Grounded (Up in the Air #3)(13)

"And this is based off one look?" I asked him, my jaw setting.

"Yes. I have good instincts."

"I don't care. You're not reassigning him after one look. You told me that I had a say in who was hired or fired, or anything else, and I say that he is not being reassigned based on one look."

His jaw clenched hard, but I saw immediately that I had won. "Fine. You need more proof. I'll keep him around long enough to get it. Blake, keep me updated on his behavior when I'm not present."

"Yes, sir," she said with no expression. I wondered what she thought about his crazy antics, but I sure wasn't going to ask.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, trying to move on from the silly altercation, trying not to stay upset when he had at least conceded to my wishes.

"It's called Red. It's one of my restaurants. It's just next door. The guys are meeting us there for dinner."

I smiled when he called them 'the guys', because it sounded so familiar and so comfortable, as though Stephan and Javier had been his 'guys' forever.

The second we emerged from the elevator and into the massive hotel lobby, we were flanked by my security and Clark.

I shot James an arch look. "Don't you think this is all a bit excessive?" I asked him.

He squeezed my hip in his hand hard enough to bruise. "Until your father has been found and imprisoned, nothing is too excessive. I can afford it, so indulge me."

"Hmm," I said, not sure what to do about his overzealous measures. If I was honest, a part of me liked the protection, liked knowing that my father couldn't get to me even if he tried his best, but the rest of me knew that four people to guard one insignificant woman was completely ludicrous.



       
         
       
        





CHAPTER FIVE

Mr. Magnanimous





Red was as outrageously luxe as I had pictured it would be. James didn't seem to own a property that wasn't. Every inch of the place was, of course, red. Every shade of red was represented in splashy print on the walls, deep red hardwood floors, and red crystal chandeliers over every table and lounge area.

The first room of the establishment was a massive bar area with high ceilings and red marble topping every surface. The line that wrapped around the block to get into the place meant that it was obviously in high demand, but you wouldn't know it by the spacious bar. The patrons were well-dressed and well-behaved. The trendy mixing with the affluent in a tasteful atmosphere.

An earnest, black-haired hostess, that probably spent her days modeling, led us briskly through the bars and to one of the extravagant dining rooms. There were three that I could see.

Huge mixed floral arrangements topped every table. All of the flowers were red, of course.

"It's very red," I told James.

He just smiled.

The hostess led us to a table in the very center of the large room. No private dining room for us. James apparently wanted to be seen tonight.

Stephan and Javier were already waiting for us at the table. Stephan greeted me with a long hug, Javier a shorter one.

We sat at the beautifully arranged table, and I watched, impressed, as the security team began to position themselves around the room without a word.

"They're so choreographed," I said.

Stephan and Javier were both drinking red wine, and James and I had water.

"Bring us the evening's special," James told the waitress, who looked star-struck at the sight of him. "If that sounds okay to everyone?"

We all nodded. We were flight attendants, which left us in a strange middle ground where we were all strangely cultured, very well-traveled, but none of our travels had taken us to anywhere quite so intimidatingly expensive. I thought it made us all a little nervous.

We chatted comfortably as we waited for food. The guys all got along remarkably well, which was a relief to me. Aside from having me in common, Stephan and James always had so much to talk about. From sports, to cars, to friendly political debates that only gave me a slight headache, they talked like they were old friends. It warmed my heart.

Dinner came in waves of delicious courses that were small portions of richly seasoned foods, and I only knew what it was all even called because the waitress presented each dish with a flourish and an explanation. The main course, pan-roasted halibut with spring asparagus risotto, practically melted in my mouth.

"Very good," James told her when she'd served another course. 

She practically glowed as she floated away, obviously affected by his praise.

"You shouldn't throw out that charm so carelessly. You'll make the whole world fall in love with you," I told him, smiling slightly.