She rolled her eyes. “Oh, well, I guess you get what you pay for. You’ll have to wait to find out what I think until my review.”
He stared at her, a warmth building in his chest. He had loved this girl, and she’d never known it.
The mischievous glint in her eyes dimmed. “Oh, no.” She yanked out her phone. “I’m over an hour late to the networking dinner. It was supposed to start at seven.”
“I’m sure they’ll understand given the circumstances.”
“That’s not the point. I promised Hank I’d take every opportunity. He—we need this.”
Was she in a relationship with this Hank? Nope, he wouldn’t ask. Not his business. “Let’s get you settled and get you to that dinner. Which restaurant?” he asked.
She told him as the cab pulled in front of his hotel.
He paid the driver and helped her out of the cab. “That’s just across the street, under the bridge, on the left side of the River Walk. We can’t get you any closer by taxi.”
So much for showing off with a grand tour. He stared into the dark night. After the day she’d had, he couldn’t let her go walking alone—with a weak ankle—through the throng of tourists and occasional muggers. “On second thought, I’ll take you straight there myself.”
She looked up at him. “You don’t have to. You’ve done so much already.”
Yes, there were still remnants of the stubborn girl he’d known. “Izzy, I’d like to escort you there. While I think you’ll be safe in the tourist sections, ease my conscience by promising me someone will walk you back to the hotel when you’re done.”
She straightened. “Deal. But what about my luggage?”
Matt called for the bellhop, who instantly recognized him. “Yes, sir?”
“Please take Ms. Barrows’s luggage and put it behind the front desk for me.”
“Do you have a hotel safe?” Isabelle asked.
“Of course.”
“Would it be okay if I put my laptop in it?” She pulled it out of her messenger bag and cried out at the sight of a bent corner. “I’d forgotten about this.” She studied it for a moment. “It still should work. So, can I use your safe?”
Matt nodded slowly. “Yes. Frank can put it in the safe.” Matt took the laptop from her and handed it to his employee. “Straight to the safe.”
Frank nodded and took off with the rollaway and computer. Matt watched him to make sure he was making a beeline to the front-desk area. But he couldn’t help but wonder if Isabelle was hiding something. Was her laptop the reason her room had been ransacked? And by agreeing to store it, was he putting a target on his own hotel?
Her eyes softened as she took his offered arm. “Thank you. You’ve gone above and beyond for someone you haven’t seen in years.”
As they made their way down the stone steps into the dimly lit cacophony, he hoped it would be enough to keep her safe.
She hated relying on Matt. This was not how she imagined experiencing the River Walk and the conference. In her mind, she was a strong, independent, single woman strolling confidently down the sidewalks. And little girls would look from the hands of their parents and wonder what glamorous job she had...
Okay, Isabelle was a dreamer and knew it. But still, this wasn’t going as planned. They emerged from the curved stone staircase onto the open River Walk. Music from a mariachi band filtered through laughter and trees to her ears. Colorful patio umbrellas lined the right side. Tree branches hung over the river that sloshed precariously close to the sidewalks, likely from the heavy rains last week.
Ducks squawked. One hopped onto an empty chair of an outdoor diner. It was like a hidden world underneath the city. Isabelle flinched as a man brushed past her. She stepped closer to Matt.
“We’re almost there,” he said. They passed the colorful tables, and the music faded in the background as he led her inside the waiting area of a posh restaurant. “See your party?”
On her tiptoes, she spotted the graying head of Darren Allen, the CEO of Endangered Robotics. He leaned back in his seat to talk to another man. Their plates held the remains of their meals. A waiter approached their table and handed them each a black book. “Oh, no. They’ve already got their bills.”
Isabelle was raised knowing that if you arrived five minutes early to an event, you were actually ten minutes late. Joining the party this tardy pained her. And to top it off, there wasn’t an empty spot for her to sit, if even for a few minutes.
Matt looked over her shoulder. “At least they aren’t completely done. Some of them are still eating. Look, there is an empty table right next to them. You can get a little networking in before they leave while you wait for some food.” He leaned over and spoke to the hostess.
The thought of sitting alone at the small square table put a pit in her stomach. She’d look pathetic to the rest of the attendees. No, she’d be better off cutting her losses and trying again tomorrow. But the hostess was already waving at her. “Right this way.”
Darren Allen caught her eye. Oh, great. If she turned around now, they would all know she was too chicken to eat alone. She gulped and looked over her shoulder. “Okay. Well, thanks, Matt.”
He nodded and touched her elbow. “See you in a bit.”
Darren waved at her. “There’s the new golden girl we’ve been hearing all about. Your presentation must be something else to get added at the last minute. We were hoping you’d have joined us for dinner to tell us about it.”
Every giant in the industry of oceanographic research and innovation looked up at her. “I’m sorry. I was held up.”
A man about her age turned in his chair. His blue eyes twinkled up at her. “Oh, so you must be the expert of fluid dynamics I keep hearing about.” He held out his hand. “Robert.”
“Struther,” she finished for him. “You were the youngest winner ever of the underwater robot competition before you were swept up as the lead researcher for Robotic Aquatic.” She cringed inwardly. She sounded like a fangirl, which she was, but she needed him to see her more like a colleague.
He shrugged. “Vice president now, but yes. I expect I’ll never fully leave the lab.” He gestured to her chair. “Please. Don’t let us keep you from ordering. We’re just wrapping up.” He nodded at the rest of the group. She waved awkwardly at everyone, but most of them just nodded back.
Struther stood. “Nice to meet you...uh...”
“Isabelle Barrows.” She shook his hand. “From Hayden Research Station.”
He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Any spoilers you can give about your presentation?”
The unexpected heat from his proximity made her want to squirm, but this was exactly the kind of connection she needed to make for the institute. “Um, I think it would be detrimental to rush that conversation. Perhaps another time?”
He stared into her eyes. “I look forward to it.” He slipped a business card from his pocket and handed it to her, cupping her hand in both of his palms. “You have my number.”
Darren stood and shook her hand. “I hope you’re not eating all by your lonesome, sweetheart.”
She flinched at the term of endearment. But she supposed a lot of older men spoke that way.
Matt appeared out of nowhere and pulled out the chair on the opposite