Surprise Me Tomorrow

13. The Dinner with the Müllers

I've been to a few luxurious restaurants with Ashton, but never to Marché & Thicke. Besides the distance, dressing up for food has never been my favorite thing. Ashton asked me out to have dinner at fancy restaurants in the early months of our relationship, because it was probably what he used to do with his former dates. But as soon as he learned that I was more of a food-truck girl, we ditched the fancy dinners.

Marché & Thicke is located on the outskirts of town, by the river that splits the city into two sides. Once I enter the building, the gigantic golden hanging lamp is the first thing that catches my attention. The see-through bowl is adorned with curvy sticks that look like deer antlers. It's a weird choice, but it fits perfectly with the rest of the restaurant's interior.

Once I give my name to the host, a middle-aged man in a brown vest escorts me to my designated table in the far corner of the room. I can't help admiring the wooden walls that are crafted in floral shapes, reflecting the artwork on the white ceiling. Despite its big name, the restaurant only has twenty tables, maybe twenty-five tops, and they are all occupied.

Leo is already sitting at our table. A smile breaks across his face when he sees me.

"Have you been here long?" I ask.

"No. Just got in." His gaze moves down to my dress. "You look stunning."

"Thank you," I reply, swiftly checking out his cream suit. This man knows how to dress up indeed. "You don't look bad yourself."

"Ha. Thanks." He glances at his wristwatch. "They should be here soon."

"They? I thought it was a she."

"They're a couple," Leo replies. "Just to give you a heads-up. They are not a young couple, Amelia is pushing fifty, and Denish is almost sixty, but they are quite open-minded people."

"Okay?" I tilt my head, still with a smile on my face. "Why did you need to stress the open-minded part?"

"You will see." He grins. No, he smirks. "And oh, there is a slight change of plan–" he pauses, eyes fixed on the entrance door. "They're here."

I turn my head to follow his line of sight. The same man who escorted me a few minutes ago walks in our direction, followed by a couple, the woman's hand wrapping the man's arm. They are shorter than the host, but the way they carry themselves screams power. The woman's blonde hair glows against her red dress, contrasting the grey hair of the man next to her, but the closer they are, the more I notice that they're in the same age range.

"Mr. and Mrs. Müller, sir," announces the host.

Leo and I stand up to greet our guests. My boss introduces me as his colleague instead of his subordinate, which I believe makes the conversation feel more equal. They even thought I was Leo's date at first. From their brief catch-up, I learn that Amelia Müller knows Leo's mother, and they act like a long-lost family instead of mere acquaintances.

"Charlie used to work for Remington. She joined ErosBross just last month, on exactly the same day I did," Leo says after they spent ten minutes talking about people I don't know.

"Is that so?" Amelia raises her eyebrow. "You were with Remington, or with the Knight corporation?"

"First with the Knight, then the headquarters," I reply.

"Ah. I'm sure the Knight will make a partner for Remington very soon. I knew his late father, Abraham. Such a ruthless man he was. I heard the youngest one followed his father's lead."

I glance at Leo who is busy staring at the menu. "That sounds about right," I reply.

"Pray tell, why did you move to the headquarters? Did you get yourself in trouble with the Knight boy? I won't be surprised anyway. He's not an easy man, so I heard."