She Rejects A Fancy Dinner Invite, Not Knowing The Host Is A Millionaire Who Will Fall For Her
The Persistent Stranger
Gabriella Booker froze midstep, her hands still gripping the tray of half-cleared wine glasses. A tall man in a tailored navy suit blocked her path.
“Excuse me, would you be interested in joining me for dinner tonight?” he asked.
She blinked, staring at him like he had just offered her a ride to the moon.
“Wait, what? You?” she asked.
His voice was smooth and confident. “Dinner tonight. Just say yes.”
Gabriella let out a breathless laugh. “Are you serious? I’m working, in case you missed the black apron and the tray.”
The man’s eyes flicked to the tray, then back up to her face.
“I saw it,” he said. “But I also saw how you’ve been rushing around for the last hour, even when no one’s watching. That kind of work ethic deserves steak and wine.”
She stared at him, trying to decide if he was just another smooth-talking rich guy who thought waitresses were easy targets.
“Thanks, but I don’t date strangers who hit on me while I’m busing tables,” she said.
He nodded, surprisingly undeterred. “Fair. I’m Isaiah Nalan.”
The name didn’t mean much to her. “Still no.”
He chuckled as she stepped around him, muttering, “Unbelievable.”
Gabriella didn’t look back. She worked the rest of the evening at Archerose, a swanky Italian place in Manhattan where the bread cost more than her weekly groceries.
She was used to guys hitting on her, but not ones in thousand-dollar suits who looked like they walked out of a GQ cover shoot.
She didn’t know Isaiah Nalan was the host of the private dinner in the back room.
She didn’t know he had not only paid for the entire event but owned the entire building Archerose stood in.
Gabriella didn’t know because she didn’t care. She was tired, broke, and trying to get through the last semester of her graduate program without breaking apart.
Men like him didn’t exist in her world.
The next morning, Gabriella rushed through the doors of the public library. Her tote bag slammed into her hip as she dodged a group of high schoolers.
A familiar voice called out from behind the research desk. “Gabby, you’re late.”
“I know, I know,” she said, breathless. “The subway stalled for ten minutes. I thought it was going to catch on fire.”
Her best friend, Michelle, raised an eyebrow. “You always think it’s going to catch on fire.”
Gabriella dropped her bag and reached for the stack of books she was supposed to reshelf. “You will not believe what happened last night.”
“Try me.”
Gabriella leaned in. “Some guy. Tall, insane suit, probably drives a car that costs more than my student loans. He asked me to dinner, like, while I was working.”
Michelle’s eyes widened. “Wait, what did you say?”
“I said no, obviously. Are you out of your mind? I’m not getting involved with some arrogant rich guy who thinks waitresses are accessories.”
“What if he wasn’t arrogant?” Michelle asked. “What if he was just interested?”
Gabriella shook her head. “Trust me, he wasn’t my type.”
Three days passed. Gabriella had mostly forgotten about the man in the suit until she walked into the library study room.
She found him sitting at one of the long tables, reading a book like he belonged there. She stopped short.
He looked up slowly, then smiled. It was not the smug playboy kind of smile, just a simple, warm one that made her stomach flip.
“You’re stalking me,” she blurted.
Isaiah closed the book. “Took a wild guess you might work here too.”
Gabriella crossed her arms. “Why?”
“I wanted to try again. You rejected dinner; I figured maybe coffee would be less intimidating.”
She looked at him, trying to read his face. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know enough,” he said. “I know you hustle. You’re smart. You didn’t even blink when I asked you out; you just shut me down cold.”
“That’s not a compliment.”
“It is to me,” he said. “You’re not easy. I like that.”
Gabriella hesitated. Then, against all logic, she said, “Fine. Coffee. But only because I’m off in thirty minutes.”
They sat in a quiet corner of a cafe across the street, cups of hot cappuccino steaming between them.
“Okay, tell me something real,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “What do you do for a living?”
Isaiah looked at her for a long beat. “I run a few companies, mostly real estate development. Something my dad started years ago.”
“So you’re rich.”
He didn’t flinch. “I do well.”
She snorted. “That’s code for millionaire, isn’t it?”
He just sipped his coffee. Gabriella leaned back.
“Let me guess. You buy buildings, flip them, throw fancy dinners in overpriced restaurants, and expect girls to fall at your feet.”
Isaiah’s eyes twinkled. “I only throw dinners when I’m bored, and I don’t expect anyone to fall. I like the chase.”
She rolled her eyes, but her mouth twitched. He leaned forward. “You always this stubborn?”
“Only when I’m being pursued by a guy in a $3,000 suit.”
“You looked me up.”
“I googled the name. You own Archerose, don’t you?”
He grinned. “Guilty.”
Gabriella shook her head. “Unreal.”
Isaiah studied her. “You know what I think? You’re going to tell me anyway.”
“I think you’re terrified of letting someone in,” he said. “You act like you don’t have time for anything but work and school, but I think you’re scared of what happens if you care.”
Her heart jumped into her throat. “Wow, that’s bold.”
He tilted his head. “Am I wrong?”
She didn’t answer.
