“Thank you, El. I can’t wait,” he remarked with the enthusiasm of a corpse.
I sputtered a laugh. Elliot Levy was the best.
“Don’t tell me you left Luca out,” Weston prodded. “He’s looking rather sad over there.”
Luca held up his hands. “I’m just fine.”
“What kind of person would I be if I didn’t bring Luca a gift?” I reached in my bag and withdrew the grand prize, handing it to Elise. “Pass this to Luca for me.”
He took the cutting board from Elise, staring at it in the same befuddled manner Elliot had with his beet. I’d been excited to give this to him before we’d met, but now I was a mess of trepidation.
My love language was gifting, and though Luca and I hadn’t met—or so I thought when choosing his present—I’d wanted to give him something that showed him how excited I was to get to know him.
Now it just seemed over the top, especially after our bitter exchange outside the bathroom.
“It’s a play on words,” I explained. “It’s a cheese board with a crown on it because you’re now king of the boardroom.”
On top of the cheese board, I’d given him honey, jam, and a few different cheeses I’d selected just for him.
“Oh my god, that’s so cute,” Elise cooed.
“Very thoughtful,” Weston added.
Even Elliot had something kind to say. “Good going, Kelly.”
“Thanks, Levy,” I croaked before taking a long sip of my water.
All of us waited for Luca’s reaction. Before he could say a single word, a horde of waiters brought our food, and Luca set the board down on the ground.
On. The. Ground.
He tossed a perfunctory “thank you” my way, then dug into his omelet like a starving man. Fortunately, Elise steered the conversation away from his nonreaction to a safer topic: Mick, the honey guy.
“He’s the reason I was a little late. I helped him run his stand.”
Elliot frowned. “You just…jumped behind the counter?”
“I asked before I did so, but essentially, yes.”
He shook his head, and I grinned.
“Did he pay you?” Weston asked.
“In honey sticks.”
“I can’t believe you.” Elise shook her head much the same way her brother had. “Poor Mick is probably planning how he’s going to propose.”
“Why poor Mick? He’s playing the same game I am. We’re having fun, babe. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”
“What does that mean?” Luca barked. “What game?”
“They have been flirting and bantering all summer,” Elise supplied. “Saoirse’s been slowly reeling him in.”
A deep crevice formed between Luca’s eyes. “What happens once you reel men in?”
I lifted a shoulder. “It depends on the man.”
“Cut them loose?” he pressed.
“Again, depends on the man.” I tried to keep my answers light, but Luca wasn’t even attempting to disguise his disdain.
Elise shoved Luca’s arm. “Relax. Mick is a grown man, and he’s been flirting right back. Plus, he got free labor today. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a few points ahead in this little game of theirs.”
After a tense beat, Luca blew out a heavy breath. “I’m sorry. I haven’t gotten enough sleep this week and my head hurts. I’m being an asshole.”
Now that I was really looking at him, compared to the man I’d met last week, he seemed beaten down. He was impeccably dressed and groomed, but his shoulders were slightly slumped, and there were purple smudges beneath his heavy-lidded eyes.
“That’s okay.” I tossed him a saucy smirk. “I know I probably give off the impression of being a femme fatale, but I assure you, it’s an illusion. I have never once broken a man’s heart, nor do I want to.”
“Can you say the same, Luca?” Elise asked.
He gave her a slow, crooked smile. “I’ve never broken a man’s heart, bella. I can promise you that.”
She snorted a laugh. “Shut up and eat your food. You’re ridiculous.”
Brunch went on with slightly less animosity after that. Elliot told us about the property his development company was considering investing in, and the guys debated the economics of it. Though I listened, I didn’t have a lot to add. It wasn’t that I didn’t have a mind for business, but I was more of an idea person. Numbers were like Sanskrit to me.
Elise leaned closer to me, zoning out of their conversation. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“I have coffee scheduled with Maritza, but I’m free after that. It’ll be a laundry and veg day.”
“Who is Maritza again?”
“I met her at a hostel in Croatia, remember? She’s from Berlin, but she’s moving to Boulder and starting a boutique gardening business, which is why we’re having coffee.”
“You’re helping her with her plans?”
I nodded. “She wants me to look over what she has.”
Elise’s mouth flattened. “And knowing you, you’ll probably end up spending hours and hours reworking everything.”
“That’s an exaggeration, but yes, I have a tendency to get carried away with ideas.”
“You shouldn’t be giving your time and effort away for free. I don’t know why I have to keep telling you that.”
“It’s just fun for me.”
I had a propensity for picking up friends and acquaintances wherever I went. Elise called me the Pied Piper of needy people, which was an overstatement of facts, to be sure. Besides, I enjoyed helping people out. Lately, my friends and acquaintances had been coming to me to go over their business plans, and I’d been helping them refine them.
Like I’d said, it was fun. A brain exercise for me.
But in the back of my mind, I’d been toying with the idea of turning this into a true business. It was only the beginning of a daydream, though. I wasn’t even sure I had it in me to run my own business. If it came to fruition, it would be way down the line.
“If you say so.” Elise sighed. “I just don’t like you being taken advantage of.”
“I’ll stick with temping for now.”
“Speaking of…” Elise tapped Luca’s forearm. “Were you aware Saoirse is Rossi Motor’s latest employee?”
He went still, his gaze flicking to mine. “I wasn’t aware of that. When did you start?”
“I’ve been at Rossi for a week. It’s only temporary,” I explained.
“In which department?”
“Marketing.”
He regarded me carefully. “Are you enjoying working for my company?”
“I like my coworkers, and the job is interesting. Plus, there’re biscotti in the break room, which ups the cool factor tremendously. Oh, and Gina brings in donuts and éclairs every Friday.”
His brow winged. “Gina?”
“Mmhmm. Gina’s the department manager, and she has the hookup. Her uncle runs a bakery.”
“So, what you’re saying is, you enjoy working for me based solely on the snacks?” The corners of his mouth tipped slightly in amusement.