Tempting my Billionaire

An Unexpected Distraction

★Cassandra★

The week had been a blur of deadlines, meetings, and endless revisions. Every time I thought I was caught up, another task landed on my desk. The campaign was moving faster than expected, and between LuxeLine’s internal meetings and the coordination with Grant & Co., I barely had time to breathe. Still, I couldn’t complain. The pace suited me. I liked the rhythm of my days now. The early mornings, the late nights, the quiet moments in between when I could look out the window of my office and see the city lights stretching toward the horizon. I liked the challenge. The responsibility. The sense that I was finally doing something that mattered. But by Friday afternoon, even I had to admit I needed a break. Eli had been hinting all week that we should grab dinner, and right now, I was glad I had accepted his invitation. I needed time for myself, and I enjoyed his company. And by the time I left LuxeLine, the sun had already begun to set. The air outside was warm, and it was the kind of late summer evening that carried the faint smell of the ocean. The streets near the marina were crowded with people finishing the workweek with couples walking hand in hand, groups of friends laughing as they passed outdoor restaurants, and the soft hum of music coming from open windows. I checked my phone and Eli’s message to make sure I was at the right place. The café Eli had chosen was small, tucked between a bookstore and an art gallery. It had string lights draped above the patio and a view of the water. I found him waiting at a corner table, already waving when he spotted me.

“You are on time,” he said with a big smile as I approached. “I am impressed,”

“I am always on time,” I argued as I slid into the seat across from him. Eli laughed.

“No, you are always professional. There is a difference,” he pointed out. A server stopped by to pour us each a glass of wine before she hurried off to serve another table.

“Fair enough,” I said. “But tonight, I am officially off duty,”

“Then let us toast to that,” he said as he lifted his glass. “To not working,” I smiled as I clinked my glass against his.

“To not working,” I echoed. The first sip of wine felt like permission to finally exhale. I had forgotten how nice it was to sit somewhere that was not my office, surrounded by conversation instead of screens and notes. Eli was easy company. He always had been. There was something light about him, something that put people at ease. He could make small talk sound meaningful and deep conversations feel effortless.

“So,” he said, leaning forward, his eyes filled with curiosity. “Tell me the truth. How is the big campaign going?” I smiled despite myself.

“Ah…you don’t want to know,” I teased, but he quickly shook his head.

“Oh, I do,” he said. “You have had that ‘I might strangle someone’ look all week,”

“It is intense,” I admitted. “But it is going well. We are ahead of schedule,”

“That is good news,”

“It is,” I said. “Nathan is…good at what he does,” Eli smirked.

“Ah. Nathan,” I rolled my eyes.

“Nope. Don’t start,”

“Start what?” he asked, feigning innocence.

“You know exactly what,” I said, but he laughed.

“I am just saying, your tone changes every time you talk about him. It is not a bad thing,”

“It is not a thing at all,” I said, before I took another sip of my wine. “He is my business partner on this project. That is all,” Eli raised an eyebrow.

“If you say so,” he said. The server returned to take our order. I ordered a seafood risotto while Eli ordered a steak. The conversation shifted to a lighter topic. We talked about the latest drama on the TV show we both watched. We talked about the art show that was hosting a show next week. And we even talked about our desires to travel. We enjoyed ourselves. The food was delicious and the wine flowed. But as the night went on and we contemplated on whether or not we wanted dessert, I knew Eli was growing nervous.

“What is it?” I eventually asked. “I can tell that there is something on your mind,” Eli blushed and I frowned as I waited patiently.

“We are friends, right?” he asked, and I slowly nodded. “And…this…are we calling this a date or…just two overworked people having a go at being social?”

“I wouldn’t call this a date,” I admitted softly. While I had picked up on Eli’s friendly nature and playful banter, I hadn’t picked up on any of that. Did he think this was a date? Panic crept in, but then he laughed.

“Good,” he said, and I was taken aback.

“Good?”

“Yeah…um…because I don’t date women,” he stated. I stared at him for a moment, and then I nodded.

“I understand,” I said. “Ok…yeah,”

“Yeah? I know it surprises people sometimes,” he said, and I watched him for a moment. I could see that. But now that he had said it, it made perfect sense. “And I was hoping we could be friends,”

“I would like that,” I told him honestly.

“And you are…cool with it?”

“Am I cool with…what? You not dating women? Yeah, I mean…it doesn’t change anything, Eli,” I said softly. “I enjoy your company and I already consider you a friend,” he relaxed even more, and then he raised his hand to call over the server.

“In that case, let’s celebrate our friendship with dessert,” he said, and I laughed. I had no issues with that. I was thankful that I had come out tonight. I was thankful that Eli had told me. Not because he had to, but because he wanted us to be friends. I appreciated that, but it was nice to know that I did have a friend. “Now, let’s talk about Nathan,” Eli said after we ordered two slices of peach pie with vanilla ice cream.

“No,” I shook my head.

“Aw, come on, Cassandra. You are clearly hung up on him,”

“Business partner,”

“I call bullshit,” he said as he leaned back in his seat. “There is more to the story, I just know it,” I shook my head. I wasn’t going to go down memory lane. At least, not right now.

“And maybe one day I will tell you all about it, but not now. It's been a long week,” I said. Eli stared at me, and then he nodded.

“Fair enough,” he said. Our dessert was served, and thankfully, the conversation shifted back to lighter topics. And by the time I got home, I felt relaxed and ready to enjoy my weekend.

★★★