Chapter 7 - Across the Table
The private mezzanine overlooked the main dining room through a curved pane of bulletproof obsidian glass.
Nick stood by the window, holding a glass of bourbon, watching the city lights glitter along the river. He had changed into a dark charcoal suit that fit his broad shoulders with lethal precision.
When Mia walked up the velvet-carpeted stairs, Nick turned around. His eyes swept over her—taking in the emerald-green silk dress she had bought three years ago for an anniversary dinner David had canceled for a golf trip.
"You came," Nick noted, a faint, appreciative smile touching the corner of his mouth.
"I'm clinically insane, that's why," Mia said, slipping into the leather chair opposite him, crossing her hands tightly in her lap. "People in my position don't consort with men like you. You have enemies. You have a reputation. One rumor in the hospital gossip mill and my medical license is gone."
Nick walked over, pulled out his own chair, and sat down, leaning his forearms on the table. He didn't blink.
"Your medical license is safe with me, Mia," Nick said softly. "Just like you are. Let's get one thing straight: I didn't invite you here to compromise your career. I invited you here because I saw a woman who is drowning in her own perfectionism, and I wanted to see what happens when she finally stops holding her breath."
"You don't know anything about me," Mia snapped, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
"I know you wash your hands until the skin breaks," Nick said calmly, taking a sip of his drink. "I know you spend two hours every night organizing your apartment because you're terrified that if a single thing is out of place, your entire world will collapse. And I know your husband is a fool for walking away from a woman who cares that deeply about keeping things together."
Mia went completely still. The breath caught in her throat.
"How... how could you possibly know that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
May you like
"Observation," Nick said simply. "It's my job to see what others miss. Now... are we going to sit here and pretend you're a normal cardiac surgeon on a blind date, or are we going to talk about why you're really here?"
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