Chapter 18
Outside the floor–to–ceiling window, dusk was settling, and it cast a warm glow on Leon’s face.
The softness in the light made him seem worlds apart from the distant man Wendy first met
at the airport.
“I’m Zoey Silvain,” she introduced herself.
Leon stood up and pulled out the chair for her. His slender fingers resting lightly on the backrest as he said, “I didn’t think we’d be meeting again like this.”
Zoey set the contract folder on the table. “It really is quite the coincidence.” As she took her seat, she noticed him sliding the menu toward her.
“Let’s have dinner first. Do you have any food allergies I should know of, Ms. Silvain?” His long fingers brushed over the pictures on the menu. “They make really good seafood gumbo here. Are you allergic to seafood?”
Leon’s attention to detail caught Wendy off guard. Back when she used to dine with Yves, he always ordered what Wendy liked and had never once asked her if she had allergies. He probably didn’t even know she had any.
“I have a mild allergy to seafood, but other than that, I’m fine.” Zoey pushed the thought aside. “Mr. Crawford, about the contract-
“Let’s eat first.” Leon closed the menu and called the waiter over. “Work can wait until after
dinner.”
While they ate, Leon steered the conversation with practiced ease, from recent trends in the industry to the sights in Lormont. He never once touched on the contract.
Zoey took a bite of the tender, slow–cooked beef. She had to admit that it was delicious enough to make her forget she was supposed to be negotiating.
Leon finally opened the folder when the waiter served the final dessert. He started going through it and occasionally jotted down notes with his pen.
By then, night had fallen completely outside.
“Ms. Silvain, your proposal is solid,” Leon said as he pushed the contract back toward her. ” However, I’ll need to run the after–sales clause by my team before moving forward.”
He glanced at his watch, the dial catching the light in a sharp glint. “It’s getting late. How about we pick this up tomorrow?”
Zoey’s fingers tightened around the edge of the contract.
Chapter 18
Leon hadn’t seemed surprised at their reunion, and he certainly was nonchalant even now.
Zoey smiled and rose from her seat. “In that case, I’ll wait for your update, Mr. Crawford.”
When she stepped out of the restaurant, the thick summer heat hit her, making her feel a little
stifled.
Zoey had just unlocked her phone when Jojo’s call came through. “Well? Did he sign the contract?”
“He said he needed more time to think about it.” Zoey noticed the flickering neon lights across the street as Leon’s black car slowly merged into the traffic. “But he is definitely an interesting man.”
“Don’t let him drag things out,” Jojo warned. “Orion Global’s been in talks with a bunch of companies lately. You need to lock this down fast!”
Zoey stared at the draft contract she had yet to send on her phone before opening it and reviewing it. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”
As she looked out into the night, she suddenly recalled how Leon had lingered on a certain page while reviewing the contract–it was the clause she’d deliberately planted.
Zoey still felt confident about the deal. Leon might be a little hard to read, but for some reason, she felt sure he’d sign the deal in the end. It was her gut feeling.
Chapter 19
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Chapter 19
