My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 823

Emily Blair gave him a polite nod before crossing the room to take a seat. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

Albert Rivera sat across from her, gesturing for the waiter in the private dining room to hand her the menu.

As Emily glanced over, she caught the brief flash of admiration in Albert’s eyes before he smiled and said, “Ms. Blair, I’ve already ordered a few dishes, but please take a look and let me know if there’s anything else you’d like.”

She scanned the menu and noticed that most of Albert’s selections were on the heavier, richer side—a lot of strong flavors and hearty fare. Lately, she’d been minding her health and couldn’t handle anything too heavy, so she added a few milder dishes and a light soup to the order.

Once she’d made her choices, she handed the menu back to the waiter.

This was Emily’s first time on a blind date, and she had no idea what she was supposed to say. The atmosphere in the private room felt a little awkward.

Albert cleared his throat and broke the silence. “Actually, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you.”

“Oh?” Emily’s curiosity was piqued. “We’ve met before?”

He nodded, his voice warm and easy. “Yes, at a tech networking event a while back. I was there filling in for a friend. After the event ended, I saw you across the crowd, talking with a group of people. You were wearing a black dress, just like today.”

Socializing with a date was nothing like negotiating in the business world, and Emily could feel herself floundering. “Well, I guess that means fate wanted us to meet again,” she said, her tone a little stilted.

Albert’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “Is this your first blind date, Ms. Blair?”

She paused, hesitating. “Is it that obvious?”

He tried not to laugh. “A little, yes. But there’s no need to be nervous. Just think of it as a casual conversation—no pressure.”

Emily wasn’t nervous, exactly—just uncharacteristically awkward. In business meetings, whether with partners or rivals, she was always composed and confident, but sitting across from a date, she felt at a loss for words. She offered a small smile and took a sip of water.

They chatted about industry news, their work, and other safe topics while waiting for the food to arrive. The more they talked, the more they discovered about each other.

Albert said, “I’d read about you before, Ms. Blair, and I already knew you were sharp. Now that I’ve met you, I have a whole new appreciation for your intelligence.”

Emily smiled back. “I never would have guessed you had such deep insights into the tech industry, Mr. Rivera.”

He shrugged easily. “My company does a fair bit of angel investing. Lately, half the startups we fund are in tech, and they’re always citing Vertex International as a benchmark. I couldn’t help but learn a thing or two.”

“I see.”

In just fifteen minutes, Emily found herself genuinely enjoying his company.