Read The Pitch: City Love 2 for Free Online Page A

that,” he said with a final chuckle, then hung up.
    I breathed in the cool spring evening air in an attempt to clear my thoughts. I turned the phone to vibrate, then went back inside to join Dillon.
    “I’m really sorry about that,” I apologized, and was relieved to see he didn’t look worried.
    “No, I’m sorry,” he said. “About before. I’m afraid I’m rather traditional.”
    “Oh?” There were those warning bells again. I really didn’t want to be having this conversation. I hadn’t even known the guy two hours.
    “I think it’s important a mother be at home with her children.”
    The warning bells turned into a warning gong. Please , I begged silently, stop talking. There’d been a lot of truth to my earlier joke about him being my last hope, and now he was going to ruin everything, wasn’t he?
    Scarlett would have a field day with this, I thought. And Cate would tell me to be honest, but I’d only just met the guy for God’s sake. I took a deep breath before replying. “So having a family is very important to you then?”
    “Absolutely. Why? Isn’t it important to you?”
    I bit my lip, suppressing a sigh. “I’m focusing on my career right now to be honest.”
    “So your business is more important than children?”
    The warning gong’s clanging intensified. Oh, help! Grounded Marketing was my child, truth be told. Children were nothing but a possibility. Or in my case, a remote possibility, but Dillon wasn’t to know that. How was I supposed to explain to a man I barely knew that a condition called endometriosis had waged war on my reproductive system since my early twenties?
    “Of course not,” I replied levelly. “If I had children, they’d be very important to me. It just seems a long way off, that’s all.”
    Dillon sat back in his chair, clearly confused by my guarded replies. I was desperate to change the subject. “How about you? Do you work long hours?”
    He nodded and, to my relief, started to tell me about his IT role at one of Sydney’s major banks. It wasn’t exactly riveting, but I was so pleased at the change of subject I didn’t care.
    My phone vibrated. I glanced discreetly at the message from where my phone sat in my lap, while the waiter set out our meals. It was from Paul.
    Not still on the topic of children, I hope? I could pretend to be your father checking up on you …
    I shook my head, a small grin playing on my lips. He didn’t do himself justice. I quickly typed a message.
    Oh come on, you’re not that old … are you?
    I was skirting the bounds of professionalism now, but he’d started it and I was very curious about his age.
    Dillon looked at me quizzically once the waiter left. “Everything alright?”
    My grin broadened. “Sorry, that was my father checking up on me,” I teased.
    Dillon paled. “Seriously?”
    I shook my head and smiled. “Just a friend. You can never be too careful on a blind date.”
    “I came recommended through a mutual friend.” He looked insulted.
    Obviously his sense of humor wasn’t as good as I hoped.
    “You’d do the same for your sister, surely?” I asked.
    Dillon took a bite of his meal and savored it thoughtfully. “I suppose.”
    My phone buzzed again. I ate a mouthful of barramundi then carefully checked the new message from the safety of my lap.
    Wouldn’t you like to know. I’ll see you at ten.
    Well, well. Paul had a much better sense of humor than Dillon, but he was using it to hide his age. Interesting.

Chapter 7
    “He’s not my type,” Paul said, watching the distant outline of my blind date as he walked off into the night.
    Fortunately we’d been saved from any awkward introductions. Paul respectfully kept his distance until Dillon and I said our good nights outside the front of the restaurant. The remainder of our dinner had been pleasant, but Dillon’s exotic looks weren’t going to make me forget about his traditional values.
    “Is there something you’re not telling me?” I