“What would you have advised?” Liam asked curiously.
Knowing what she did now, she would have encouraged it. Her dad was able to work hands-off, and the business was helping him get relief of his worry that he wasn’t going to be able to make a living. However, if she’d known before the changes happened, she might have felt differently. “I don’t know,” she admitted quietly.
“Then maybe it worked out for the best.”
“Why was Julian interested?” she asked inquisitively.
“I think you’d have to ask him that. He was actually the one with the plans. We met up for a beer one night after we found out we knew each other by reputation. It was his idea. After that, he moved pretty fast, and I wanted to be part of the project. I had the money to invest, and I couldn’t think of a place in that location that wouldn’t thrive with the right menu, entertainment, and management. It’s not your dad’s fault it’s gotten run-down, and it isn’t yours. It’s the circumstances.”
“He made a good choice,” she answered, shooting Liam a small smile. “I know you’ve been around Shamrock’s a lot, making some excellent decisions.”
He shrugged. “It keeps me busy, since we’re only open for dinner here.”
Kristin smiled wider, knowing Liam was full of shit. He had bought into Shamrock’s, and he was ambitious enough to make it successful. “What’s Julian’s role in this partnership?”
“He set up the training programs, which went off pretty damn well. But since he has to be away most of the time, he agreed to be basically a silent partner after setting up the training. He didn’t really want anyone to know what he was doing, but you’re damn good at wringing information out of a guy.”
“Not always,” she said with a sigh, thinking about the fact that she hadn’t gotten nearly as much from Liam as she would have liked. What in the hell was Julian’s motivation to do all of this for her parents?
“For what it’s worth, I think he was trying to help,” Liam said earnestly. “The investment and profits are going to be like pocket change to him.”
“What about you?” she asked curiously.
He turned and grinned at her, transforming his face to one that was ruggedly handsome. “Spending money,” he answered mysteriously. “I may not be as rich as the Sinclairs, but the investment isn’t going to affect me much one way or the other.”
She thanked Liam and left the restaurant, clearer about what had been transpiring at Shamrock’s, but more confused about Julian Sinclair than she’d ever been in her entire life.
CHAPTER 10
True to her word, Mara had set up a coffee date with her marketing manager, Robert Larkin. Not seeing any way out of it without being rude, Kristin had gone to meet the guy at Brew Magic the next evening. Turned out, he was pretty attractive, pretty nice, and pretty darn polite.
Unfortunately, Kristin couldn’t see him ever being anything more than a friend. There was just no spark, no chemistry.
Because he’s not Julian.
Irritated with herself that she was still thinking about him, she took another sip of her chocolate caramel coffee as she listened to Rob talk about how much he admired Mara, and how much he appreciated his job.
“Kristin?”
She suddenly realized that her mind had drifted off somewhere else as Rob had been singing his praises about Mara’s company. “Yes?” She trained her eyes on his face, determined not to let her mind wander . . . again.
Rob had a kind face, dark hair and eyes, and the slight, slender build of a man who looked like he worked in an office.
“I asked if you wanted to go to the office holiday party with me. You didn’t answer.”
Maybe because she hadn’t heard the question. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
He smiled at her, and she noticed his teeth were perfect. Rob had the kind of friendly smile and brilliant teeth that were perfect for a marketer. Kristin was pretty sure he could be persuasive given the right audience.
“Say yes,” he said, his smile growing even larger and more inviting.
She didn’t want to think about holiday parties, but Christmas would be here and gone before she even noticed, this year, if she didn’t start planning her Christmas list. She’d done the Christmas cards for Sarah’s office right after Thanksgiving, but she hadn’t done anything for her personal friends yet.
This just isn’t working for me!
Rob was a nice guy, and he deserved to be going somewhere with a woman who was really interested in him. As much as she’d tried, this evening, Kristin knew she was edgy and distracted. Honestly, she wondered why Rob even wanted her to go to the party with him.