shop?”
Now, she really looked surprised. “For what?”
“Your clothes.”
She leaned back in her chair. “Um. A lot of places. Why?”
“You’re the perfect image for the new Bryant’s customer.”
Her face visibly fell.
Jason frowned at her reaction to his question. “What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong?”
Tessa swallowed hard and avoided meeting his gaze. “No. Everything is fine.”
“No, it’s not. I said something to upset you.” He shuffled his chair around until he was sitting next to her, his knee bumping her leg as he laid one hand over hers. “Tell me.”
“It’s stupid. I thought talking about Bryant’s was just an excuse to ask me out.” Her laugh sounded forced. She studied the tablecloth. “I’m fine, really. I’m just feeling a little silly. Go on. Scoot yourself back over to your side of the table. Take notes, whatever. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
When he didn’t move, she glanced up. Jason squeezed her hand.
“No, it’s my fault. I was stupid to assume I could use this dinner to combine business with pleasure. But given the choice, when it comes to you, I’ll take pleasure. Fuck business.” Her saw her shock over his unexpected profanity, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate.”
“Well, as long as we’re being inappropriate…” Tessa leaned forward and touched her lips to his. Her mouth felt as warm and inviting as it looked as she sank deeper into him.
She raised one hand and wrapped it around the back of his head, tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape until he groaned…and the waiter cleared his throat.
“Can I get anyone a drink…or a room?”
Jason pulled back. He seemed to recover quicker than Tessa. He ran a hand over his lips, hopefully removing any of her lipstick that was there. “Did you get in any of the new Beaujolais Nouveau?”
The waiter sputtered for a moment. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“Could you please check and find out?”
Now it was the waiter’s turn to look embarrassed. “Yes, sir. I’ll be right back.”
Jason turned back to Tessa and smiled. He raised one hand and ran a finger down her cheek, which was crimson by now. She looked like she wanted to crawl under the table and hide with embarrassment.
“Maybe we had better talk business, Tessa. You’re a little too tempting for me while we’re in public.”
She swallowed hard. “Thrift shop.”
He raised a brow. “Excuse me?”
“That’s where I buy a lot of my clothes. This dress is vintage from a thrift shop.”
“Really?” He leaned back and appraised her outfit, reaching out a hand toward her hem. “May I?”
She nodded.
His fingers brushed the fabric of the dress. “Good quality. Obviously timeless style.” He shook his head. “Amazing. The boots?”
“New. I can’t wear other people’s footwear. Can’t even go bowling, the shoes gross me out.”
Jason would have to be careful he didn’t transform from a man on the date recovering from a first kiss, to a department store manager in the blink of an eye, but he couldn’t help it. Tessa’s buying habits fascinated him. Besides, he needed to pull his mind off kissing her again before he succumbed to the urge.
“You don’t buy any clothes new?” He frowned.
“Of course I do.”
“Just not from Bryant’s,” he added.
She cringed. “I’m a freelancer. Bryant’s is a little pricey for my budget.”
“And not exactly your style,” JB suggested.
“Not necessarily. There are some things I like. Today, I saw a gorgeous cashmere sweater.” She was obviously backpedalling to not insult him.
He nodded, thinking they could probably keep some of the classic basic items, such as the cashmere sweaters, but just add a few new things to freshen the line for the season. “What else. You said today you had a list of things you would change about Bryant’s. Tell me.”
The date had taken a few unexpected and not unwelcome turns already.
Now, she really looked surprised. “For what?”
“Your clothes.”
She leaned back in her chair. “Um. A lot of places. Why?”
“You’re the perfect image for the new Bryant’s customer.”
Her face visibly fell.
Jason frowned at her reaction to his question. “What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong?”
Tessa swallowed hard and avoided meeting his gaze. “No. Everything is fine.”
“No, it’s not. I said something to upset you.” He shuffled his chair around until he was sitting next to her, his knee bumping her leg as he laid one hand over hers. “Tell me.”
“It’s stupid. I thought talking about Bryant’s was just an excuse to ask me out.” Her laugh sounded forced. She studied the tablecloth. “I’m fine, really. I’m just feeling a little silly. Go on. Scoot yourself back over to your side of the table. Take notes, whatever. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
When he didn’t move, she glanced up. Jason squeezed her hand.
“No, it’s my fault. I was stupid to assume I could use this dinner to combine business with pleasure. But given the choice, when it comes to you, I’ll take pleasure. Fuck business.” Her saw her shock over his unexpected profanity, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate.”
“Well, as long as we’re being inappropriate…” Tessa leaned forward and touched her lips to his. Her mouth felt as warm and inviting as it looked as she sank deeper into him.
She raised one hand and wrapped it around the back of his head, tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape until he groaned…and the waiter cleared his throat.
“Can I get anyone a drink…or a room?”
Jason pulled back. He seemed to recover quicker than Tessa. He ran a hand over his lips, hopefully removing any of her lipstick that was there. “Did you get in any of the new Beaujolais Nouveau?”
The waiter sputtered for a moment. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“Could you please check and find out?”
Now it was the waiter’s turn to look embarrassed. “Yes, sir. I’ll be right back.”
Jason turned back to Tessa and smiled. He raised one hand and ran a finger down her cheek, which was crimson by now. She looked like she wanted to crawl under the table and hide with embarrassment.
“Maybe we had better talk business, Tessa. You’re a little too tempting for me while we’re in public.”
She swallowed hard. “Thrift shop.”
He raised a brow. “Excuse me?”
“That’s where I buy a lot of my clothes. This dress is vintage from a thrift shop.”
“Really?” He leaned back and appraised her outfit, reaching out a hand toward her hem. “May I?”
She nodded.
His fingers brushed the fabric of the dress. “Good quality. Obviously timeless style.” He shook his head. “Amazing. The boots?”
“New. I can’t wear other people’s footwear. Can’t even go bowling, the shoes gross me out.”
Jason would have to be careful he didn’t transform from a man on the date recovering from a first kiss, to a department store manager in the blink of an eye, but he couldn’t help it. Tessa’s buying habits fascinated him. Besides, he needed to pull his mind off kissing her again before he succumbed to the urge.
“You don’t buy any clothes new?” He frowned.
“Of course I do.”
“Just not from Bryant’s,” he added.
She cringed. “I’m a freelancer. Bryant’s is a little pricey for my budget.”
“And not exactly your style,” JB suggested.
“Not necessarily. There are some things I like. Today, I saw a gorgeous cashmere sweater.” She was obviously backpedalling to not insult him.
He nodded, thinking they could probably keep some of the classic basic items, such as the cashmere sweaters, but just add a few new things to freshen the line for the season. “What else. You said today you had a list of things you would change about Bryant’s. Tell me.”
The date had taken a few unexpected and not unwelcome turns already.
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