THE WOMAN WHO SAID NO
1911 Words
Adrian lasted eleven minutes.
He knew because Marcus timed him.
“Eleven minutes,” Marcus said, checking his watch.
Adrian frowned.
“What?”
“That’s how long you managed to pretend you weren’t interested.”
“I’m not interested.”
“Of course.”
Marcus took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.
“That’s why you’re walking toward her.”
Adrian stopped.
“I was going to the bar.”
“The bar is behind you.”
Adrian glanced over his shoulder.
Marcus grinned.
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
Adrian straightened his jacket.
“I’m introducing myself.”
“Please do.”
“Professionally.”
“Even better.”
Adrian walked away before Marcus could say anything else.
Amelia was now standing alone near one of the tall windows overlooking London.
She held a glass of champagne but seemed more interested in the view.
Adrian approached.
“Amelia Grant?”
She turned.
Her eyes settled on him.
Up close, she was even more striking.
Not because she was trying to be.
There was something effortless about her.
“Yes?”
“Adrian Cole.”
“I know.”
That surprised him.
“You do?”
She smiled faintly.
“Your company is one of tonight’s sponsors.”
Of course.
For some reason, Adrian had hoped for a different answer.
“I thought perhaps my reputation had arrived first.”
Amelia’s smile disappeared.
“It did.”
Adrian paused.
Interesting.
“And yet you’re still speaking to me.”
“You approached me.”
“Fair point.”
She took a sip of champagne.
Adrian waited for something else.
Nothing came.
Usually, conversation was easy.
Women helped him.
They asked questions.
Smiled.
Created openings.
Amelia simply looked at him.
“So,” Adrian said, “Marcus tells me you’re a brand strategist.”
“He talks about me?”
“He knew your name.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
Adrian smiled.
“You’re difficult.”
“You’ve known me forty seconds.”
“Forty-five.”
“Already counting?”
“I like data.”
That earned him a small laugh.
Progress.
“What kind of clients do you work with?” he asked.
“Mostly technology, finance and luxury brands.”
“Technology?”
“Yes.”
“We should talk.”
“We are talking.”
“Professionally.”
Amelia raised an eyebrow.
“Is this professional?”
Adrian smiled.
“It could become professional.”
“That’s a very flexible sentence.”
“I believe in keeping options open.”
“I’ve heard.”
There it was again.
His reputation.
Adrian leaned against the window frame.
“What exactly have you heard?”
Amelia considered him.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“That you’re brilliant.”
He smiled.
“I like this already.”
“Ambitious.”
“Continue.”
“Successful.”
“Excellent.”
“Arrogant.”
His smile weakened.
“Debatable.”
“And incapable of spending enough time with one woman to remember her birthday.”
Adrian laughed.
“That’s completely unfair.”
“Which part?”
“I remember birthdays.”
Amelia laughed.
This time properly.
Adrian felt an unexpected flicker of satisfaction.
“People exaggerate,” he said.
“Do they?”
“Constantly.”
“So The Stud Man isn’t real?”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Does everyone in London know that name?”
“Apparently.”
“I need new friends.”
“Would that change the reputation?”
“No.”
“At least you’re honest.”
“I try to be.”
Amelia studied him.
Something about her gaze made Adrian uncomfortable.
It wasn’t admiration.
It was assessment.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“That wasn’t nothing.”
“You’re different from what I expected.”
Adrian smiled.
“Better?”
“I haven’t decided.”
He laughed.
“You really don’t make anything easy.”
“I’m having a conversation.”
“With another man, maybe.”
Her eyebrows rose.
“Does everyone usually make things easy for you?”
Adrian realised his mistake.
“That sounded arrogant.”
“Very.”
“Can I start again?”
“No.”
He laughed.
Amelia smiled.
And there it was.
Chemistry.
Small.
Unexpected.
But unmistakable.
Adrian moved slightly closer.
“So what were you expecting?”
“From you?”
“Yes.”
“More performance.”
He frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“The reputation. The suit. The confidence.”
She gestured toward him.
“The smile you probably practise.”
Adrian looked offended.
“I don’t practise my smile.”
“You should ask for a refund, then.”
He stared at her.
Amelia tried not to laugh.
Failed.
Adrian laughed too.
Nobody spoke to him like this.
Not anymore.
He liked it.
Far too much.
“Dinner,” he said.
Her laughter stopped.
“What?”
“Have dinner with me.”
“No.”
The answer came so quickly Adrian wondered if he’d heard correctly.
“No?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
He stared at her.
“That usually requires more explanation.”
“Why?”
“Because people generally give reasons.”
“I just did.”
Adrian smiled slowly.
“You don’t like me?”
“I don’t know you.”
“Then dinner would solve that.”
“Possibly.”
“But?”
“I know enough.”
His smile faded slightly.
“The reputation.”
“Partly.”
“You believe everything you hear?”
“No.”
“Then give me a chance to prove it wrong.”
Amelia tilted her head.
“Are you saying it’s wrong?”
Adrian paused.
She caught him.
“Exactly.”
“I don’t lie to women.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
“I don’t cheat.”
“Good.”
“I don’t promise relationships.”
“Also good.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“There isn’t one.”
“Then dinner.”
“No.”
Adrian laughed in disbelief.
Amelia smiled.
“You really aren’t used to that word, are you?”
“Of course I am.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
He took a sip of his drink.
“I’m processing.”
“Take your time.”
“Are you seeing someone?”
“No.”
“Not attracted to men?”
“I am.”
“Not attracted to me?”
Amelia stared at him.
Adrian immediately regretted the question.
“That was incredibly arrogant.”
“Yes.”
“I’m having a terrible evening.”
“I’m enjoying it.”
He laughed.
Then Amelia surprised him.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t attracted to you.”
Adrian’s eyes returned to hers.
There.
Finally.
“But attraction isn’t enough for me.”
The satisfaction disappeared.
“What is?”
“Trust.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“I don’t know you.”
“Exactly.”
“And what I do know suggests you prefer women when you don’t have to know them very well either.”
Adrian became still.
The words struck closer than she could possibly know.
Amelia noticed.
“Was that unfair?”
“No.”
He could have lied.
Instead, he said, “Probably accurate.”
For the first time, something changed in her expression.
Not attraction.
Respect, perhaps.
Adrian looked toward the ballroom.
“So I’m condemned by my past?”
“No.”
“Sounds like it.”
“You seem to think I’m judging you.”
“Aren’t you?”
“No. You’re single. The women you date are adults. If everyone understands the arrangement, live however you want.”
“Very generous.”
“But I’m allowed to decide I don’t want to participate.”
Adrian looked back at her.
There was no anger in her voice.
No attempt to change him.
That was what unsettled him.
Amelia wasn’t rejecting him to manipulate him.
She genuinely meant it.
“I could surprise you.”
“I’m sure you surprise lots of women.”
Adrian smiled.
“That sounded jealous.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Disappointed?”
“Definitely not.”
“Interested?”
Amelia laughed.
“You don’t give up.”
“Rarely.”
“That must be exhausting.”
“Occasionally.”
Someone called Amelia’s name from across the room.
She glanced over.
“I have to go.”
“Already?”
“I’ve been standing here with you for nearly fifteen minutes.”
“Fourteen.”
She stared at him.
“You really were counting?”
“No.”
She laughed.
Adrian reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“Give me your number.”
“No.”
“Professional purposes.”
“You have a website.”
“That’s cold.”
“Efficient.”
“LinkedIn?”
“Acceptable.”
“Dinner?”
“No.”
Adrian shook his head.
“Worth trying.”
Amelia started walking away.
Then stopped.
She turned back.
“For what it’s worth, Adrian…”
“Yes?”
“You’re more interesting than your reputation.”
He smiled.
“That’s almost a compliment.”
“Don’t ruin it.”
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
Adrian stood there longer than necessary.
Marcus appeared beside him.
“Well?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
Marcus looked toward Amelia.
“She rejected you.”
Adrian took a drink.
“We had a good conversation.”
“She rejected you.”
“Why are you enjoying this?”
“Because I haven’t seen a woman tell you no in years.”
“She didn’t exactly reject me.”
“Did she agree to dinner?”
“No.”
“Number?”
“No.”
“Drink?”
“We already had drinks.”
“Did you buy hers?”
“No.”
Marcus grinned.
“Comprehensive defeat.”
Adrian laughed.
“Go away.”
Marcus walked off, still laughing.
Adrian looked for Amelia again.
She was speaking to someone near the entrance.
Then she left.
He should have forgotten about her.
There were other women in the room.
Women who smiled when he looked at them.
Women who already knew his reputation and didn’t care.
One of them approached him less than ten minutes later.
Adrian smiled.
Talked.
Flirted automatically.
But his attention kept drifting toward the entrance.
Toward a woman who was no longer there.
Later that night, he returned home alone.
He loosened his tie and opened his laptop.
There was work to do.
Instead, he opened LinkedIn.
Typed:
Amelia Grant.
Her profile appeared.
Adrian stared at it.
Then laughed at himself.
“This is ridiculous.”
He closed the laptop.
Thirty seconds later, he opened it again.
He sent a connection request.
Nothing else.
No message.
No invitation.
Just a request.
His phone vibrated fifteen minutes later.
Amelia Grant accepted your connection.
Adrian smiled.
Then another notification appeared.
A message.
From Amelia.
Professional purposes only, Mr Cole.
Adrian laughed aloud.
He typed:
Of course, Ms Grant. I am the definition of professionalism.
Three dots appeared.
Then:
Your reputation strongly disagrees.
Adrian leaned back.
For the first time in years, he wasn’t thinking about getting a woman into his bed.
He was thinking about how to keep one talking.
And somehow, that felt far more dangerous.
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