Page 13 of A Christmas Negotiation

Isabel signaled the hostess with a nod and they were led into the restaurant, just as beautiful as she’d remembered it, with its signature emerald-green circular booths for two, soft lighting and glamorous clientele. Jeremy waited for Isabel to sit before he slid into the other side of the booth. It was a sexy and intimate setting, perfect if there had been the possibility of any romance between them at all. But the article she’d read a few hours ago had put that idea to rest. Instead, she hoped to lean on the privacy of their table to start cutting their deal. They each ordered a drink from their server—a gin and tonic for Isabel and a Manhattan for Jeremy.

“I haven’t been here in years,” Jeremy said, flipping through the menu. Isabel already knew what she was going to order: her favorite pasta. “It’s pretty much a date-night spot.”

Isabel hadn’t considered the possibility that Jeremy might have memories of this place with his ex-wife. Or other women. Her mind then made the next leap—did he think she was trying to make a romantic overture? She deeply hoped that was not the case. She didn’t want to embarrass herself. “I love the food, though. It’s exceptional.”

“Indeed.”

Their drinks were quickly delivered and they placed their dinner orders. “I suppose a toast is in order,” Jeremy said once the server had left. “To making a deal.”

Isabel was happy to hear that Jeremy didn’t have romance on the brain. It might make it easier for her to set aside the thoughts that kept creeping into her consciousness—sharing a drink brought back too many memories of their blazing-hot first kiss. “Yes.” She took a sip and placed her glass back on the table. “So, the authentication of the promissory note. Do you have an expert we can call on? I’d like to speak to them, of course, and have a detailed outline of their process, their experience in the field, and have them sign an agreement of impartiality.”

“I have one person we work with, but I can assure you that they’ll do a great job and they’ll get it done quickly.”

“We wouldn’t want to mess with Mr. Summers and his thirty-day timeline.”

“We’re already nearly a week in. The clock started the day we sent the first letter. And you can’t blame the guy. The loan is long overdue.”

“And my clients had no idea the loan ever existed. You can’t pay off what you don’t know about.”

“They don’t seem eager to repay it now.”

Isabel stirred her drink. “It’s not a simple matter to pull that kind of cash together at one time. Especially not with so little time.”

Jeremy shrugged it off. “I don’t want to sound like a jerk, but it’s not my problem.”

Isabel did not like the way this was going. She saw too little room for negotiation. This case might be even tougher than she’d thought. “I would never say you sound like a jerk. But you do sound like the lawyer of a jerk.”

Despite being referred to as the lawyer of a jerk, being out with Isabel was far more enjoyable than the many work-related obligations Jeremy endured on any given week. “If that’s what I am, at least it pays the bills.”

“Good to know you have your priorities,” she said, then took a long sip of her drink.

Jeremy had to hide his amusement as the waiter delivered their meals. Isabel was a far cry from the usual blowhard attorney. He genuinely enjoyed her company. She was more than simply beautiful and smart. The world seemed different around her, the air charged with mystery and excitement. Jeremy had learned a lot about her after she’d left his office that afternoon. While working in Washington, DC, she’d gathered a passel of high-powered clients—senators, billionaires and cabinet officials. Not a single controversy or scandal seemed to stick to any of them, even when lawsuits were filed and whistles were blown. Accusations and rumors all vanished into thin air, and Jeremy was smart enough to know that didn’t happen on its own. Did Isabel’s beautiful exterior and graceful facade make it easier for her to sweep things under the rug or keep secrets? If so, it made her even more dangerous than he’d thought that morning. “So, I have to ask, why didn’t you call me as soon as you realized that I was the opposing counsel? That part of this whole thing seems especially sneaky.”

Isabel dabbed at the corners of her stunning mouth with a napkin. He had an improper desire to kiss her until her lipstick was gone. Despite being on opposite sides of the negotiating table, that sexual energy between them wasn’t going anywhere. “Honestly?”

“Please. I don’t do well with anything less.” Jeremy found himself cutting his steak a little more aggressively than was warranted. Even the manipulation of words bothered him, which made being a lawyer difficult. So much of the job was about the careful parsing of language.

“It was my brother Sam’s idea. He thought it would give us an advantage if you didn’t know who exactly you would be facing. I apologize if you felt ambushed, but it was just a tactic.”

That morning in his office had likely only been Jeremy’s first taste of the sorts of things to which Isabel might resort. “It made me look like an ass in front of my client. I certainly don’t appreciate that.”

Isabel nodded. “Fair enough. I guess it wasn’t the kindest thing to do. Sam is just very protective of his fiancée, Mindy, and the entire Eden family for that matter. And since it’s just Sam and me in our family, I guess that I’m part of that scenario, too.”

Jeremy understood family loyalty, but only to a point. If his grandfather were still alive, he’d still have undying devotion to the Sharp name. But his parents certainly didn’t inspire that sort of allegiance. They’d treated him horribly in the aftermath of his divorce, more preoccupied by the public embarrassment than the fact that their son had experienced a great personal betrayal. “Do you actually like working for the Eden family?”

Isabel shot him a quizzical look. “That’s a loaded question.”

“Why?”

“The tone of your voice for starters. You sound as though the Eden family disgusts you.”

Jeremy was letting his personal bias get in the way, but he couldn’t help it. The Eden family and his ex’s family seemed to be very much the same—wealthy beyond measure, treating the world as their personal playground. “It’s just the entitlement. It drives me crazy. The Eden sisters have been handed a vast fortune and now they’re quibbling over this debt. I assure you that Mr. Summers would not dredge up this matter if he didn’t desperately want it resolved. It’s a very personal thing for him. The affair between Victoria Eden and his father destroyed his family. I don’t think we can discount the personal component of the case.”

Isabel set her fork down on her plate. “And surely you know it takes two people to tango. Mr. Summers seems to want to assign all blame to Victoria Eden. He wants to paint her as a home-wrecker, when the reality is that his own father was complicit as well if the affair happened as he says it did. For all we know, his father could have instigated the whole thing.”

Jeremy felt his pulse pick up. His heart hammered. He did love it when Isabel delivered a smart jab, even if he was on the receiving end of it.

“Ifthe affair actually happened,” she continued. “We don’t know that for sure.”