me as a Jane Austen fan. Am I right?"

She waved her hand at me in dismissal. "Aren't most women? Now, what would impress me is if you told me
you
were a fan of hers."

"What would you say if I told you I owned a first edition printing of
Pride and Prejudice
?"

I could see her eyes light up and she leaned forward on the table so that her hair fell across her face. "You're joking right?" she said.

"Not at all," I said calmly.

"That's amazing. Well, you've officially impressed me," she said, leaning back into her chair.

We continued to discuss books and I found out that she also liked reading pulp fiction in addition to the classics. She even admitted bashfully that she had a small stash of trashy paperback romances tucked away for her own enjoyment.

It was actually nice to sit down and have an intelligent discussion with a woman who wasn't sitting there calculating my net worth or what I could give her. Hell, she probably had no expectations of seeing me again after tonight, and was probably writing me off as some eccentric billionaire. I smiled wryly at the thought. Here I had women--models, actresses, socialites--throwing themselves at me, and yet this unassuming little book shop owner couldn't care less about trying to impress me. It was a humbling and enlightening thought.

Once our food arrived, we both dug in heartily. I hadn't realized how hungry I'd been. Lily didn't hold back either, enjoying her branzino with gusto. It was another difference I noticed about her. She wasn't afraid to be herself around me. There was no dainty picking away at her salad. She closed her eyes and savored her food, licking her fingers, smacking her lips and sighing in satisfaction when she was done. It was a surprisingly erotic sight, made more so by the fact that she had no clue how enticing she was.

We left the restaurant after paying the check and I drove her back to her apartment. As we were getting nearer, I could almost feel her body tensing beside me. I pulled up to the curb outside of her brownstone building and put the car into park.

"Well, thanks again for dinner," she said, turning to me. She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously and I wondered if she was afraid I was going to kiss her.

"No, thank you for coming with me," I replied. I had a sudden urge to reach over and pull her in for a kiss, but I smothered it. It would be no use rushing things and scaring her off. I had to follow my plan. "I was wondering if you were free next Monday night, I'd like to take you to the opera," I said.

During dinner we had discussed plays and operas and she'd confessed that she'd never seen one in person. Since I held season tickets at the Met, and they were starting their season, it was the perfect excuse to see her again.

"Oh wow, Monday?" she said a little startled. She seemed to be warring with herself again, debating whether it was a good idea to go with me or not. I had to fight the smile threatening to break free. Finally her face cleared and she looked up at me. "Sure, I'd love to go," she said.

"Great, I'll pick you up here at six," I said before she exited the car and walked up to her building. I watched her enter safely before I put the car in gear. She waved at me as she stood in the doorway, the light illuminating her figure.

I had an uneasy feeling as I drove away. The more I was around her, the more attractive I found her. Her green eyes, unencumbered by the thick lenses of her glasses, were framed by long lashes. She had a pert little nose that had a slight dusting of freckles over it. Her lips were thick and plump and her smile was at times teasing, confiding and engaging. On top of it all, I found her personality and conversation refreshing. She was an entertaining story teller and I admired the way her eyes lit up when she was recalling an especially amusing anecdote.

I shook my head, dismayed at where my thoughts were headed. It'd be no good to go and actually develop real feelings for this girl. I still had my eye on the prize after all, and being attracted to her would be an unwelcome complication. No, I had to stick to the plan. The sooner I made her fall in love with me, the sooner I could end this charade.

Chapter Five: Lily

"So how did it go?"

Doris had rushed over to me as soon as she saw me come into the shop the next morning. Her face was lit up with excitement like a kid on Christmas day. I couldn't help but smile at her obvious enthusiasm.

The date had gone surprisingly well. I didn't know what I was expecting when he invited me out. I'd been more than a little suspicious in the beginning, but I found myself enjoying his company and had to admit that I had a good time. When he had asked me to the opera, I had to fight my urge to shout "yes!" I'd never been to one before but had always wanted to. His behavior and attitude went a long way in easing my mind. It also didn't hurt that he had prime box seats.

"Can I take my coat off before you start your interrogation," I teased.

"Sorry about that," she said. She followed me to the counter, where I stashed my purse and coat away.

"Geez Doris, if I didn't know better, I'd think you got some money riding on the outcome of that dinner," I joked.

"Stop delaying the inevitable, Lily. I've been dying to know what happened. Was it romantic? Did he kiss you?"

"No and no," I laughed. "You've got quite an imagination, you know that? It was just a pleasant dinner and then he took me home. That's it. No kiss, no nothing."

Doris face faltered. "I take it then he didn't ask you out for a second date," she said a little sadly.

I hesitated a moment before answering. Even though he did ask me out again, I didn't want to get her hopes up that it meant more than it was. Or maybe I didn't want to get
my
hopes up. I had already decided that I was just going to treat it like an evening out with a friend. Anything more was out of the question. He wasn't the type of guy I saw myself with, and I was sure I wasn't his dream girl either.

"Well?" Doris said, studying me intently. "Did he ask you out again?"

"Yes, but it's only the opera. You can't even really consider that a date," I cautioned.

"I knew it!" Doris' face beamed at me. "Don't tell me it's not a date."

I was just about to rebut her argument when the door opened and a courier stepped inside with a package for me. I signed it and accepted the plain box.

"Is it from him?" Doris asked excitedly.

"Looks like it," I said, reading the note that was attached.

Thought you might enjoy this. --R

It was simply wrapped in brown paper with no frills. I ripped open the package and out fell three small books each the same size. I knew what they were before I even turned it over. The tree calf binding in my hand was smooth and as I turned it to look at the green morocco gilt lettering on the spine, my hunch was confirmed. It was the original three volumes of Jane Austen's
Pride and Prejudice
published in 1813.

"That's not what I think it is, is it?" Doris whispered in awe.

"If you're thinking it's a first edition
Pride and Prejudice
then you're right," I said.

I was surprised my voice sounded so calm and neutral. Inside I felt all fluttery and on edge. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I stared at those three small volumes. I couldn't believe that Roman had sent this. Even though we had discussed the book last night, I had no idea why he would send me such a precious and valuable item.

Doris let out a low whistle as she delicately fingered the books. "Wow," was all she could say.

"Tell me about it," I said.

"This is quite an extravagant gift."

I looked up at her. "You think he's giving these to me?"

"Why else would he send it to you?" she asked as if it were obvious.

"I don't know. We were talking about them last night and he told me he owned a copy. Maybe he just wanted to show them to me," I said. Deep down, even I didn't believe that.

"I guess you can ask him that the next time you see him, but for my money, I think it's a gift. People don't just go sending out rare first editions on a whim," she said. "There's got to be a reason."

I silently agreed with her, I just wished I knew what that reason was.

Miguel walked into the shop as Doris and I continued to stare in awe at the rare books sitting on the counter. We didn't even hear him come in until he spoke.

"What you got there?" he asked, looking over Doris' shoulder.

Doris and I nearly jumped out of our skins.

"Jesus, Miguel! You're going to give this old woman a heart attack. What's the matter with you sneaking up on us like that?" Doris said.

"Geez, sorry. I didn't think I was sneaking. It wasn't like I was being quiet about it. You two were too wrapped up in whatever it is you got there that you didn't hear me," he said pointing at the books. "What is it anyways?"

"They're the first edition volumes of Jane Austen's
Pride and Prejudice
," Doris answered reverently.

"Holy cow! How did you get those?" he asked.

"Roman sent them," I said.

"Damn, you really must have put him under some kind of spell that he's sending you this after only one date," Miguel said blowing out a low whistle. "How much you think they're worth anyway?"

"I have no idea, and besides, I'm not going to keep them," I said. I tried to keep my expression impassive. I didn't like the assumptions they were making. It was ridiculous. As if Roman Conrad were so smitten with me he just couldn't resist sending me an expensive and rare gift.

"You might hurt his feelings if you do," Miguel said. "Especially since he likes you so much."

"He does not like me!" I said exasperated. "You two have let your imaginations run off with your common sense. I hardly know the man."

"Hey! No need to get so defensive about it," Miguel said holding up his hands and backing away from the counter. "I'm just stating what's obvious to everyone but you."

Doris chimed in, "He likes you. Just accept it and stop trying to fight it."

"You two just get to work," I said shooing them away.

***

I had decided to return the books to Roman that afternoon. I wrapped them up and locked them away in the little safe in my office until lunch time. A little before noon, I grabbed my coat and purse before ducking back into the office to retrieve the books. As I headed out the front door, I caught Doris and Miguel shaking their heads at me.