Read In Love With Lucy (NSFW) for Free Online

good.”
    I cleared my throat, deciding then and there to order the most expensive dish on the menu, plus dessert. This would be my going away dinner. After the weird vibes I’d been getting from him on Friday and today, no way was I going back to work tomorrow.
    We sat in silence for a few moments until the waitress returned to take our order. I requested a lamb dish that sounded delicious, and Chris ordered a vegetarian curry, which surprised me.
    “Is the curry good?” I asked.
    Chris smiled at me. “Extremely. I usually order the same entree as you or this. Sometimes both if I’ve skipped lunch.”
    I gave him a small smile in response. “Well, I’m sure I won’t eat all of mine. I’d be happy to share.”
    I wanted to smack myself in the forehead for my stupidity. Dammit, I was too freaking nice. That offer had returned the intense expression to Chris’ face, as if I’d suggested more than sharing a portion of my food with him. I sipped my water, desperately wracking my brain for something to say.
    Fortunately, and unfortunately, he spoke first. “I meant to tell you Friday…your showing was quite impressive. You have an excellent eye for aesthetically pleasing asymmetry, balance, and contrast. Especially the photos of the little girl. You managed to capture her youth and vibrant personality without making her seem posed.”
    I felt myself flush at his praise. While Chris wasn’t effusive, he would often tell me when I did a good job. This was more than that and it made me a little uncomfortable.
    I fiddled with my napkin in my lap. “Thank you. She’s the daughter of a friend.”
    His gaze intensified. “Your boyfriend?”
    I had just taken a sip of my water when he asked, which caused me to choke. Coughing uncontrollably, I dabbed my mouth with my napkin. Once the fit subsided, I gave him a wide-eyed look. “No. I’m not seeing anyone.”
    When his jaw relaxed, I realized that I had missed a golden opportunity. I should have just said that she was my boyfriend’s daughter and that things were looking serious. Then maybe he would stop giving me those damn piercing looks that gave me the impression he was imagining me naked.
    Our food came out then, more quickly than I expected, though I was extremely grateful. If I was eating, I couldn’t stick my foot in my mouth any longer. Faced with a predatory Chris Barden, I was floundering wildly. I ate as quickly as good manners would allow, managing to fake my way through more small talk, asking him about his meeting in Fort Worth.
    Though it seemed like an eternity, we finished our meal and the waitress brought the check. I reached into my purse to get my wallet.
    “No, Lucy. My treat.” He shook his head at me.
    I shrugged, thinking he intended to claim this as an expense, until I saw the card he laid on the table. It wasn’t the company card. It was his personal check card, and he never used it for business dinners.
    I felt my lips thin. “Let me pay for my dinner, Chris,” I said.
    His bright blue eyes cut to me and he gave a single shake of his head.
    My brows lowered. “If this isn’t a business dinner, then I insist.”
    As though she could sense the storm brewing between us, the waitress moved past me at lightning speed, sweeping up Chris’ check card as she went, before scurrying off through the swinging door into the kitchen.
    I opened my wallet and saw that I had a twenty. Without speaking, I stood, threw the bill on the table, and grabbed my jacket before stomping out of the restaurant. God, that man was a stubborn ass. My self-righteous anger carried me all the way out to the parking lot before I realized that I either had to wait for Chris to get a ride back to my car or I had to call a cab, and I’d just spent the last of my cash.
    Cursing the fact that I’d let my temper get the better of me, thus foiling my chance to escape, I walked to Chris’ Mercedes. The night was chilly, so I shrugged on my jacket, buttoning it to the throat,