I should go. I have a meeting at 2 on a Saturday. International markets don't care about weekends. She started walking toward the Jaguar and Ethan followed her outside. Sophie had her face pressed against the office window, watching everything.
Thank you, he said, for the contract, for coming here, for not running screaming when my daughter announced my financial problems to the world. Your daughter is delightful, and you're welcome. Vivian opened the car door, then paused. That date. When were you thinking?
Tomorrow, if you're free. I'm free. Where? Somewhere without a dress code. I'm thinking we've established that fancy restaurants aren't our thing.
She laughed. Deal. Text me the details. I will. But she didn't get in the car yet.
Instead, she stepped closer. Close enough that he could smell her perfume mixing with the oil and metal scent that clung to his clothes. For a second, he thought she might kiss him, but instead she just squeezed his hand. For what it's worth, she said quietly. I'm glad you stopped that night.
Even if it made you late. Me, too. She got in the Jaguar and he watched her drive away, the engine purring perfectly thanks to his 5-minute fix on a rainy roadside. When he turned back to the shop, Sophie was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, wearing the most self-satisfied expression he'd ever seen. Don't say it, he warned.
I told you to take the job. I know. And I was right. I know. And you like her, Sophie.
You do. You were all smiley again and you held her hand. She held my hand. Same thing. Sophie grabbed his arm, pulling him back toward the shop.
So, where are you taking her tomorrow? I haven't decided yet. Take her somewhere fun, not boring adult stuff. Like where? I don't know.
The aquarium pike place. Ooh, you could take her to that place with the mini golf in the arcade. I'm not taking a billionaire to an arcade. Why not? She liked the diner.
That was actually a good point. Viven had seemed more relaxed eating greasy burgers than she probably ever was at those expensive restaurants where people close deals over salmon and quinoa. I'll think about it, he said. Think yes. The rest of the day passed in a blur of work and planning.
The break job turned into a break job plus rotors. The Subaru's rattle revealed itself as a heat shield, and Sophie somehow managed to finish her homework and reorganize his entire filing system in the process. "You had invoices from 2019 mixed with the current stuff," she informed him. "I made folders. " "You didn't have to do that. Someone had to.
Your system was chaos. My system was fine. Your system was finding things by memory and hoping. " She had him there. They locked up at 6:00, drove home through Saturday evening traffic, and ordered pizza because neither of them had the energy to cook. Sophie fell asleep on the couch halfway through a nature documentary about penguins, and Ethan carried her to bed before collapsing on the couch himself.
His phone buzzed. Vivien, how did the rest of your day go? He smiled and typed back, "Good. Sophie reorganized my office. She's productive.
She's terrifying. Pretty sure she's going to be running her own company by age 12. I'd invest in that. They texted back and forth for an hour, the conversation flowing easier than it should have between two people who'd known each other for less than 48 hours. She told him about her meeting, some acquisition in Singapore that was giving her legal team fits.