Nemesis(14)

“Hell no,” I respond vehemently. “I didn’t even sleep with you and I think you’re one of the sexiest men I’ve ever laid my eyes on, so why would I sleep with him? He’s not even my type.”

I clear my throat when I realise what I’ve just blurted out.

I need a filter.





Chapter Seven


“That’s quite a compliment,” he murmurs, suddenly looking a little… shy? “Especially coming from you.”

“I didn’t meant to say that.” I cringe and look around the restaurant, hoping our waitress chooses this moment to arrive with our food.

“I’m glad you did,” he says, eyes finally meeting mine again. “I think you’re absolutely stunning, Jacinta. You have a rare, natural beauty that any man would be drawn to.”

Now it’s my time to look away, especially when I can feel the heat rush to my cheeks. “Uhh, thanks, Cohen.” I change the subject as soon as I can. “Are you sure we won’t get in trouble for taking a longer lunch?”

“Yes.” He certainly sounds sure. “And, by the way, you’re cute when you blush.”

“Stop it.”

“I’ll try.”

“Try harder.”

The waitress arrives with our food, and I have to admit that Cohen’s pork dish looks much more appetising than my pasta.

“Do you want a bite?” he asks, forking a piece for me.

I nod. He reaches over the table, putting the food in front of my lips, waiting for me to open them. I oblige, and soon the delicious taste of the pork hits my tongue. “It’s so good.”

“I know,” he says, smirking.

“Do you want some of mine?” I ask, a little shyly.

He nods, so I do the same as he did to me. He chews thoughtfully and swallows, then smirks again. “Yeah, mine is better. Just order whatever I do next time.”

“Jerk,” I mutter, making him laugh.

“Do you want to trade?”

My eyes widen. “You’d do that?”

“Sure,” he says, then adds, “For you.”

We stare into each other’s eyes.

Fuck.

It’s me who looks away first. “It’s okay, the pasta is good too.”

“Jacinta,” he says a little hesitantly, making me look up from my food.

“Yeah?”

“Nothing.” He puts his fork down, seeming a little frustrated. A muscle ticks in his jaw.

“Tell me, Cohen. You know whatever you say stays between us,” I tell him, encouraging him to speak whatever is on his mind.

“I like you,” he starts. “But I don’t date, I’m just not that kind of guy. You deserve more than I could ever offer but, at the same time, I can’t stay away. So, I don’t know what the f*ck to do.”

“Giving me honesty back, huh?” I tease, trying to lighten the tension between us.

“I like you too,” I admit in a small voice. “I don’t know, Cohen. We work together, so everything would have to be in secret. And what do you mean you don’t date?”

“I just have different views on the whole dating and love thing,” he says, now looking at his plate. “I don’t know, I’m just not a traditional kind of guy. If you want commitment, marriage and children, I’m not the man to even consider that with.”

“I do want those things… eventually,” I reply, wondering why his views are as such in the first place. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want him, whatever he has to offer, for now. I’m not thinking of the future, I’m thinking of the present. I don’t want to be married right now.

“If you want some fun then I’m your guy,” he says, flashing me his charming smile. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. I want you to know what you’ll be getting into.”

Still confused by what he means exactly, I decide to focus on the ‘him being unable to stay away’ part. He likes me. I like him. It shouldn’t be more complicated than that, but it is.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,” he murmurs, glancing down at the table. “Let’s just enjoy our lunch.”

I don’t even feel like eating anymore after that, my stomach full of butterflies, but I try.

Cohen Lake likes me.

I try not to smile.

*****

Back at work, Sadie is sending me screenshots of something Ian sent her, telling me how cute he is, how nice and different he is from other men. I’m torn between rolling my eyes and hoping she’s right this time. I don’t want to see my best friend get hurt again, although when she jumps into things, it’s almost inevitable. I don’t want to act like a bitch though; I want to support her and be there for her no matter what happens. I almost fall off my chair when the second screenshot comes in. It’s of her and Ian’s convo, and it shows where she accidentally sent him a screenshot.

Of their conversation.

Oh, f*ck.

I type back furiously, asking her what he said about it. Would he be angry? I would if I found out someone was screenshotting my conversation. I almost want to laugh though. How the hell did she manage to send it to him? I guess I’ll have to wait until I go home to hear the whole story. Cohen is gone for the rest of the day, which gives me time to think about what happened at lunch. I didn’t expect him to say any of those things; even though I know there’s a connection between us, that doesn’t mean we’re going to explore it. Now that he’s brought it up though, is it an option? When he says he doesn’t date, what does that mean exactly? I need to ask him again, to be clearer. Maybe he just doesn’t like the label, because our lunch date today felt like an actual date, not just a lunch between two people who happen to work together. Maybe I’m just imagining something that’s not there, who knows. I don’t know how Sadie does it; this dating world is going to drive me mad.