Single Dad Fixed Female CEO’s Computer And Accidentally Saw Her Photo. She Asked Am I Pretty? Part 2

A Dinner Beyond Business

An hour later, they stood outside Olivia’s door. James balanced a bottle of wine while Lily clutched a small bouquet of flowers she’d insisted on buying.

“Women like flowers,” she’d informed him solemnly at the store. “Mom always did.”

When Olivia opened the door, James was struck again by how different she looked outside the office. Her corporate armor was replaced by jeans and a simple sweater.

Her dark hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail. She seemed younger and softer somehow.

“You came,” she said, as if she’d half expected them to cancel. Her eyes moved to Lily, and uncertainty flickered across her face.

“I’m Lily,” his daughter announced, thrusting the flowers forward. “Dad said you’re a CEO. That’s cool.”

“I’m thinking about being one too. Or maybe a veterinarian. I haven’t decided.”

Olivia’s face relaxed into a smile as she accepted the flowers. “Well, you’ve got time to figure it out.”

“I wanted to be an astronaut until I was fifteen.” She stepped back, gesturing them inside.

“Please come in. I hope you like lasagna.” “It’s about the only thing I can cook without setting off the smoke alarm.”

“Dad sets off our smoke alarm all the time,” Lily confided as they entered. “He says it’s because our stove is temperamental.”

“But I think he just gets distracted reading while cooking.” James felt his cheeks warm.

“Thank you for that character assessment, Lily.” Olivia’s apartment was stunning but surprisingly homey.

It was open concept with warm lighting and comfortable furniture. Walls were lined with bookshelves.

It wasn’t the sterile showcase he’d expected from someone of her status. “You have a lot of books,” Lily observed.

She was immediately drawn to the shelves. “Feel free to explore,” Olivia said.

“I was a bit of a bookworm growing up. Still am, when I have time.” Lily wandered off to inspect the collection.

An awkward silence fell between the adults. James cleared his throat.

“Thank you for including Lily. I know it’s not what you expected when you invited me.”

“Actually, I’m glad she’s here,” Olivia admitted, leading him toward the kitchen. “It makes this less…”

She trailed off, searching for the right word. “Intimidating?” James suggested.

She laughed softly. “I was going to say date-like, but yes, that too.”

She took the wine from him, their fingers brushing briefly. “I don’t do this often. Invite people over.”

“Especially not people I’ve only met once.” “If it helps, I don’t get invited to CEOs’ homes often either,” he said.

“Or ever, actually.” “Well, tonight I’m not a CEO,” she said, reaching for wine glasses.

“I’m just Olivia, attempting to cook lasagna without burning down my kitchen.” “And I’m just James, IT consultant and single dad.”

“I am trying to remember how adults socialize.” Their eyes met, and something shifted between them.

A recognition of shared vulnerability eased the tension. From the living room, Lily called out.

“You have the entire Harry Potter series in first editions! Dad, come look!”

Dinner was surprisingly comfortable. Olivia’s lasagna was actually quite good.

Lily carried much of the conversation. She peppered their host with questions about running a company and living in a penthouse.

She asked whether she had ever met any famous people. “Lily, let Ms. Montgomery eat,” James finally intervened.

“Please, it’s Olivia,” she insisted. “And I don’t mind. It’s refreshing to talk about something other than quarterly projections.”

She turned to Lily. “And yes, I have met a few celebrities at charity events. Most of them are shorter in person.”

As the evening progressed, James observed the way Olivia gradually relaxed. The corporate mask slipped further away to reveal a woman with a quick wit.

She listened intently when Lily talked about school and her friends. She asked thoughtful questions that showed she was truly engaged.

When the conversation turned to Emma, James tensed. Olivia navigated the topic with surprising grace.

She neither avoided it nor dwelled on it uncomfortably. After dinner, Lily became engrossed in a book Olivia had lent her.

The adults moved to the balcony with their wine. The city lights spread before them like a carpet of stars.

“She’s remarkable,” Olivia said, nodding toward Lily. “You’ve done an amazing job with her.”

“I can’t take all the credit. Emma laid a strong foundation.” James swirled the wine in his glass.

“And Lily’s naturally resilient. Sometimes I think she’s handling everything better than I am.”

“Children often do,” Olivia said softly. “They adapt while we’re still processing.”

She hesitated, then added, “My parents divorced when I was ten.” “It was a messy public split. My father was a state senator.”

“I remember pretending to be fine because it seemed to help my mother cope.” James studied her profile against the night sky.

“Is that why you asked me that question in your office?” She didn’t pretend to misunderstand about being pretty.

A self-conscious smile touched her lips. “Partly. My father left my mother for his twenty-five-year-old assistant.”

“My mother was brilliant, a constitutional law professor.” “But after that, she became obsessed with her appearance, convinced that was why he left.”

She took a sip of wine. “I promised myself I’d never be that vulnerable.”

“So you became a CEO instead.” “I built a life where I controlled everything,” she corrected.

“Where no one could make me feel insufficient.” She turned to face him fully.

“Until you were fixing my computer and I saw you looking at that photo.” “Suddenly I was that insecure teenager again, wondering if I was enough.”

The honesty of her confession caught him off guard. “Olivia, I…”

“It’s ridiculous, I know,” she said quickly. “I run a company with over five hundred employees.”

“I shouldn’t care what some random IT consultant thinks about my beach photos.” “I’m not just some random IT consultant anymore,” James said quietly.

“I’m the random IT consultant you invited to dinner.” Her laugh broke the tension, and she leaned against the railing.

“True. And for the record, I wasn’t fishing for compliments that day.” “I was genuinely curious about what you saw.”

“A woman enjoying a moment of freedom,” he said honestly. “Someone who had stepped outside the role she usually plays. It was captivating.”

Their eyes held for a long moment. James felt a familiar guilt stir.

It was the same feeling that arose whenever he found himself attracted to someone. It felt as if moving forward somehow betrayed Emma’s memory.

“I should check on Lily,” he said, breaking the moment. “It’s getting late.”

Olivia nodded, understanding in her eyes. “Of course.”

When they left an hour later, Lily was clutching two borrowed books. She chattered excitedly about Olivia’s promise to show her the company headquarters.

At the door, Olivia handed James a business card. “My personal number,” she explained.

“In case you ever need computer help that isn’t work-related.” He accepted it with a smile.

“Thank you for dinner, and for being so good with Lily.” “She makes it easy,” Olivia said.

“You’re welcome here anytime. Both of you.” On the drive home, Lily was uncharacteristically quiet.

Finally she said, “I like her, Dad.” James kept his eyes on the road.

“I like her too, Lil.” “No, I mean I like her for you.”

She turned to look at him. “She’s not trying to replace Mom. She’s just herself.”

James swallowed the sudden tightness in his throat. “It was just dinner, Lily. Maybe.”

“But you smiled more tonight than you have in a long time,” his daughter said.