Mr. Big(15)

Pride and happiness brightened her smile at hearing such good things about her friend. “I’m so glad that you brought him on. You’re right about him.” She tilted her head and searched his eyes with hers, wondering just who it was behind them that she was beginning to find so intriguing. He was different from any man she had ever met, right from the very beginning, and she felt pulled to him, fascinated with the mysteriousness of him.

“I believe I am. Now we just need to get all of the work here going so that I can run my office the way that it needs to be run. There are a lot of employees that rely on me to have this business going, and they need an office to do their jobs in,” he said seriously.

“Do you mind if I ask you what kind of business it is that you do?” She took a step toward him and he stayed where he was, watching her.

“We provide housing for low income families and we create community service facilities to offer them assistance and aide,” he told her matter-of-factly, his eyes steady on hers as he spoke.

She blinked and her mouth opened slightly. “You… you make money doing that?” she asked in disbelief.

He was silent a moment, as he regarded her, and then he shook his head slightly. “This isn’t the only business I do. This is just one of the most important things I do.”

Mia shook her head as the grin on her face widened a bit more. “You are so fascinating!” she spoke softly. She wanted to get to know him better, and she knew that if she was going to ask him out that she needed to do it. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, giving him a subtly flirtatious smile. “You know, I think I could talk with you for a long while and have nothing but more questions for you afterward.” She bit her lip a moment as she looked up at him and he stayed contemplative and still as he watched her, giving her no hint of his thoughts.

“I hope it doesn’t sound too forward of me, I know we just met, but would you be interested in having dinner with me some night soon?” she was sure that her blood pressure had hit an all-time high as her heart raced and her lungs tightened, but she remained calm and collected on the outside, trying her best to flirt a little without going too far.

Like her dress, she wanted to be alluring without seeming too obvious. He didn’t answer her right away, but instead he looked around the room for a moment and she thought she saw a small frown at the corner of his mouth, although it wasn’t entirely clear and she couldn’t be sure it was there at all.

She waited, and every moment that passed while she was waiting felt like an eternity. She watched him as he thought it over, and then he turned back to her and gave her a kind smile and she saw genuine care in his warm brown eyes.

“I am flattered, Miss James, and I appreciate the offer, but things here are really just too busy for me to take any personal time away from it just now. I need to keep my focus on the changes I’m making here and I’m afraid you would be quite a distraction for me, but thank you for asking.” He turned away from her and then stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, giving her another smile as his eyes met hers once more, briefly.

“Don’t forget, that lunch menu is in the kitchen. You’re welcome to get whatever you like.” He turned then and walked out of the room and back down the hall with his hands in his pockets and his head down as if his eyes were on the floor in front of him.

She watched him, the corners of her mouth turning downward and she felt the pout forming as her lower lip projected just slightly. There was a soft voice over her shoulder, quiet and consoling.

“That was a really good try. You did it all right,” Liam said.

Mia started just a little and lowered her brows. “Where have you been? How do you know what happened?” she asked in a light whisper.

“Oh, I’ve had my eye on you all day, and as soon as I saw him walk out of his office and come here to find you and talk with you, I knew I needed to be close but out of sight. I was just around the corner there.” He spoke in a hush over her shoulder.

She shrugged one shoulder as she watched Alexander’s door close. “You were spying!” she accused quietly.

“I was silently supporting and wishing for success in your endeavor. Don’t be so negative,” he justified. You were really close.”

“He said no.” Then she turned her face toward Liam’s and looked at him pointedly. “The bet is still on. I’m not done with him yet.”

Liam grinned and nodded. “I agree. The bet is still on. I didn’t really expect immediate success, I mean, there are miracles, but it would have surprised me if he had agreed to it. He just met you. You still have a shot at him. I think if he was around you a little more, if he saw you here a time or two more, you might get him to go out with you for whatever, and then maybe you could get him where you want him.”