"Attached to what?"
Ah-ha! Avoiding the question by pretending not to understand. Excellent. "A man. Do you have a boyfriend?" No way could she pretend not to understand that. And based on her expression, the question clearly threw her off balance. Secure that he was once again strapped in the driver's seat, he leaned back and smiled.
But instead of answering, she asked a question of her own. "Why do you want to know if I have a boyfriend?"
He shrugged. "Just making conversation." Oh, sure, his inner voice piped in, dripping with sarcasm. It's definitely not because you feel this overwhelming urge to know everything about her. Not because you want-make that need-to know if there's a man in her life.
"No one steady. How about you-are you involved with anyone?"
"Define 'involved.'" Uh-oh. Now he was avoiding the question by pretending not to understand. How had she turned this around? Clearly he was a victim of one of those sneaky girl traps that unsuspecting guys fell into, only to find themselves swallowed whole before they knew what hit them.
"Do you have a steady girlfriend?"
"No." He debated whether or not to elaborate, but figured what the hell. If he hoped to learn more about her, it was only fair that he throw out a few tidbits himself. "I had a steady girlfriend, but we broke up last Christmas."
"Why?"
"I wanted to get married."
Her brows shot up. "And she didn't?"
"Oh, she did. But to my best friend."
Unmistakable sympathy filled her eyes and she set her menu aside. "That had to hurt."
A sheepish laugh escaped him. "Yeah, it definitely cut the jugular. Lost my girlfriend, my best friend and my job all in one fell swoop."
"Why your job?"
Again, he debated whether or not to tell her, but decided why not? He hadn't done anything wrong-except be too trusting. "We all worked together at Cutting Edge Advertising. The same day I discovered their affair, I also found out they'd stolen several of my ideas. Definitely not one of my better days."
"That's awful. What did you do?"
"I resigned."
Her eyes widened. "You didn't fight to get your ideas back?"
"No. Obviously that surprises you."
"Frankly, yes."
"I thought about it, believe me. But it would have amounted to my word against theirs and, at that point, I didn't want to involve myself in anything that would mean prolonged contact with either of them. So I cut my losses and left. After indulging in a week-long pity party, I couldn't stand myself anymore. So I picked myself up, stuck some Band-Aids on my bleeding wounds, and landed the job with Maxximum."
Jilly stared across the table at him, sympathy tugging on her heart. Unable to stop herself, she reached out and touched his hand. "I'm sorry, Matt. That's a terrible, hurtful thing for anyone to suffer through. Are you… still in love with her?"
"No." He looked down at her hand resting on his, and she followed his gaze. His skin felt warm and firm under her palm. Alarm bells clanged in her brain at how much she liked the look of her fingers resting against his and at how much she liked hearing that he didn't have a girlfriend.
Slipping her hand from his, she forced her gaze up and their eyes met. There was no mistaking the awareness that sizzled between them. He broke the spell by shaking his head. "I don't know why I told you all that."
She forced a smile. "I asked."
The sommelier appeared with their wine, and no sooner had he served them than the waiter materialized and requested their order. Jilly ordered the endive and Roquefort salad and the wood-smoked salmon entrée. Matt simply handed the waiter his unopened menu and said, "I'll have the same, please."
When the waiter left, Jilly reached for her wineglass and said, "Well, that explains a lot."
"What do you mean?"
"Getting so badly burned and betrayed by your past co-workers certainly explains why you hold everyone at Maxximum at arm's length. And leaving your old job under such circumstances, having to reestablish yourself all over again at a new firm, that certainly lends some perspective to your ambitiousness. I'd hate to be placed in such a difficult situation."
Silence stretched between them. Her gaze lowered, lingering over his broad chest, and she found herself wishing she were his cashmere sweater. He had pushed up his sleeves several inches, which revealed his strong forearms. A discreet gold watch encircled his wrist. And his hands… he had really nice hands. Long fingered, steady, and strong. They looked like they'd know how to stroke a woman.
Forcing her gaze back upward, she noted he was studying her in a very distracting way, as if trying to read her mind. Being the object of all that concentrated attention shot heat through her veins, and she suddenly wished she'd opted for a sleeveless dress that would let her skin release some of that heat. He looked about to say something when a series of soft beeps cut the silence.
She instantly noted how his shoulders tensed. He swiftly withdrew his cell phone from his pocket. After consulting the caller ID readout, he said, "I'm sorry. This is the call I've been expecting. Do you mind if I take it here?"
"Of course not. Would you like me to give you some privacy?"
"Not necessary. But thanks." He flipped open the phone and said, "Hi, Mom. Do you have the results?"
Jilly sipped her wine, trying not to listen, but with him sitting less than three feet away, it was impossible not to hear Matt's side of the conversation, even though he kept his voice low. Nor could she fail to notice the tension all but emanating from him, and his white-knuckle grip on the phone.
"What did the doctor say?" Closing his eyes, he dragged his hand down his face. Then he blew out a long breath as his posture relaxed. After several seconds of silence, he swallowed audibly. "Yeah, Mom, I'm here," he said, his voice rough with clear emotion. "Yes, it sure is great. The news we all wanted." He listened, then laughed. "What, me worried? Nah. I knew it all along… We'll celebrate in style when you and Dad come into the city next weekend. How does the Rainbow Room sound? Stacey, Ray and the Barbie Queen are coming also… We'll have a great time… Yes, we'll definitely see the tree at Rockefeller Center… and all the shop windows along Fifth." He nodded a few times, then chuckled. "It's good to hear you laugh, too. Okay… tell them all I say hi. Yeah, this is going to be a great Christmas. I love you, Mom. Bye."
He flipped the phone shut with hands she noted weren't quite steady, but there was no mistaking the happy relief in his eyes. So that was the call he'd been expecting. Something unfamiliar squeezed inside Jilly at the realization that he'd obviously been very concerned about his mother. Between that and the story about the betrayal by his former fiancée and best friend, she was seized with the uncomfortable sensation that she'd misjudged this man.
"I couldn't help overhearing. It seems that was good news."
"Yes, thank God. A lump showed up on my mom's last mammogram. She's had to undergo a series of tests, and, well, for the last few weeks, suffice it to say, we've all been really worried. But she called to report that all her tests came back negative." His smile could have lit the entire room.
"That's wonderful. And I know how relieved you're feeling. My mom went through something similar two years ago. Luckily the lump was benign, but that space of time while we waited for the results…" She shuddered. "Awful. And so frightening."
"Exactly. I've been scared to death inside. My mom is so energetic and vital, the thought that she might have cancer…" He shook his head, then smiled. "But she doesn't." He lifted his glass. "A toast. To my mom-and yours. May they never scare us like that ever again."
Jilly laughed, then touched the rim of her glass to his. "I'll drink to that." After sipping her wine, she asked, "Your family is celebrating next weekend?"