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The decor inside was funky eclectic, with original oil paintings on the wall, all of them bright, odd, great. The waiters were young, and moving fast.
“Jay, good to see you.”
A tall, elegant woman with short black hair kissed him on his cheeks European style. Jay smiled. “We’d like a table for two, Elaine. As private as you can make it.”
Elaine shifted her gaze to Amelia, giving her a quick once-over, and Amelia wished she’d worn her coat. Her shapeless dress hung on her like a potato sack, and she felt ashamed. She shouldn’t have come. She was out of her league in a world she usually tried to avoid.
But then he took her hand, and they followed Elaine through the restaurant. The woman was taller than Amelia, almost as tall as Jay. Her cropped pants hugged her slim hips, and her knit top showed off her figure. Kathy would have worn that outfit. Donna, too.
“Here you are,” Elaine said, putting the large menus on a table close to the window. “Enjoy.”
Jay pulled out a chair for her, and she sat, wishing she’d thought this through. She didn’t belong here. But her self-castigation stopped abruptly when Jay took off his leather jacket. He wore a knit shirt, something old, like from the fifties. Short sleeves left his lower arms bare, and for that she was very grateful. He was so beautiful, so strong. His muscles flexed when he moved, and when he ran a hand through his unruly hair, she nearly whimpered. His chest. Oh my.
He sat across from her. She wished he was closer.
“The mussels are the specialty of the house,” he said.
She bit her lip to stop from laughing. She could never have explained.
“But the ahi is always fresh and great,” he went on. “If you’re not into fish, they make a mean pasta primavera.”
She ducked behind her menu. Everything was very expensive. The whole city was wildly overpriced, but she’d learned how to live on a strict budget. One meal here was worth a whole week of dinners. If she ordered an appetizer and a soda, she wouldn’t completely break the bank.
Having made her decision, she put the menu aside, to find Jay staring at her. She abandoned herself to her blush. There was no use fighting it. She was just pleased her nervous reaction wasn’t hiccups or flatulence.
“Would you like a drink? A cosmopolitan? Or a martini?”
“No, thank you,” she said. “I’m not much of a drinker. I’d prefer a soda.”
“Done.” He signaled the waiter, and they ordered two sodas, and two appetizers—her pot stickers and his steamed mussels. Then, it was just the three of them—herself, Jay and the uncomfortable silence.
He didn’t seem troubled. In fact, he looked satisfied, almost cocky. But then, when had she ever seen him when he hadn’t looked that way? What gave him the confidence? It shocked her to realize she had a crush on a man she didn’t know at all. It was only one step away from idolizing a rock star, which had always seemed foolish and a little pathetic. Was this any better? Taking a deep breath full of courage, she leaned forward and said, “Tell me.”
“What?”
“Your life.”
He laughed. “From conception or birth?”
“Birth is fine.
He laughed again, his rich baritone making her shiver inside. “I don’t think we’ll have time for my whole life.”
“Okay, then. Tell me the important things. The things that shaped you.”
His smile slackened as his gaze intensified. “You surprise me.”
“I do?”
“Don’t worry. That’s a plus.”
She didn’t want to talk about herself. There wasn’t much to say, after all. At least, nothing he would find interesting. But if she could get him talking, she could forget about herself. She might not be able to put two words together without blushing, but she wasn’t afraid to ask questions. “Please?”
He leaned back in the wooden chair, clearly debating whether he would oblige. If he didn’t, well, then, she’d deal with it, but she hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Most people loved to talk about themselves. She’d used the deflection technique for years, and it never failed her. Once her companions started talking, she could relax. Not only did she feel more comfortable, but she learned a lot, too. It amazed her how people would go on if they weren’t interrupted.
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