He laughed. ‘I’ve been swotting up because I’m hoping to join the ShayKi family. I’ve an interview next week, which is why I got the invite.’
‘Ah, okay.’
‘Although, now I’ve met you, I’m wondering if that’s such a good idea.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Well, things could get awkward if I’m ridiculously attracted to the big boss.’
I jerked my head around to look at him, too surprised to play it cool.
‘Although,’ he mused, ‘I imagine it’s a common enough problem.’
He leant forwards, elbows braced on his knees, looking sideways at me from under a floppy blond fringe. ‘So I don’t suppose it would be an issue, unless the feelings happened to be reciprocated.’
‘Are you asking if I’m ridiculously attracted to you?’ I said, regaining a little of my composure.
To my chagrin, the truthful answer at that point would have been quite possibly, yes.
I didn’t fall for charmers. Especially not ones wearing loafers with no socks and a dangly earring. When I had dated, it had been with steady, solid men. Shay and Kieran referred to them as Future Football Dads. The kind of men who preferred an Indian and an action movie to swanning about a fancy party nibbling on miniature artisan hotdogs.
He squinted into the sun, which was hovering above the Peak District hills.
‘Actually… no,’ he said, drawing it out, as if thinking out loud. ‘Seeing as I haven’t had the interview yet, I can’t see a problem with us hanging around now. I might not even get the job.’
‘Could you foresee there being a problem with me interviewing a man who told me only a week earlier that he finds me attractive?’ I asked in my no-nonsense boss-voice.
‘Ah. I can see that could be an issue.’ He swivelled around to face me on the bench as we each took another long sip of our drinks. ‘How about I retract that inappropriate statement immediately? After all, I never said that I was completely, utterly captivated by your dazzling smile, only that it could be a problem if feelings like that were to develop, in the future. I guess all I was saying is I can’t rule it out.’
‘I’m very relieved to hear that you never said that, seeing as I have no interest in wasting time with smooth talkers.’
‘Good. I think I’ve just proven I’m not one of those.’
‘However, your extensive research will have revealed how highly ShayKi values integrity. Can you honestly say that this conversation hasn’t constituted flirting?’ I dared to glance over at him. Ugh. He was still annoyingly gorgeous. ‘Because if you agree that it has crossed that line, then I won’t be able to interview you. If you don’t consider this to be flirtatious, then you’re not going to be the right fit for a company employing 75 per cent female staff.’
‘Are you directly involved with hiring new designers?’
‘No, but Shay runs any potential names past me before offering them the job.’
‘Okay. So I don’t tell you my name.’
‘Now we’re back to you being creepy.’
‘Creepy… or mysterious?’
‘Mysterious, or dangerous, in a creepy way?’
He laughed. It was a beautiful, full-bellied laugh. The least creepy laugh I’d ever heard.
‘Dangerous, or sexy?’
‘Sexy, or downright foolish?’ I held up one hand. ‘That’s not actually a question. I’ve got a lot of people to say hello to this evening. I’m not hanging about with a man who won’t tell me his name.’
‘I’m Leo,’ he said, gently clasping the brandished hand and shaking it. ‘Very pleased to meet you.’
We spent the next hour sitting on the bench, talking. As the sky melted into a kaleidoscope of pinks, oranges and gold, we asked questions and shared stories – steering clear of anything to do with work – swiping more drinks from a waiter as he wandered past, ignoring the other guests milling around the grounds.
When it was time for the awards, I took my place on the stage in the function room, although more than once I succumbed to the temptation to allow my gaze to drift to the man standing at the back.
