Dare Me(12)

She audibly gasps, her chest rising and falling with each quick breath she takes.

I fix my eyes on hers and continue, “And I saw you watching me.”

Her upper lip twitches as she thinks of a sarcastic comeback. I can see the vein in her neck throbbing with the beat of her pulse before she finally whispers, “We shouldn’t do this.” She pulls a green olive off the toothpick floating in her martini, then she pops it into her mouth. The green olive matches her eyes perfectly.

I watch her shift uncomfortably in her chair for a few seconds before I respond, “Why not?”

“Because you’re my boss.” So na?ve, sweet little Saige is.

“I’m actually not,” I tell her.

She frowns. “You own the company I work for; same thing.”

I clarify, “I’m part owner of the company you work for.”

She sighs. “Holt, this is just drinks. That’s all.” But her eyes tell me she wants more.

I lean closer to her. “It’s never just drinks, Saige.”

Our waiter appears, interrupting us, and I see Saige take a deep breath and smile as she orders another martini.

“I’ll have another as well,” I raise my glass, “and could you please bring us a couple of your best appetizers?”

Our waiter excuses himself.

“What if you don’t like what he brings?” Saige asks.

I smirk. “I’m pretty sure there’s nothing on the menu I won’t like.”

She swallows hard and nervously scratches her neck.

“Aside from playing Truth or Dare, tell me something else about you.”

“I heard Evelyn telling you that I used to live in Chicago.” I nod as she talks. “I was born in North Dakota. We moved to Chicago when I was four and then moved back to North Dakota when I was twelve.” She swallows back some emotion and takes a deep breath before she continues. “Stayed there until I moved here for this job a few months ago.”

“So how are you liking Chicago this time around?”

“Love it,” she sighs with nostalgia. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. There is no better place to live than North Dakota. The best people in the world live there. Also, it has some of the best schools in the country and it’s safe—but I love the city. Chicago is in my veins.”

I smile. “Something we have in common. It’s in mine too. I’m glad you like it here.” She seems to relax and settles in to our conversation.

“I’ve been spending a little bit of time on the weekends reacquainting myself with the city. I used to spend a lot of time exploring with my mom and dad when I lived here. It’s fun to see how the city has changed in the last ten years.” Her voice rises as she speaks animatedly about her past in Chicago.

Our waiter slides a board of charcuterie and a sizzling iron of pot stickers on our table, and another server removes our empty glasses and replaces our drinks.

“What is your favorite place?” I ask her, wanting to hear more about her love of the city.

She gives me a nostalgic smile. “Same as when I was little—Millennium Park. I love walking around. I don’t know, I guess it reminds me of the good times when we lived here.” She says it with a bit of sadness.

I don’t ask if there were bad times, because I know her story. I know why her family left Chicago and went back to North Dakota, and I know that what happened here in Chicago ultimately destroyed her family.

“Tell me about you,” she says, placing some assorted meats and crackers on her plate.

“There’s not a lot to know.” I smile across the table at her. “I spend most of my time managing Jackson-Hamilton,” I say, tossing an olive into my mouth. “I work out when I’m not working, and that’s about it.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-two.”

“Obviously not married?” She eyes my left hand.

I hold up my hand and wiggle my fingers. “Never been.”

She leans in and cocks her head to the side. “Why not? You’re attractive and successful. I imagine you have no shortage of women lining up to become Mrs. Holt Hamilton.” She grins, presses her martini glass to her lips, and takes a drink. Tipsy Saige is ballsy. I like it.

“You’re right.” I chuckle. “There is no shortage of women lining up to court me. However, I’ve yet to find one that holds my interest. One that challenges me. One that is as strong individually as she is with me.”

I hold her gaze and she tilts her head, her eyes glimmering in the lights. “Well, that’s unfortunate for you,” she remarks. “I’m sure you’ve broken many hearts in your search for the perfect woman.”

I laugh quietly and turn the questions back to her. “What about you?”

She raises a challenging eyebrow. “What about me?”

“I assume you’re not dating anyone?” She stares across the table at me before she lets out a little laugh. “No. I had fun in college, dated a lot of guys. One relationship was kind of serious, but it didn’t last long.” I like hearing she’s single, don’t like hearing the part about having fun and dating a lot of guys. My fingers grip the edge of the table. “I’m just focusing on my career right now.” I like that answer better.