Hearts in the City Read online

  Just then a hostess appeared. Olivia told her she was with Alistair and the hostess’ face lit up as she beckoned for Olivia to follow her. She took Olivia to a secluded table where Alistair sat, his face lighting up when he saw her. He stood and gave her a brief, yet firm hug. She caught a hint of his cologne as he did and her pulse quickened. He was unspeakably handsome in a blue v-neck wool sweater with a white crew neck T-shirt peaking through, a pair of dark denim jeans and a pair of dark brown, full-grain leather boots. He wore a pair of black-rimmed reading glasses, making him look a little more preppy than Olivia remembered. He could have very well just stepped out of a GAP ad.

  He came around to her side of the table, pulled out her chair, and waited patiently while she wriggled out of her leather coat and took a seat. He made sure she was comfortably seated before returning to his side of the table. For a few seconds he stared at her as though taking in her presence. Olivia was tongue-tied. Then she found her voice, remembering why she’d invited him there in the first place. “So how’ve ya been keeping, Mr. Davenport?” She reached across the table, tapping him playfully on the hand.

  He leaned back in his chair, slowly removing his reading glasses, drinking her in with a smoldering gaze as he did. “Much better now that you’re here,” he uttered in a low, husky voice.

  Her breath caught in her throat. Relax Liv, this is a business meeting, she reminded herself as she regained her composure. Rarely did she ever find herself at a loss for words, but something about him staring almost through her with his incredible eyes had her searching for something to say. So she said the first thing that came to mind.

  “So...” Olivia said. “Your brother, my sister...who’d have thought?”

  “Interesting, isn’t it? And here I thought we only had Simone and Jamal in common.”

  “You know...I have to admit, I had big reservations about your brother.”

  “No need to remind me. I was there the night you freaked out when you didn’t know where two of them had gone off together, remember?”

  “Can you blame me? I didn’t know anything about him.”

  “But you knew me though,” Alistair said, pressing his lips together in a sideways grin.

  “Just barely. And I still don’t know that much about you.”

  Alistair leaned back in his chair, tilted his head to one side, toying with his goatee. He cocked an eyebrow. “And I’m hoping to change all that.” His voice took on a huskier tone, his eyes full of suggestion.

  “We’ll see,” Olivia said, returning his suggestive gaze with an unflinching, yet unrevealing look of her own. “But as for Jazlynn and Trey...I’m surprised. I’ve never seen Jazlynn so wrapped up in all my life.”

  “Same here. They have eyes only for each other.”

  “He sure proved me wrong,” Olivia said. “I thought he’d turn out to be just some guy who’d want to sleep with her and throw her away. Sorry...I know he’s your brother, but I’m just calling it like I see it.”

  “Oh, I understand perfectly where you were coming from. You were driven by your protective instincts. And truthfully I didn’t think it would last either.”

  “Jazlynn tells me things are serious.”

  “Well from what I can see, they,” Alistair offered pointedly.

  “Just how serious?” Olivia’s eyes searched his.

  Alistair opened his mouth to speak but then pressed his lips back together as though forcing the words to stay inside.

  “Okaaay...you were about to say something but sure changed your mind awfully quick.”

  “That’s because it’s not my place to say anything.”

  “Come on...your brother, my sister...they’re our mutual interests.”

  Alistair smirked. “He just found a new apartment.”

  Olivia gave him an odd look. “Who? Trey?”

  “Uh-huh. I don’t know if I mentioned it, but he’s been living with me since he came home. I’m the kind of guy who likes my own space so it’ll be good to have the house all to myself again.”

  “And I’m sort of the opposite...I mean, I like my space, but I like idea of having someone else around. I’m so used to having Jazlynn around I don’t know what I’d do if she moved out.”

  Alistair suddenly cast his eyes downward. “Hmmm....”

  “What?” Olivia gave him a wordless stare, her brow furrowing.

  “You might have to get used to the idea sooner rather than later.”

  Olivia raised her eyebrows. “Why’s that?”

  Alistair made a zipping motion, running his index finger from one end of his closed lips to the other. He shook his head, a smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

  “Drop the pretense already,” Olivia said evenly. “It’s obvious she’s planning on moving in with him.”

  “Well you didn’t hear it here,” he said with a grin.

  Olivia knew she shouldn’t be shocked. Jazlynn was nineteen years old and perfectly within her legal rights to live on her own if that’s what she wanted. Olivia suddenly felt a stab of foreboding loss. She’d always known the day would come when Jazlynn would move out on her own but just hadn’t expected it quite so soon or in this type of circumstance.

  “I hope that didn’t ruin your evening or anything.”

  “No worries.” Olivia sighed. “It’ll take some getting used to I suppose, but it’s not the end of the world. I just wonder when she was planning to tell me.”

  “Soon, I’m sure. Trey wants to be all moved in by Christmas and I guess Jazlynn is supposed to move in sometime early in the New Year.”

  Olivia took a moment to let it all sink in. She didn’t want to get bogged down in the details just then.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” asked Alistair with a look of concern.

  “I am. So...let’s talk business, shall we?” Olivia said, pushing the whole thing to the back of her mind.

  “Let’s get to it then.” Alistair smiled and took a sip of water.

  “Let’s. Oh, and just to let you know...Mark was very impressed with how you went above and beyond the call of duty to close the deal.”

  A look of pride washed over Alistair’s face. “I did my best to make it happen. I admit it was touch and go there for a bit because the sellers wouldn’t bite and Mr. Templeton wouldn’t either. But in the end...it all worked out.”

  “Well Mark’s a fussy guy and extremely particular.”

  “When you have that kind of money, you can afford to be fussy.”

  “I suppose. But anyway...I was flipping through a real estate magazine while waiting in the doctor’s office the other day. There are a lot of properties on the market right now.”

  Alistair raised his eyebrows, looking impressed. “I see you’ve done your homework. Wow...”

  “Oh you know me...gotta get all the facts before I make my case. Did you order yet?” She glanced around the restaurant, wondering why the waiter was taking so long to take their orders.

  Alistair shook his head. “Nope. Not yet. I wanted to be a gentleman and wait until you got here. Mind you, I am completely famished but I figured you were worth the wait.”

  “Oh stop it. You’re killing me.” She smiled at him. “And now that you mentioned it, I’m pretty famished, too.”

  As if on cue, a waiter suddenly appeared at their table. Olivia ordered the Pad Thai and Alistair the black Thai rice with yellow curry crab and ginger sauce. Their food arrived in no time and the two of them got right down to discussing the particulars of their potential joint venture. He told her he’d spent a little time earlier that day looking around at potential properties.

  “So actually, your timing couldn’t be any better,” he said between nibbles of food. “This is a really good time to invest in real estate.”

  “It seems like a good time to be investing in anything. I can barely keep up with the number of proposed mergers coming across my desk.”

  “So, if I might ask, what changed your mind about me?

  “Huh?” Oli
via stared wordlessly at him for a moment. “Oh...” she finally said. “You mean about investing with you?”

  Alistair grinned. “Yes. I seem to recall a look of horror on your face when I suggested a few months ago,” Alistair said, popping a piece of curried crab into his mouth.

  “It wasn’t exactly a look of horror,” Olivia said with a smile. “Let’s not get carried away here.”

  “Okay, so I’m exaggerating just a little. I’m just asking what made you go from nay to yay?”

  Olivia pondered the question for a moment. So much had changed. Four months ago she’d been in what she’d thought was a steady and sheltered relationship with Theo. She could never have known her love life was going to crumble into a million pieces. And she could have never known her baby sister would end up in a steady relationship with the brother of the man who now sat across from her. This same man with whom she was she was just about to embark on a serious business relationship with. All the recent events had proved one thing and that was that life changed really fast. “Let’s just say a lot has changed. I have a whole new outlook on things. I’m aching for change, if you will.”

  Dabbing either side of his mouth with his napkin and placing it back down, Alistair took another bite. “Well that’s never a bad thing. They say change is good for the soul, don’t they?”

  Olivia glanced over at him. “Is it really?” she asked.

  Olivia twirled noodles around her fork and put them in her mouth and chewed a few moments before swallowing. “I dragged you out on a Friday night to talk business when you probably have more important things you could be doing.” If he could have only known the confusing thoughts racing through her mind right then.

  Alistair looked pensive. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing at this moment than discussing business with you over a nice Thai dinner—which I’m paying for, by the way.”

  Olivia shot him a quick glance. “No...” she said, shaking her head. “Absolutely not. I’m paying. That’s the rule, remember? Whoever does the asking does the paying.”

  A broad grin suddenly formed on his face. “But doesn’t that rule only apply if it’s a date? Unless of course, you’re implying this is a date...?”

  Olivia suddenly realized the implication of what she’d said, but it was too late for a retraction. A huge smile broke on her face too. “Guess I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

  Alistair leaned in a little closer. “So is it?” he asked in almost a whisper.

  “Is it what?” Olivia whispered back on impulse.

  “Is this a date?” asked Alistair, raising his voice back to a normal level.

  For reasons she couldn’t explain, Olivia suddenly felt like a giddy schoolgirl. “Do you...want it to be?” she asked with a giggle.

  “The question is...do you want it to be?” Alistair countered.

  “Hey...don’t counter my line of questioning.” Olivia smiled, brow furrowing.

  “Then don’t counter my counter of your line of questioning.”

  “Oh really? And why not, Mr. Professor?”

  “Because the original implication is highly inconclusive.”

  “You’re such a smart-ass.” On impulse, Olivia picked up her napkin and flung it across the table at him.

  He ducked, but not before it landed halfway on his head. He raised an eyebrow and stifled a grin. Olivia couldn’t help herself and burst into laughter. Removing the napkin, Alistair folded it neatly and laid it on the table beside his glass. “Now, now, young lady. Watch yourself or I just might have to carry out a little corporal punishment.” He grinned.

  Olivia couldn’t explain what was happening but she realized that Alistair was bringing something out in her that hadn’t been brought out in a long time. It was her playful side. And quite honestly she couldn’t remember the last time any man had brought it out of her including Theo. She cleared her throat. “Okay, back to business,” she said, pushing her plate of half-eaten food to her far left to signal to the waiter that she was finished eating. “And for the record, if you really must know. It’s a business dinner, nothing more.”

  “Okay...I’ll accept that, but only under one condition.”

  “And what might that be?” Olivia asked.

  “I’ll accept it under the condition that you say yes to an official date. We’re talking dinner, drinks the whole bit.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Olivia said with a smile.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Okay, so I want all the details,” Jazlynn said excitedly when Olivia sauntered into the kitchen in her bathrobe the next morning.

  “Huh? How did what go? What are you talking about?” Olivia feigned ignorance as she plopped down at the table and flipped through the morning paper.

  Rolling her eyes, Jazlynn turned her attention back to the bacon in the frying pan. “Oh for God sakes, stop acting like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Your date with Alistair last night.”

  Olivia returned Jazlynn’s eye rolling. “It wasn’t a date. It was a business dinner.”

  “A business dinner on a Friday evening? Yeah. Okay.”

  “Well that’s all it was so I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

  Turning around, Jazlynn gave Olivia an unconvinced look. “I guess if you say so.”

  “Well I’m the one who called him first and I certainly don’t call guys up and ask them out on dates. How many eggs are you making?”

  “Enough for both of us.”

  “Good. I’m starving,” Olivia said, instinctively stopping and glancing at the real estate section of the paper. “And if you could try not burning the bacon this time that would be great.”

  “When do I ever burn the bacon? Just because I like mine a little crispier than you like yours doesn’t mean it’s burned,” Jazlynn said, annoyed.

  Olivia scanned the advertisements for homes for sale. She was leaving the house hunt to Alistair but at the same time was curious to see what types of houses were on the market. Now that they were doing business together, her interest in real estate had gone up. She was reading over a few realtors’ advertisements when she spotted Alistair’s. As many times as she’d read the Saturday morning paper, she didn’t remember noticing Alistair’s advertisement before. Now all of a sudden, there he was as big as life, smiling up at her from the pages of the Covington Gazette.

  She’d replayed the previous evening over and over again in her head. The two of them had a natural rapport with each other and she was relaxed around him, which was a good thing considering they were going into business together. She’d have been lying if she didn’t admit was feeling very apprehensive about being in the partnership. She heard of a lot of people dabbling in real estate investing but it had never sparked her interest.

  She got up from the table and went over to the fridge and poured herself a glass of orange juice as Jazlynn plated the bacon and eggs and put it on the table. As they ate in silence a few minutes, Olivia tried hard to avoid her sister’s prying eyes.

  “Don’t be acting all quiet up in here. I know something’s going down between you and Alistair.”

  “I’m not acting the least bit quiet. Alistair and I are business partners. Nothing more and nothing less.” She could have mentioned her date with Alistair next Friday, but didn’t. The words wouldn’t come. She was afraid. She and Alistair connected great as friends and would hopefully connect as business partners as well. But anything above and beyond that was scary to think about.

  “Be secretive then. Whatever...” Jazlynn said, poking another near black strip of bacon into her mouth.

  Olivia suddenly shot her a look. “Excuse me? If anyone is being secretive, it’s you.” She swallowed a bite of toast. “Exactly when did you plan on telling me you were moving out?”

  Jazlynn glanced over at her with a look of feigned innocence. “What?”

  “It came up during our meeting last night,” Olivia said evenly.

  “Bummer,” Jazlynn said, shaking her
head and sighing. “Alistair told me he wouldn’t say anything.”

  “He didn’t. I’m the one put two and two together when he mentioned Trey was moving out.”

  Jazlynn was silent.

  “So...” Olivia gave her sister a pressing look. “Is it true or what?”

  “Liv...I’m warning you...no lectures. I’m not in the mood.”

  “How am I lecturing you? I just asked you a simple question.”

  “Yes, then,” Jazlynn said, eyes widening.

  “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, we’re moving in together. Geez.”

  Olivia shook her head in bewilderment. “God, Jazlynn...I don’t understand why it’s necessary to move in together—especially when you guys haven’t even been dating that long.”

  “We’ve been together almost five months.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. “A whole lifetime, naturally.”

  “Look, why wait?” There was frustration in Jazlynn’s voice. “We know we love each other and don’t want to be with anyone else so why live in separate spaces when we can live together?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with living in separate houses. Theo and I did it.”

  “Yeah and look what happened.”

  Olivia should have been insulted but she wasn’t. Jazlynn was right. Olivia had spent two years denying Theo the solid commitment of living together among other things and had lost him in the end.

  “I’m just worried that you’re rushing things. And how are you going to support yourselves?”

  “Our jobs, what else? Lord, Liv!”

  “What kind of hours does Trey get at the warehouse?”

  “Fifty, sometimes even sixty hours a week, depending. What’s it to you?”

  “Doesn’t he have a degree?”

  “Your point?”

  “Just wondering why he’d settle for a job in a warehouse when he could get something in his field.”

  Anger flashed in Jazlynn’s eyes. “No one said it was forever. I wasn’t aware he needed your permission anyway.”