‘I have no doubt you will do this, Christa. You are a truly powerful woman.’ She held on to his hand and squeezed back.
‘And you are a very rich man who means well but has to understand that money can only go so far, though I do appreciate the interest and support. It means a lot. My ex-husband didn’t always think my ideas were good. Actually, he didn’t like any of my ideas unless he was a part of them.’
The car was still running, and he felt warm and safe with Christa, just them against the world under the moon.
‘Insecure people do that,’ he said. ‘Just so you know, I think your ideas are brilliant. In fact, I should offer you a role as my Chief Ideas Officer.’
She laughed but he noticed she didn’t take her hand away. The need to kiss her was intense but he knew that was too much. She hadn’t given him any signal she wanted to be kissed and holding hands didn’t mean anything more than support in the moment. Anyway, what would happen after they kissed? he thought.
Yes he was interested in Christa, but it would have to wait until after she finished working for him. Only then would he ask her out on a date. Hopefully that was something she was interested in.
‘Have you dated much since you split with your ex?’ he asked.
She shook her head. ‘No, I’m not much of a catch at the moment. Pretty jaded and angry with him and with myself for being so stupid.’
‘Why? What did you do that was stupid?’
She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms.
‘I let my ex take care of the business and I ended up with next to nothing,’ she said. ‘I was wilfully ignorant because I wanted to be looked after. I needed a break but it came at a cost and left me nearly broke. All those years of looking after my dad, paying the bills, making decisions when he was sick and drinking. Helping him back on his feet again only to have him die before I started at Le Cordon Bleu meant I wanted a break from being a parent to a parent. I did this to myself; it was a choice.’
‘But still, what a prick.’ And he meant it. He gave his ex the world and more when she asked for it when they split. Anything to keep her comfortable and the boys well cared for, though his ex had proven to be a less than present mother.
‘It’s okay; it is what it is. But I know I can’t do any business again with a partner. It has to be me alone because I lost my power, my self-worth and my confidence and I miss it. I miss how I used to be.’
He saw her wipe a tear from her cheek and his heart ached for her.
‘If I can do anything, Christa, I will, okay?’ His promise sounded futile but he meant it. He would do whatever he could to make this pain go away.
‘Just talking is good. Thank you.’
She took his hand again. ‘After this is all over, this Christmas thing, and I don’t work for you anymore, maybe we could be friends.’
Marc held tight and looked at the moon. ‘I couldn’t think of anything I would like more. Let’s go home.’
There was some sort of energy between them he couldn’t place. It wasn’t just attraction but connection at a deeper level than he had ever felt with a woman before.
He cleared his throat, trying to find the right words.
‘Actually, I would like to see you when Christmas is over, like properly, for dinner or something, one you don’t have to cook.’
He heard her take a fast breath. Dammit, he shouldn’t have asked.
‘I would like that. I would really like that,’ she said slowly.
He turned her hand over and traced the callus at the base of her forefinger. ‘The chef’s mark,’ she said. ‘From chopping.’
He touched a scar on her wrist. ‘Burn mark from when I was an apprentice.’
‘And this?’ A feathery scar up the side of her hand.
‘A fall off my bike when I was nine.’ She smiled.
Marc held her hand up to his mouth and kissed the palm.
‘I can’t wait till Christmas is over,’ he said in a low voice.
‘Me neither,’ he heard her whisper and he had never wanted anyone more than her in this moment.
