The Marrying Kind

“For what reason?”

“I told you. I needed to apologize to you.”

“I appreciate that, but you’ve already done so.”

“So you’re throwing me out?”

“Mr. Davis, I’m pointing out—rightly, I think—that I’m at work. It is not a social situation. If you have something about my job that you need to discuss, so be it. But if not, then yes, I’m throwing you out.”

“All right, I’ll go, on one condition.”

“And what is that?”

“Have dinner with me tonight so I can show you I’m a changed man.”

“So you think forcing me to have dinner with you will show me you’re no longer arrogant? Isn’t that being arrogant again?”

He nodded, conceding the point. “Well, you’ve definitely proved one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re much brighter than most women I’ve met.”

She glared at him, saying nothing.

“You don’t consider that a compliment?” he asked.

“No, I don’t. Your scorn for my gender is disgusting.”

“My scorn? I was simply being honest.”

She opened the door further. “I have nothing more to say to you, Mr. Davis.”

“So you are throwing me out?”

“Yes, I am.” She spoke clearly and precisely, leaving no doubt.

“So it’s arrogant to give you credit for your brains?”

“No, it’s arrogant for you to think you can determine a woman’s brilliance. How do you rate men?”

He frowned. “Most of the men I work with are fairly intelligent.”

“But the women are not?”

“I don’t usually deal with women in my business. I mean, I’m a developer and builder. It almost always involves men.”

“Well, Mr. Davis, in case you don’t know it, there are a lot of intelligent women out there.”

“I’ve met some of them, but they aren’t using their brains to get to me. They use their bodies, and I don’t think they’re smart.”

“I agree. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”

“No dinner?”

“No dinner.”

He sighed. “Okay. Maybe another day.”

She kept her expression impassive and merely stood there, waiting for him to leave.

Without another word John returned to Mark’s office.

“Did you see her?” his banker asked, worry creasing his brow.

“Yeah, I saw her. How about you set up a dinner so I can talk to her?”

“Why didn’t you ask her to dinner, if that’s what you want?”

“I did. But she refused. She’ll only consider going out if it’s for business reasons.”

“In other words, you’re asking me to trick her? No way, John. Diane wouldn’t like that.”

“No, not lie to her. I’m prepared to invest a million dollars through her.”

“You are? Why?”

“I’m getting very tired of that question. I want to be sure I won’t ever go broke. So I’m going to make a sizable investment.”

“That’s a good idea, John. I’m sure Diane will be happy about it, too.”

“Can you just tell her a client wants to invest a million without giving her my name? And have her meet you at a restaurant?”

“I suppose so.” Mark stopped short and his eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to back out on the investment, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Okay. What night is good for you?”

“What’s wrong with tonight?”

“I don’t know if my wife can find a sitter that soon.”

“Call her and see,” John suggested.

After a brief phone conversation, during which Mark’s wife promised to try to line up a sitter and let him know if she was successful, John agreed to call Mark in an hour.

Then he left the bank, wondering what had come over him. The idea of investing had been in his mind before, but it hadn’t occurred to him lately, until he’d met Diane Black.