Brazen Bossman: A Hero Club Novel

to what she said.
Maybe I do need to get out.
A good meal couldn’t hurt.
Neither could some company who is very pleasant to look at, even if her conversation is subpar.
In fact… I know just the person… and the place.

Chapter 4
Piper
Dear Ida,
I’m going on a date with someone tonight.
I feel like I should be more excited than I am, but all I can think about is him.
The ever-looming, way too attractive for his own good HIM.
How can I put him aside and get him out of my head?
P.
***
True to his gentlemanly ways, Ryan is waiting for me outside of NoMad when I arrive. He’s dressed in an ill-fitted suit that could use a bit of a tailor, but nevertheless he looks nice.
I’d even go as far as to say that he’s even pretty cute.
“Piper?” he asks, as I approach and a smile spreads over his face.
“That’s me.”
“Wow. You look lovely.”
I opted for a cocktail dress tonight. The top is a deep plum that sits off my shoulders, exposing my entire décolletage and the pink oleander, watercolor tattoo that decorates my left shoulder blade. The skirt portion is black, with layers of tulle underneath to give it some volume, and suede, plum pumps to tie it all together. My hair is down, curled softly and pulled completely over my right shoulder. I feel classy. Hell, I must feel classy to be comfortable eating somewhere as bougee as this.
“Thank you. You haven’t been waiting long have you? I ran a little behind.”
“No. I haven’t been here long, but our table should be ready, so let’s head in.”
He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me into the restaurant.
NoMad is broken up into multiple different types of rooms, with different feelings and purposes, but the room we are taken to is very dark and very intimate.
The walls are deep and blood red in color to match the upholstered chairs. Black sconces decorate them, providing minimal, warm lighting to the area, and the dark wooden tables wrap everything together in a neat package.
This place is so far out of my comfort zone.
The young man who walked us to our table pulls my chair out for me, and scoots it in once I’m seated.
“Thank you,” I say up to him.
“My pleasure, ma’am. Can I start you with any wine or a cocktail this evening? I can get that before your server comes by your table.”
“A bottle of pinot noir. How does that sound, Piper?”
I’m not a wine drinker… at all. Which is ironic, considering my Italian heritage, but I’m a liquor girl, yet I don’t have it in me to tell him. I know instantly that I’m too much of a woman for him. Maybe that’s shitty of me to assume, but I’m usually a good read of people.
“Anything you’d like is fine.” I open the menu and take a look.
“Pinot it is,” he tells the host.
“Right away.”
He runs off, leaving us to ourselves.
“So… what is good here? I’ve never been before.” I peek at him over my menu, and he is staring intently at his. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I am.” He smiles a bit. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little nervous.”
Poor guy. “I don’t bite. There’s no reason to be nervous. We’re just getting to know each other, right? Having a meal?”
“You’re just really pretty. Way prettier than the picture my mom sent me of you.”
I crinkle my nose. “Thanks… I think.”
“Wait. No. I’m sorry. That was stupid. That’s not what I meant.” He adjusts his glasses a bit. “I just meant… Jesus. Oh thank God, the wine is here.”
“A little liquid courage never hurt anyone.”
A few moments later, our wine is poured, our food is ordered, and we are left alone again.
I take a small sip from my glass and fight the physical urge to make a face. It’s so bitter and so dry; I honestly hate it.
“Mmm,” Ryan says under his breath. “That’s delicious. We may need another bottle of this.”
No. Please no.
“Mmm hmm.”
“So, tell me what you do. My mom told me briefly, but I’d like to hear it from you.”
He has mentioned his mom more than once since we’ve been here. I feel like that’s a red flag in a Cosmo magazine somewhere.
“I am an administrative assistant at Lennox Publishing. Basically, I just do any and everything the CEO needs, and that ranges from basic secretary work, to prepping documents, etc. It’s not revolutionary work, but I do enjoy it for the most part.” I take another small sip of the wine, once again trying so hard not to make a face.
“So you’re like… a receptionist?”
You know that slow blinking white man GIF? That’s me. Right now.
“No, I’m not a receptionist.”
“Christ. I’m sorry, Piper, I didn’t mean that to be as offensive as it sounded. I’m just trying to make conversation.” He takes a large chug of his wine.
Don’t take his head off, Pipes. He’s clearly nervous and that means you’re an intimidating badass bitch. Score!
I give him a small smile. “It’s fine. No worries at all. It’s easy to confuse the two.” I scrub my hands down my skirt, smoothing out the fabric. “So, what do you do?”
He opens his mouth to speak, but stops abruptly when our server appears by our table.
“I have a Macallan on the rocks for the lady,” he says, as he places it down on the table in front of me.
I absolutely did not order a fifty-dollar glass of alcohol, even though whiskey is my favorite thing on the planet.
“We didn’t order this,” Ryan adds in.
“No, you didn’t. This is courtesy of a gentleman across the room. He asked that we bring it to the lady and send him the bill, as well as your entire table bill.”
“What?” I look around, trying to focus in on the tables across the darkened room.
It doesn’t take long before an electric current courses up my back when my eyes connect with another pair directly across from us.
Nathanial Lennox