Dear Mr Montgomery✔️

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR : GAME ON LINCOLN

CAROLINA'S POV

I hurried my footsteps as I headed for the restaurant in the luxury hotel. I had a meeting, one that I couldn't miss. Not that I've ever missed any meetings before. 
  A lady dressed in a dark blue blazer over a black gown, with her hair tied into a need bun at the nape of her head stood at the entrance of the restaurant. She looked up from the register that stood on the brown podium in front of her and looked at me with a huge smile on her face.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to Centurion restaurant. How can I help you ?" She said with a smile on her face and a well polite voice but it felt like she had recited this line a thousand times a week.

"Good afternoon. I have a reservation. Miss Carolina Rodriquez."

She looked at the book that was placed open on the podium and gave it a thorough scan.

"Yes Miss Rodriquez. You already have someone waiting for you at your table."
Carolina wanted to groan. She had wanted to be the first one to arrive. It seemed this man was a punctual person.

"Please if you'll go in to your table." She gestured for me to go inside.
I muttered a small thank you before heading into the restaurant. I could see  my dinner date tonight sitting at our table. This was a business dinner and coming early was a power play, this meeting was already going to be stressful. I was banking on arriving before him but it seems that I had clearly underestimated him.

Less than one hour later I was left at the table alone with the business dinner already over. And I was right, it had gone wrong from the minute I walked up to him. Coming to a business dinner first before the other party was a power play. It shows you are more dedicated and work conscious and you look at the one arriving later with a look that says.
If-you-are-this-late-i-wonder-about-your-work-ethic.

I leaned back against my chair and downed the rest of the liquid in my wine cup and gestured to the waiter for a refill. I would need a lot of it tonight. I couldn't close a business deal then I might as well drown my sorrows in red wine.
  I took my time drinking my newly refilled wine, deciding in my head if I should order a chocolate cake despite the calories. Or maybe a cheese cake would do? I can't decide which treat I'll choose to bring me momentary joy.

"It's really you." A smooth voice interrupted my important thoughts about my carb preference.
I looked up to see the smiling face of a particular person I wasn't really willing to see after a catastrophic dinner. He smiled charmingly at me, the smile that would make anyone, male or female weak in the knees and make a straight man rethink his sexual preference or rather make a gay woman straight.
 
"Mr Lincoln." I had attempted to be polite but the snarl that came out of my lips told otherwise. The wine was taking effect. Good. Very good. I don't want to talk to what's his face sober.

"My evening just got a whole lot lovelier." He was still flashing his perfect smile as he took the chair opposite me that was formerly occupied by my dinner date.

"And now you are sitting." I muttered, he didn't make a comment if he had heard me. He just took his seat and made himself comfortable.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, I'm done pretending to be polite to smiling face here.

"What do you mean what I'm I doing here. I came to eat dinner and besides I own this place."

I saw this coming. This was what he had always said. How many places does this smiling face own exactly.

"Mr Lincoln for the past two weeks, I've met you more than five times." I thought for a few seconds. "Seven times to be exact and in all this time we keep meeting and you keep owing the places we meet. Coincidences happen Mr Lincoln but even I don't believe in this coincidence." I narrowed my eyes at him but he just leaned back like he owned the place which technically he did.