ELEVEN

"Now, let's talk about this telescope thing. Yes, I have a room full of telescopes, and they may be aimed at you, but I wasn't spying on you."

I arch my brow and slant my head to the side. He laughs once more, revealing his white teeth.

"I'm telling you the truth," he declares. "It's a scout's honor. Besides, I'm pretty sure I'd remember seeing a lovely lady undress."

In response to the compliment, my skin flushes. He's becoming less creepy, but I'm still not convinced.

"You mentioned staying in the area for a short time. "How come?" I inquire.

He sighs again as he runs his fingers through his dark hair. "Long story short, I'm conducting research that requires me to be hands on."

"Oh," I say, eager to put this conversation to rest. "From now on, make sure your telescopes aren't pointing into my freaking window, or I'll call the cops on you." Please excuse me; I need to get going."

I reach for the doorknob once more, but he beats me to it.

"I still detect a hint of anger in your voice," he observes. "As my way of apologizing, please allow me to take you out to dinner." I really don't like the fact that you think I'd do something so dishonest. "I believe if you get to know me a little better, you'll understand where I'm coming from."

I examine him from head to toe, sizing him up. His explanation for the window incident sounds genuine, and his eyes appear to be truthful.

I'm still a little creeped out by it all, but there's something about this man that draws me in.

“Please,” he adds. "I really want to make amends with you. And just so you know, I'm not easily discouraged." He flashes another toothy grin, and the familiar throb between my thighs returns.

There's no denying my hesitant attraction to the man, and I briefly consider saying yes. Dinner won't hurt anything, right?

"OK," I finally say. "I have some free time tomorrow night; let's go out to dinner."

"Perfect," he says as he opens the door to the lobby and motions for me to proceed. "I'll accompany you to the elevator."

"I'll get the cart," he says, motioning for you to proceed.

That was an unexpected but very gentlemanly move.

"All right," I say, trying to hide the smile that is tugging at the corners of my mouth.

When we get to the elevator, I press the "up" button.

"So, dinner tomorrow night around seven o'clock sound good to you?" he inquires.

"Yes," I say as I reach for the cart. "Thank you; I'll take this right now."

He nods, steps back, and stuffs his hands into his pockets. I'm relieved because the move makes him appear nervous. The scene is brief, but I enjoy seeing him appear less confident and in command. When the elevator arrives in the lobby, it dings loudly before the doors slide open.

I wheel the cart inside and turn around to face him before pressing the floor button.

"By the way, my name is Jordan Delgado," he says as the doors begin to close.

I say, "Aliyah Delos Reyes," hoping he hears me.

I kept a smile on my face the entire way up to my floor. I exit the elevator and make my way into the condo. The room is still dark, indicating Romina hasn't returned home with Andy yet. Romina, Andrew, and Jonas get together once every other week for some family time, or rather, Jonas and Andy time.

I exhale as I lean against the door.

I'm going on a date tomorrow.

Granted, the circumstances surrounding the date are on the unusual side of the dating spectrum. But I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I haven't gone out in a long time, let alone with a handsome guy. A handsome man who is now on my radar to keep an eye out for.

Jordan.

Even his name has a sexy ring to it. He's not only attractive, but he's also charming. I'm pretty sure his charm is the main reason I agreed to go on the date in the first place. Something about him piques my interest.

"What the hell?" I exclaim. "I should have asked him which restaurant he wanted to go to so I could figure out what to wear."

I quickly go over the outfit options in my closet that are gathering dust. This is one of those times when I wish Romina and I were the same size so I could borrow something from her. This is a date I'm overthinking. This is just a simple dinner... a simple dinner with a sexy guy.

To be fair, Jordan never explicitly stated that this was a date. This is just a "I'm sorry for making you think I was watching you get naked" dinner. I'm sure I'll find something appropriate in my closet.

I wheel my small grocery cart into the kitchen and begin unloading and organizing the food on the counter. I think about pulling out my phone and telling Rachel about my date and everything else that has happened, but I decide against it.

Knowing her, she'll ask a million questions, and I'm not ready to be grilled about a guy I don't know just yet.

**************

I open the folder and leaf through the pages of Aliyah's extensive background check that I had requested. Mark, the head of my security department, handed me the folder earlier in the day, and I haven't been able to take my eyes off it since.

Her beauty and feisty attitude initially drew me in, but I have business interests to protect, and one can never be too cautious.

She works as a nanny. A new nanny for a baby.

I've never dated anyone outside of my immediate circle, which is both good and bad. I'm looking forward to the change of pace, but I'm not sure I'm ready for a nanny. She can't possibly be making much money, and I've seen far too many of my friends get themselves into similar situations.

The men are always broke, while the women have a significant lifestyle upgrade. I refuse to let anyone, no matter how attractive, use me as a social advantage.

I hold the paper with her employment information up to the light, trying to figure out who her true employer is. The fact that it's blacked out suggests she works for society's upper crust, and I know firsthand how much privacy they value.

Joe knocks twice on my open door before walking into my office.

"What do you have there?" he asks, taking a seat across from me in the leather chair.

I replace the paper in the folder and close it. "It's a background check for my tonight's date," I explain. "She works as a nanny."

Joe shakes his head and turns a bright crimson color. I should have known that mentioning she's a nanny would set him off.

"You don't want to be dating a nanny." I'm still traveling to and from court with KC. "We've been married for less than three years, and she believes she is entitled to half of the money I have left," he says.

"I understand your concerns, but keep in mind that KC was nineteen when you married her. "What did you anticipate?"

Joe snorts and crosses his arms over his chest. "I expected the third time to be the charm, and I expected to wake up every night with empty balls." But she turned out to be far worse than my previous ex-wives. I now have three ex-wives, all of whom have their hands in my pockets. "I'm just glad I never had children with any of them."

I sigh and shake my head. "I'm not sure why you didn't request a pre-nuptial agreement."

"Simple," Joe says. “Love.”

I comb my hair and stare at the folder on my desk. Aliyah is lovely, but I've worked too hard to waste my success.

"That wasn't love; it was thinking with your dick." In any case, I'm only going on the date to get to know her and see what she's all about," I reason.

Joe rises to his feet and shakes his head once more. "Protect your balls as well as your wallet." She'll suck them both dry and leave you flailing in the wind."

I watch Joe leave my office, the ultimate cautionary tale, and hope I don't suffer the same fate.

I finally prepare to leave for the day by stuffing the folder containing all the details of Aliyah's life into my briefcase. I pass Amelia, who is still on the phone at her desk, with a notepad and several folders spread out in front of her.

"Pack it in, Amelia," I tell her. "Anyone who is on the phone can call us tomorrow."

If I don't get her out of here now, she'll stay until midnight trying to finish everything. I will not be replaced by another secretary. After being severely overworked, the last one quit due to exhaustion. Working for me is extremely demanding, but I make every effort to compensate.

Working for me is extremely demanding, but I make every effort to make the compensation worthwhile.

She presses the phone's mute button and looks up at me. "Mr. Tanaka has arrived in town and has requested a meeting." "I'll have this finished in about thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes," I estimate. "Not any longer. Then I'd like you to go home and unwind."

She nods and returns to the phone, effectively putting an end to our conversation. I check the time and dash to the elevator. Before my date, I need to go home and shower. I'm hoping Aliyah enjoys French cuisine because we've made reservations at Mon Amour, a restaurant I've been wanting to return to.

To get the reservation at the last minute, I had to call in several favors. I enjoy the authentic atmosphere of the restaurant because it reminds me of my vacations in Paris.

Outside, Eric is waiting for me. He steps on his cigarette, which he has flicked on the ground.

"Are you ready, boss?" he asks as he holds the door open for me.

I nod and slide into the car, my thoughts still on Aliyah.

Is she a heavy make-up user? Will she wear her hair up or down? What will she be wearing? What am I going to wear now?

My options at the condo are limited because I typically go to the gym, home, and then the office.

"Let's go to the Hills, Eric," I say, "I need to go through my clothes."

"Roger that, boss," Eric says as he makes a sharp right turn.

I watch as the outside world becomes more familiar as we get closer to my house. The buildings are well-spaced, and we're suddenly surrounded by beautiful landscaping.

We pull into my driveway a few minutes later, and he enters the gate code. I feel a wave of relief wash over me. Everything is exactly as I left it, not that I expected anything less.

Eric pulls up to the front door and unlocks it for me. The doors slam open, and Yvette rushes outside, clutching a feather duster.

"I wasn't expecting you to be home today, Mr. Delgado." I haven't cooked anything, but give me an hour and I'll have something ready for you."

As we walk inside, I smile and keep pace with Yvette. "This is just a quick pit stop for a shower and a change of clothes, so no need to cook anything."

She screams at me for a few minutes longer before returning to her work. I enter my bedroom and shut the door. I consider my options as I walk through the bathroom and into the adjoining room I remodeled into a closet.

I take a step back and look at my battle.

I take a step back and look at my closet. Nothing stands out, so I press the button and shuffle my clothes around, looking for my favorite black shirt and deep gray slacks. I prefer darker colors to complement my eyes and hair and avoid wearing clothes that are too flashy. My outfit is simple, but it's preferable to wearing a three-piece suit everywhere.

I quickly shower, dress, and say my goodbyes to Yvette. Eric is right out front with the car, and the back door is open for me.

We ride in silence as I reminisce about my conversation with Joe. With several ex-wives to support, his personal life is the main reason he works so hard. I'm sorry for him, but he made his own bed.

I sigh and turn to look out the window.

I need to stop second-guessing myself. I don't intend to marry this woman tonight, so I simply need to slow down and stop putting the cart before the horse.