Chapter 284: Wingman

Dinner was lively with James and Jay at the table. The pair rambled nonstop, leaving Mina and Emma's eyes ping ponging back and forth between the two heads of the table. Mina imagined that she was watching a tennis match of dialogue and she could almost visualize the sentences. Their conversation was so distracting that Mina had barely touched her food.

"You are a very good cook," Emma whispered across the table. Her comment reminded the blabbering duo that they were seated for a meal.

"Mina's cooking is my favorite," James added. He was not just trying to make conversation, he honestly enjoyed Mina's creations. Emma stole a questioning glance toward James and cast her eyes back onto her plate.

Before long, James and Jay continued their tirade of nonsense. They were not flirting, but their conversation was one that could be misconstrued as such. If Mina had not been aware that Jay was pursuing Director Porter, or that James was a naturally talkative person, she also would have thought the pair were feeling each other out.

However, it was James' gentle treatment of Emma that caught Mina's attention. Anytime he saw an opportunity, he would address Emma directly. If the woman answered with words he followed up on his question, but if she only made a gesture he smiled and turned the question around to Mina. The small interaction was noticed by both Jay and Mina, who locked eyes in understanding anytime it occurred.

When the table descended into a food induced silence, Emma shocked everyone with a sentence that was not forced.

"Miss Mina, these flowers are beautiful," Emma said.

"Do you like flowers?" James asked and Mina could not help but to laugh audibly. Jay was also stifling her amusement. Only James and Emma were confused.

"Sorry," Mina said. "It's just that Jay and I have a backstory to those flowers," Mina lied.

"That reminds me. Where did you get them?" James asked.

"They were sent to her," Jay responded on Mina's behalf.

"By whom?" James asked a tad aggressively, and Mina shot him a look to remind him that they were not alone. "Sorry, I just- Mina you didn't tell me that someone sent you flowers. It's part of my job to note those kinds of things."

"Where did you think they came from?" Jay asked mockingly.

"Maybe a left-over prop from the set?" He offered, and once again everyone was shocked by Emma.

"Those roses mean 'thank you,' they wouldn't be used to decorate a film set," Emma said. Jay just stared at her.

"If dad could see you right now, he would faint." Emma shied into herself with Jay's words, and James came to her defense.

"There is nothing wrong with being shy," He said to Jay, who flashed him a wicked grin.

----

Ian and Zane had left the office early. They enjoyed a quiet meal at one of their favorite restaurants and were on their way to a nearby nightclub. Ian had agreed to date other women, but Zane told him that he needed to get better at flirting before he could even step foot into the dating ring.

"You know, I can hold my hand out and a dozen women will try to grab it, right?" Ian asked his friend.

"I'm going to pretend that wasn't the most asshole-ish thing I have ever heard you say," Zane replied. "Even if it is true, those women do not want you, they want your title. You need to try your luck with someone who doesn't recognize you," Zane explained.

Ian was skeptical, but he was also tired of chasing Mina, and he needed Lisa to see that there was no future for them. Over the past few days, Lisa had been distant and standoffish, which was fine by Ian, but it made him think. If he had just closed his eyes and married her, then met Mina later, what would have happened between them? If Lisa were so negatively impacted without a commitment, how much worse would it have been if she had one?

Ian had been completely taken with Mina from the first time he saw her. Even when he thought she was a spy; he was sympathetic toward her. It was not until after he thought she had tried to harm him that his feelings changed, and even then, he was only venting his frustration about being attracted to the woman who he believed drugged and took advantage of him.

Ian wondered if things would have been the same if he were a married man. Would he have been able to let Mina go, or would he have considered divorcing Lisa?

"Thinking about her?" Zane asked, but he received no response. "You are doing the right thing. It may not feel like it right now, but Mina needs time and space. By the way, have you found out who put her name into the bachelorette auction drawing yet?" Zane asked, trying to distract his friend without being obvious.

"Not yet," Ian lied. "But I have a list of probable people." Zane nodded.

"Let me know if you need an extra set of hands."

"No need, just focus on identifying everyone involved in the resume dumps, and I will work on the auction." Not sensing anything wrong Zane agreed.

----

Inside of the night club Zane and Ian sat at a general table. They reserved nothing and even ordered middle tier alcohol. The goal was for Ian to take one of the women in attendance back to a hotel where he had a high probability of being photographed. What Ian did inside the hotel room was completely up to him. The men were only using the method to signal to other women that he was on the market, and to further make it appear that the Lee Group's president had fallen apart.

That woman at the bar, how would you approach her?" Zane asked while pointing to a lone vixen. He was trying to coach his friend through hypotheticals, but so far, Ian had been hopeless.

"I would walk up to her and introduce myself," Ian replied.

"That's too obvious." Zane said in frustration. He was beginning to think that his friend should just give and up and stick to Lisa, but Zane disliked Lisa enough to persevere. "Pretend that woman was Mina, and it's the first time you are seeing her," Zane blurted out and Ian reacted aggressively.

"Mina would never come to a place like this, and if she did it would be because someone else dragged her along," he said angrily. "And had it been Mina sitting at that bar, I wouldn't have approached her. I would have had one of my men find out where I could find her after the night ended."

"Right," Zane said sarcastically. "And what would you have done if she left with another-" Ian abruptly stood up and made his way to the woman at the bar. She was not ugly, but she was no Mina and the fact that Zane was comparing them, was pissing him off.

"Excuse me, Miss," Ian said. "My friend and I are at odds regarding this matter. I know it's an unusual question, but how would you prefer an interested party to approach you?"

"You're doing an okay job so far," the woman said seductively.

"And what should I do next?" Ian asked, matching the woman's tone.

"Buy me a drink," She stated cautiously. Ian ordered something middle tier for the two of them and he could see that the woman was a bit underwhelmed.

"Not impressed?" he asked.

"Disappointed," the woman sighed. "Looks like all those fancy clothes are for show," she added. Ian smiled. He was beginning to enjoy himself.