Chapter 147 Strangers

Chapter 147 Strangers
Elma's POV

"Aha! There he is." I spotted him near the fountain, exactly where he said he'd be. I picked up my pace, already smiling.

My steps slowed when I saw who he was with.
Adrian sat across from Daniel on the same bench, one of his arms draped along the backrest, laughing at something Daniel probably said, like the two of them had known each other for years.

Of course….Of course he'd find a way to be here too.
I forced my expression to stay neutral before Daniel spotted me, though the anger sitting in my chest wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He's stalking me now, I thought grimly, closing the last few feet of distance between us.

Daniel stood the second he noticed me, his face breaking into the easy smile I'd fallen for months ago, pulling me into a hug before pressing a quick kiss to my temple.
"Hey, you." He kept his arm around my waist. "How was your morning? You look tired."
"You don't want to know," I said, letting out a long breath, some of the tension in my shoulders easing just from being near him. "I'll tell you over lunch. I need to not think about work for at least an hour."
"Deal." He smiled, brushing a strand of hair back from my face.

A cough came from the bench behind him.
Daniel turned, seeming to remember that we weren't alone, and his smile widened. "Oh, right, sorry. You'll never believe what just happened. This guy right here just saved me from a very embarrassing situation.”
"Did he?" I said through gritted teeth, trying as much as I could to keep my voice even. My eyes flicked to Adrian, who watched the whole exchange with interest, like he had no idea who I was at all.

"My card got declined at the food cart," Daniel said. "Completely mortifying, there's a line behind me, and this guy just steps up out of nowhere and covers it. Didn't even blink."
"It was nothing," Adrian said smoothly, standing now, extending a hand toward me. "Adrian Cole."
I stared at his hand for a second or maybe half a second before taking it. He lifted it, pressing a brief kiss to the back of my knuckles. I fought the urge to pull away, forcing a polite smile instead.
"Elma," I said tightly. "Elma Michael."

"Pleasure." His eyes held mine, amusement sitting behind them before he released my hand and turned back to Daniel. "Really, it was nothing. Least I could do."
"Well, I appreciate it," Daniel said. "Seriously. That could've been really awkward."

"Actually," Adrian said, glancing between the two of us, "there's a place a few blocks from here, does incredible food, the best lunch in the city if you ask me. My treat, as an apology for interrupting whatever plans you two had for the afternoon."
"Oh, you don't have to…." I started.
"We'd love that," Daniel said quickly, already glancing at me with the kind of excitement that made it impossible to argue without looking unreasonable. "Right, babe?"

I forced my smile to stay in place. "Sure…Sounds great."

\-------
We settled into a corner table, Daniel relaxed, unaware of the tension coiled tight across the table from him.

"So," Adrian said once our drinks arrived, turning his attention to me with a look I recognized, already, "Daniel tells me you're in real estate."
"Development," I said. "I run my own firm."
"Impressive." He leaned back slightly, swirling his glass. "Must be difficult, running something like that on your own. The market's been unpredictable lately, hasn't it? Lots of unexpected setbacks for people in your position."

"We manage," I said flatly, meeting his eyes.
"I'm sure you do." His mouth curved. "You strike me as someone who handles pressure well. Even when it's coming from multiple directions at once."
Daniel laughed, completely oblivious. "She's being modest. Her company's actually pretty well known. She just closed some huge deal a few weeks ago."

"Did she?" Adrian's eyes flicked to me. "I'll have to look into that. Sounds like exactly the kind of thing worth paying attention to."
I held his gaze, understanding perfectly well what he was actually saying beneath the pleasant small talk.
"You do that," I said evenly. "I'm sure you'll find it very informative.”

"Excuse me for a second." I set my napkin down, forcing my voice to stay light. "I need to use the restroom."
Daniel nodded, still deep in some story about work, barely glancing up as I slid out of the booth.

I made it to the restroom, locking the door behind me, and let out a breath I'd been holding since we sat down. I gripped the edge of the sink, staring at myself in the mirror.
“Arrghhhh!” I rubbed my hand roughly across my face, trying to shake off the tension coiled in my shoulders.

I regretted that immediately…My lipstick smeared across my cheek, leaving a faint red streak. "Great," I muttered, digging through my bag for the tube.
I leaned toward the mirror, carefully reapplying it, focused entirely on fixing the mess I'd made, when a voice behind me broke the silence.

"It's perfect….."

I spun around, and there he was, leaning against the doorframe like he had every right to be standing in a women's restroom, hands in his pockets.
"What the fuck, Adrian." I took a step back automatically. "What are you doing here?"

He ignored the question, pushing off the doorframe, slowly walking toward me. I found myself backing up without deciding to, until the cool tile wall met my shoulders.
"Nice boyfriend you've got," he said, his eyes moving over me slowly. "Sweet and eager to please." He stopped an inch away. "Don't you think he's a little plain for you, though? I doubt he could even cover half your bills."

"That's not your business." I snapped, my pulse betraying me, hammering fast against my ribs. "Shouldn't you be off somewhere scheming my downfall instead of following me into bathrooms?"
"I multitask well." He smirked.
I tried to step around him, needing the distance and air that didn't smell like his cologne, but his hand caught my arm before I made it two steps, pushing me back against the wall and giving me nowhere left to go.

"Getting your employees to leave was a piece of cake," he said quietly, his eyes never leaving mine. "One phone call and an offer they couldn't refuse." He leaned in, his voice dropping lower. "I imagine getting dear Daniel to leave would be just as simple.”