THE CEO'S SECRET TWINS

chapter 3

Chapter Three: The Invitation

They talked for two hours.

Maya learned that Adrian was in the city for a conference, that he hated the word "networking," and that he had a dry, cutting sense of humor that made her laugh out loud three times — which was three more times than she'd laughed all month.

He learned that she was a painter who never painted anymore, that she had a complicated relationship with her mother, and that she was terrified of being ordinary.

"So you're an artist who works in marketing," he said.

"And a realist."

"Artists are never realists."

"They are when they have rent to pay."

He studied her. "What would you paint? If you could paint anything right now?"

She thought about it. "The ocean at night. I've never seen it, but I imagine it's... honest. It doesn't pretend to be anything else."

Adrian was silent for a long moment.

"You're the most interesting person I've met in years," he said.

"That's a low bar. You're at a conference."

He smiled — a real, unguarded smile that transformed his face.

"Come with me," he said.

"Where?"

"My hotel's two floors down. There's a balcony with a view of the whole city. And I have a bottle of wine that's been sitting in my room for three days because I've been too busy to open it."

Maya hesitated. Every sensible voice in her head told her to say no.

But she was tired of being sensible. She was tired of being safe. She was tired of watching her life from the outside.

"One glass," she said.

"One glass," he agreed.

They left the bar together, and nobody noticed.