The Baby Pact (Babies and Billions #5) - Holly Rayner Page 0,14
way open shops in Los Angeles do it,” Rhea said. “We’re just going to put a chain mesh grate in that the owners can pull down at the end of the day. They’ll be able to lock it to a point in the ground, so no one will be able to open it without the key. It should do as good a job of securing the place as a regular door or wall would do. But it’ll be much more beautiful in the daytime.”
“But that will be so ugly at night,” Bernice said. “Have you considered using clear plexiglass instead? I think the acrylic look is lovely.”
“It is pretty,” Rhea said. “But it’s on our list of no-go materials. We don’t use plexiglass in our buildings at all, because it’s not environmentally friendly. Steel is much better because it’s recyclable. It can be melted down and reformed over and over, so if one day these coffee shops go out of business, they’ll be able to donate their grates to a future project. Also, we can work with reclaimed steel as we build.”
Bernice nodded. “I see what you mean,” she said to Gregory. “She really does know her stuff.”
“We made a good choice of partner,” Gregory said. “We’re going to have a big party when your first year comes to an end, Rhea.”
Rhea smiled and glanced over her shoulder. Kaylie was making her way back into the room without Laurel by her side. She must have gotten her into a cab, as they’d planned.
Everything has been as successful as I could possibly have hoped for.
As the night wound down, people slowly began to trickle out of the ballroom. Rhea stuck around as they left, knowing that it was her responsibility to make sure that everyone was getting home safely.
Finally, though, Tomas came up to her by the coat check.
“It’s fine if you want to head out,” he said. “There are only a few people left, and we’ll make sure they have safe transportation home. You got here early to set things up. You should be allowed to head out if you’re ready.”
“Are you sure?” Rhea asked. “I don’t want to leave you holding the bag or anything.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” Tomas said. “I have to stay until the very end anyway, because I have to pay the caterers and the DJ. You should go. Really.”
“All right,” Rhea said. “If you’re sure, then… thank you.”
She got her coat from the coat check and went out to the hotel lobby. A few of her coworkers were still there, in line for cabs to take them home, and Rhea joined the line.
She had reached the front of it and was about to get into a cab when a man came running out the front door of the hotel.
“Rhea Wilson?” he called.
She started. “That’s me,” she said.
The man nodded and held out a slip of paper. “A message was just left for you at the front desk,” he said.
She frowned. “What?” she asked. “Who would leave a message for me? I’m not even staying at this hotel. Who even knows I’m here tonight?”
“I don’t know,” the man said. “But whoever it was, he said your name. You are Rhea Wilson, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Then the message is for you.”
She accepted it. The man went back inside to the reception desk, and Rhea unfolded the note.
Dear Ms. Wilson,
I would like to meet with you, if you’re amenable, this Wednesday night at seven o’clock. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I can’t deny that I’ve harbored some feelings for you, and I would like to see if there’s any potential for something to develop between the two of us.
Will you please consider joining me at the Lily Garden? Dinner will be my treat. I look forward to the opportunity to connect with you and to explore the possibility of a relationship.
Yours sincerely,
An admirer
She stared at the paper. An admirer? What was all this about? She had never believed that people sent messages like this to one another outside of romance movies. Could there really be someone out there who had admired her from afar, who was interested in getting to know her better and possibly exploring a relationship?
Who could it be?
Almost immediately, though, reality set in. There was only one real possibility: the note had to have come from someone at Green Destiny. Her colleagues were the only ones who knew that she was here tonight.
Rhea was opposed, in principle, to the idea of dating