The Big Boss - Penny Wylder Page 0,15

home, but whenever I leave home it’s work related. And that means suits.

It’s kind of nice to be out and about like this. It also reduces the risk of me being recognized. I’m not one of those wealthy people whose face is plastered everywhere so that they’re famous for being rich. But I’m well known enough—especially in Portland—that it does happen from time to time.

When I see the tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant, I know why she chose it. It’s small, something that she thinks wouldn’t be on my radar. But she’s wrong. I love small and out of the way places. The reason I’ve never been to this place is that it’s vegan food.

I don’t hate it, and I’ve had some amazing vegan dishes, but I don’t regularly seek it out.

And there, standing on the sidewalk, is Justine. Her hair is down again, and she’s wearing a flowing dress that billows around her feet in the evening breeze. The light from the setting sun makes her glow, and I have the urge to capture this moment in my mind so that I’ll never forget it.

Just then, she looks over at me. And it feels like a miracle when she smiles. Not a full one, but a small one. It’s a smile of private joy and secrets. Of inside jokes and pretending. Something that I already wanted more of with her.

“Hi,” she says as I walk up to her.

“Hello. Is this casual enough for you?” I take my time looking at her, enjoying the view of the gorgeous green dress that sets off her skin and eyes.

She smirks, a look that I could get used to. “I told you to be casual. I, however, never get to dress up at all. Besides, this isn’t even that fancy.”

“You look beautiful.”

I nearly miss the subtle blush on her cheeks, but it’s there for a moment. “Thank you.”

“So Lena’s?”

“It’s really good, and it seemed like it’s not something you would usually do. Very grungy. Not well known.”

I grin at her. “Again with all the assumptions. You’re right about one thing, I haven’t been here. But unlike what you seem to think, I’m very open to new experiences.”

Justine twists her lips to keep from smiling. “Fair enough. Let’s see how you do.”

She leads me inside the restaurant, and already I love the atmosphere. There are low hanging lights and living plants growing from moss farms in the walls. It feels a little like walking into a tropical paradise, and it feels even more that way when we exit onto a back patio with quaint tables and alcoves enclosed with sheer netting. We settle in one of those and wait for a server to come take our order.

I can already see another reason she wanted to come here when I look at the menu. The food is almost criminally inexpensive. Doing the math in my head, I almost can’t imagine how this place breaks even.

“Before you ask how they stay open,” she says, “the owner is independently wealthy and wanted to create a space that provides low cost, healthy food for the community. But it’s so popular that they break even a good portion of the time.”

I raise my eyebrows. “That’s really impressive.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Are you vegan?”

She shakes her head. “No. Vegetarian. But this place is one of my favorite places to eat. It’s amazing, and you really can’t beat the prices.”

I look over the menu, and it does look amazing. When the waiter comes, Justine orders carrot and turmeric soup with roasted beans, and I order a ravioli pomodoro with cashews and tofu.

When our orders are taken, I notice her looking at me. “What?”

She blushes again. “Nothing, you just look nice out of the suit.”

Primal satisfaction twists in my gut. I know I look good, but seeing the look in her eyes when she says it is an entirely different experience.

“You know what else is vegan?” she asks as the waiter brings back our food along with two shot glasses. “Vodka.”

Justine takes hers and knocks it back, and I watch her swallow. Keep it together, Keenan. It’s barely the beginning of dinner. You don’t need to be sporting a boner the whole time. “I think I knew that,” I say. “But it’s always a little bit weird to think about.”

The alcohol burns down my throat. Vodka isn’t my usual go-to, but I’ll take it. Anything to loosen us both up from the tension that’s between us. It’s a comfortable tension, but there is something strong connecting