She shrugged. “I can’t promise that.”
Joe glared at Derrick. “You can’t be serious.”
“We’re done here.” Derrick slid his hand out from under Ellie’s and picked up his menu again. “You hungry? I am.”
Joe closed in on Ellie. “Tell him the truth.”
She didn’t even flinch. “Your wife went out of town, you came on to me, I kicked you and then I got fired.”
“That’s not—”
“Illegal?” More than one table of restaurant patrons was watching now. The manager even made a move toward the table, but Derrick gave a small shake of his head to keep him back. He had this handled. “Yes, Joe. I think it is.”
She shrugged. “My lawyer says it is.”
Fury flashed in Joe’s eyes. “You can’t outlast me and you know it.”
Ellie deserved better and this show. Even though they kept it respectable, Derrick knew the gossip would make the rounds. They’d proved their point. Now it was time for Joe to get the message and slink away. “For us, it’s a date. For you? This is a chance to move without increasing your liability. I’d take it.”
Joe gave them one last stare then turned and walked off. He was smart enough to not cause a bigger scene or to storm away. He slipped through the tables with a smile on his face as if they’d been having a nice dinner talk.
The second after he was gone the restaurant’s noise level rose again. People seated nearby returned to eating and servers ran around getting food and drinks to the crowded tables.
When Derrick finally glanced across the table again he saw Ellie staring at him. A smile played on her lips. A sexy smile that jolted through him.
“That was thoroughly satisfying,” she said.
“Now that’s the sort of thing I like to hear from a date.”
* * *
The rest of the dinner consisted of talking and some verbal sparring, but the fun kind. Ellie finished her meal in a satisfied haze. She enjoyed letting her guard down and ignoring all the stress for an hour.
After her parents died she’d juggled college and Noah. She’d waded through their mess of an estate. All those failed ventures her father had started and driven into bankruptcy. All the debts that had to be paid and the questions people had looked to her to answer.
She’d handled all of it. Put her personal life on hold, limited dating to brief flings and friendships to a minimum. She’d worked hard, kept her head down and never expected anything from anyone. That’s why her friendship with Vanessa meant so much.
Vanessa was the kind of best friend you could call in the middle of the night and she’d come running. She was smart and supportive. They could sit in silence for hours and watch movies. Gossip. Ellie was comfortable around Vanessa when Ellie wasn’t all that comfortable with most people. Not on a deep level. Not enough to trust.
It’s why Derrick’s near automatic defense took Ellie by surprise. For the first time in ages, she had someone other than Vanessa looking out for her. Willing to stand up to someone else and protect her from the fallout. Willing to take care of her. It was a heady and humbling feeling.
That was the only explanation she had for why she stood in the middle of his kitchen at after nine that night instead of in her apartment. That and the fact she wanted to be there. Wanted to spend time with him. Wanted to know more about the man who fought so hard against his father.
She’d seen the stark ache in Derrick’s eyes at dinner as he talked about the business. He tried to joke about finances, but she’d heard the roughness in his voice. She tried to imagine what it was like to be the oldest son of a man who enjoyed demeaning people, including his own children.
They’d walked in from the garage with the lights clicking on as they’d moved through the high-ceilinged, expertly-carved-moldings, man-this-is-expensive Georgetown house. Even in the dark she had seen rows of impeccably kept brick town houses as they’d driven through the tree-lined streets. The whole area dripped with wealth.
By the time they’d pulled off a narrow street and into Derrick’s garage—a thing she didn’t really think existed in this part of town outside of huge mansions—she’d confirmed she was way out of her league.
Now she looked around the pristine kitchen with the gray cabinets and swirling white-and-gray-marble countertops that looked like they should be on the cover of some fancy home magazine. Not a pot out of place. Not a glass in the sink.
For the fourth time since they’d left the restaurant, confusion crashed into her. She’d been riding this emotional roller coaster for most of her life but with Derrick the ride turned wild. She flipped between interest and frustration. One minute she wanted to kiss him. The next, punch him.