The feel of Connor’s arms around my waist, the press of his palms against the small of my back, his firm shoulders under my hands…
A quick spark went through my body as I remembered the heated look in his eyes behind the concern.
I’d told myself I wasn’t going to let anything happen. It seemed my body hadn’t gotten the message.
Connor looked back at me with a winning smile, pushing his hair away from his face as he opened the fake restroom door.
“Ladies first,” he said, gesturing with a sweep of his hand.
“Is this really the kind of place you’d bring a lady?” I asked him.
“Strong, competent women first, then.”
I knew he was teasing, but those words meant more to me than any of the other flirtations he’d thrown at me. I strived to be taken seriously in my career, but my age made it tough. Despite his flippant behavior toward me, at least I knew Connor understood how I felt.
The secret dive bar didn’t look any different from the last time I’d been there, although there was perhaps a little less grit beneath the soles of my shoes as I walked in.
“Want a drink?” Connor asked.
“We’re here for a business meeting,” I reminded him yet again.
“Is that why you’re still wearing a blouse and pencil skirt at a bar?” he asked. “You can wear jeans, you know. I won’t be offended.”
“I like dressing professional,” I said. “I already look young enough. Showing up for a business meeting in jeans and a t-shirt is just not done in my industry.”
Connor looked doubtful, but nodded anyway.
“A plain soda, then?” he asked.
“That sounds good, thanks.”
I took a seat at one of the rickety, mismatched tables with uneven legs. Connor reached behind the bar and grabbed two cans from a mini fridge before returning to take a seat next to me. I noticed there was no one behind the bar.
“Where’s your brother?” I asked.
“The place doesn’t open for another few hours,” he said. “I thought it would be nice to have a meeting without other people here.”
“I had wondered why you’d scheduled the meeting for ten in the morning,” I said. “I thought you didn’t get out of bed until noon.”
“I’ve got to try and be a respectable business owner, don’t I?” he replied.
“Those sound like Jessie’s words,” I told him.
“You think I couldn’t get my act together without someone prodding me?”
“I have my doubts, yes.”
I pulled a portfolio out of my bag and opened it up, laying out several pieces of paper across the table.
“These are some of my initial ideas,” I told him. “Nothing needs to be set in stone, but it’s somewhere to start.”
I’d kept the color schemes minimal, although I’d used a few blue accents, because I knew it was Connor’s favorite color. Some of the designs had a more sports bar feel to them and others had more of a wine bar atmosphere, even though I knew neither of those were going to be Connor’s favorites. I needed to know what he didn’t like as much as what he did.
Connor scooted his chair closer to the table and leaned over the papers. He looked at all of them, scrutinizing them closely, shuffling through each one several times.
“I kind of like this idea for the lighting…” He trailed off, sounding doubtful. “But not exactly like this. It’s too steampunk or something. You know what I mean?” He pointed to another paper. “And these kinds of tables and chairs look almost too classy for what I’m thinking of.”
“And what are you thinking of?” I jumped on his last words.
