Along the way, Mindy chided herself for thinking she was special. That Isaac’s intriguing statement, there’s a lot you don’t know about me, had meant anything more with regard to her. The same old disappointment came up cold and sharp, nicking her pride. She’d thought maybe this outfit, or this unusual location, or something magical about the day might’ve inspired Isaac to see her as more than a means to an end—her impression on the Markovs sealing the deal. She wished he’d see her as a sensual woman.
Suddenly, she didn’t care about being proper or important or relevant. All she wanted to be was his.
Once they were seated at the booth, Isaac reached out and traced his thumb over the groove between her eyebrows. “The frown is back.”
She shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
He folded his hands on the round table. “You keep saying that. And I keep not believing you.”
“Believe what you want.”
“Another Helenism?”
No, she could butcher her own self-esteem just fine by herself, without her mother’s input. “Nope.”
“Okay…why are you sitting on the edge of the booth so far away from me?”
Because being next to him made her insides quiver and her knees turn to mush. “I want to leave room for our clients.”
“They won’t be here for another half-hour.”
“Oh. Then why are we here now?”
“I wanted to arrive early, so we’d have time to have a drink and talk.”
That had required planning and forethought. Maybe he actually did enjoy her company. A ribbon of lust curled through her at the notion.
Hesitant initially, she decided to scoot closer to him, stopping just shy of the place he’d patted beside him. A waiter stopped by and Isaac gave him their order in Russian. When the waiter left, he turned to her. “I ordered you a grape ice martini. I think you’ll like it.”
The waiter returned with their drinks with lightning speed. “Well. It seems Russians take their alcohol very seriously.”
“For sure.” He lifted his glass of amber liquor. “Cheers to finally getting a minute alone with you.”
She blushed. “And with you. Cheers.” One sip of her grape ice martini, and she was in heaven. “Is this flavored vodka?”
“Top shelf. Only the best.”
“This is divine.” She took another sip, then another. “Do they have this in the States?”
“A knock-off version. What you’re drinking is the real deal, plus a splash of Cointreau and cranberry juice for added flavor.”
“Perfect.” She had no idea what other liquor he’d said was in the drink. All she knew was it tasted fabulous, like citrus-infused grape liquor. In a martini glass. Happy days.
When she set her glass down, he placed two fingers on the bottom rim. “Easy, sweetheart. It’s as potent as it is good.”
Enticed by the fact that he’d called her sweetheart, she nodded and let her glass linger on the table.
Running a long tanned finger along the stem of his glass, he said, “This is going to sound like a pick-up line, but it’s not. Tell me more about your interest in astrology.”
She barely contained a snort. “Are you asking me what’s my sign?”
“Pretty much.” The cute expression on his face made the comment adorable versus when other men used it as a pickup line.
“I’m a Pisces, Gemini rising. And you are…?”
“A Scorpio, I think. Don’t know much about anything rising.”
“What’s your birthday?”
“November second.”
“Yes, you’re a pure Scorpio, through and through. Actually, that makes us highly compatible. Pisces and Scorpio are both water signs. That means we’re very emotional, and we take things people say to heart. We both also have emotions that run far below the surface, and we can usually intuit what other people are feeling. Which is probably one of the reasons you’re amazing at sales.”
“Because I’m a Scorpio. Who knew?”
“Well, if you had an excellent astrologer, you’d know.”
“I don’t. So who am I, according to you?”
She held up her hands. “Hey, I’m not gifted enough to explain anyone’s psyche. I just know a few tricks of the trade. Like that we’re both water signs. And my rising sign is Gemini which is ruled by the planet Mercury, and as a Scorpio you’re also ruled by Mercury.”
A sensual look stole into his dark eyes. “So what you’re saying is, we’re very compatible.”
She couldn’t help the smile tucking into the corners of her cheek. “Yes. We’re very compatible—according to astrology.”