by Tyra Lynn
Steve squeezed my shoulder, and I squeezed his waist. I was feeling clingy suddenly, and a little guilty. I had just had a shock, well, two if you counted almost falling to my death. Funny I should think of that one last. I needed something, someone, solid to hold on to. Someone who didn’t make me feel even more off-balanced just by their presence.
Steve was filling me in on the day, and it had been a busy one. I caught most of what he said, even though it was hard to concentrate completely. I looked up at his face while we waited to cross the last corner. There was stubble on his cheeks, and it looked incredibly attractive. I reached up with my free hand and touched it.
“Forget to shave this morning?” I asked.
His cheek wrinkled as he grinned. “Actually, I did.”
“I like it. It’s manly.” I laughed.
“I’ll remember to forget to shave more often, then.”
The walk sign lit up, and we crossed. It wasn’t far to Vivienne's, and as we reached the front, Steve removed his arm and held the door for me. I stepped inside and felt like I had walked into a brick wall.
The place was crowded again with the early eaters. At a table near the back was the one person I did not want to see while on a lunch date with Steve—Gabriel Knight—and his dad.
He was facing the door, and for a second I felt like he had been waiting for me, watching the door. Our eyes locked for just a second, and what could only be described as a look of agony crossed his face. He immediately looked down, and I noticed his dad’s back stiffen, almost imperceptibly.
I felt Steve's arm go around my shoulder again. I had a feeling he had seen Gabriel, too, because it felt more possessive than affectionate. I wasn’t sure if I was right, or if my dad’s words had affected my perception. I wasn’t sure until Steve said, “Hey, there’s the new guy.”
“Oh? Where?” I hoped my words sounded better to Steve than they did to me.
“Back in the corner. We should say hello.” He steered me toward the back, and I wanted to resist.
“That’s kind of rude, don’t you think? They’re eating. You should just get his attention and wave or something.”
Gabriel looked up slightly, his hands gripped together tightly in front of him. I felt Steve's body move, and I knew he had waved. Gabriel smiled and waved, then appeared to respond to something his dad said. His dad turned, nodded politely, and then turned back around.
I felt like there was a spotlight on me. Jennifer came through the swinging doors carrying a platter of food. “Jessie! Steve!” She called, smiling enormously, as if we were all best friends. I smiled a little to acknowledge her.
Steve and I made our way to an empty table on the right-hand wall, and he pulled a chair out for me. I had to sit facing Gabriel's general direction, and it was everything I could do not to look. I felt like Steve was watching me to see if I would. He probably wasn’t, but I was so self-conscious it hurt.
“Okay, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” Steve said after a moment of silence.
My mind raced, but it didn’t have to go far. “I was looking at pictures of my mom today.” I put my head down. That was completely true, yet I felt guilty just saying it. I felt like I was using the memory of my mom when the pressing issue for me right now was Gabriel's presence.
Steve reached across the table and held out his hand. I wished my dad hadn’t told me he thought Steve was too possessive. Every gesture now made me suspicious. Still, if Gabriel weren’t here, this is exactly what Steve would do anyway. If Gabriel weren’t here, I wouldn’t hesitate to take that hand. I took a deep breath and placed my hand in Steve’s.
“I can see it’s bothering you. Would you like to talk about it?” He asked, caressing the back of my hand with his thumb.
Jennifer picked that moment to appear, pad in hand. “Hi guys! I told Debbie to let me get your table, since we’re friends!” She bounced up and down a little as she said the last word.
“Hey, Jennifer. How has your day been?” Steve asked.
I thought she was going to explode with happiness. “Great! How has yours been?”
“Busy.” Steve replied with a smile. He was great with people, especially females. “We just need our usual drinks for now. It’s great to see you.”
“You two, too!” She giggled. “Two, too!” She giggled again, and leaned down. “You both saw Gabriel, right? He’s so gorgeous! I’m waiting their table.”
She looked at me this time, expecting some response. “Awesome.” I said, trying to pretend it was.
“I know, right?”
“You should probably check their drinks when you go get ours. Give them that perfect service you’re known for.” Steve said it with a straight face. I had no idea how.
Jennifer turned red and giggled again. “Great idea! Be right back!” And off she flounced.
She went straight to Gabriel's table, which gave me an excuse to look. He was watching me, and as Jennifer approached, he leaned around her, still looking at me. I couldn’t read his expression, but I could see those blue eyes like they were right in front of me. I silently prayed he would look away first, so I could move again.
Jennifer fixed things for me by stepping between us. It seemed deliberate, but this time I was grateful for some interference. I looked back at Steve and tried to laugh. “You should be ashamed of yourself, siccing her on those poor, innocent people.”
“Maybe so, but I’m not.” His green eyes twinkled.
“So you have a sadistic side? I’ll have to put that in my notes.” I said it jokingly, but part of me wondered, just the smallest bit.
“No, no. Don’t do that. I’ll go and apologize if necessary. I wasn’t trying to be mean to them, I was trying to distract Jennifer.” He laughed.
“I know.” I smiled. “Sorry if I’m not good company.”
“You’re fine company. I just wish there was something I could do to make you feel better. I could ask for extra straws and do my walrus impression. It always works on the ladies.” He winked, and I laughed for real, imagining him with straws poking out from under his top lip.
I suddenly felt eyes on me, two distinct points, on my cheek. It was everything I could do not to raise my eyes and look—then it was gone. I was telling myself to focus when our drinks arrived. “I’m glad you suggested I stop by their table, Steve. They were just getting ready to leave, so they didn’t want a refill, but I did get a complement on my ‘attentive service.’ Cool, huh?”
“Absolutely.” Steve said, straight-faced again.
“So what to eat, guys?” She held up her little pad and pencil.
We ordered our food, but I wasn’t very hungry. By the time she left, I could see that Gabriel's table was empty. I hadn’t seen him leave, but Jennifer was hovering so close to me that I couldn’t have seen if I’d tried.
Part of me was relieved. I wouldn’t have to concentrate on not looking, and I could just enjoy Steve's company. The other part of me wondered what he was thinking when he was looking at me, looking at me with Steve.
I was a little sad he hadn’t said hello, but I was also glad he hadn’t. I don’t know what my reaction would have been if he was near me. Steve would have noticed something, I had no doubt. I decided Gabriel hadn’t said hello to keep me from being in that awkward situation. I smiled at the thought.
“Good, a smile.” Said Steve.
“Yeah.” Oops. “I don’t know what got into me today. I haven’t thought about my mom in a while. About her being gone, anyway. I think about her every day, but today, I just missed her. I went through some old pictures in one of the albums. It wasn’t even pictures with Dad and me. They were old ones, from when she was a kid.”
“What made you decide to do that?” He asked.
“I was looking through some old pictures upstairs that I ran across and there were some of her when she was very young. It just made me want to look at others. It wasn’t anything specific.” I changed the subject. “So, did you find out about the fou
r-wheeler? Did your mom say yes?”
“She did. There’s a catch, though.”
“What catch?” I asked, suddenly suspicious again.
“I have to go out to dinner with them tonight.” He made a face.
I smiled, relieved. “What’s so bad about that?”
“You have never gone out to dinner with my parents. Just wait till the first time you do, you’ll beg me not to ever do it again.” He laughed.
“Why?” Now I had to know.
“Let’s just say you need a lesson in etiquette before you go out to dinner with them. They were more lenient at home, but out to dinner? I can’t even explain. I guess that’s why I hate too much silverware on the table. Give me a knife, a fork, and a spoon and I can have a meal just fine. I like my elbows on the table too. My dad almost broke my arm once for doing that in public.”
“What? Seriously?” I exclaimed.
He laughed. “Not on purpose. He hit my elbow after telling me about ten times to keep it off the table. It hurt like hell. I haven’t forgotten, either. Bad thing is I think that’s why I like doing it so much now. It’s my show of defiance.” He banged his elbow on the table for emphasis.
“In that case, do me a favor.” He waited for me to ask. “Never invite me to dinner with your parents. At least you know what you’re supposed to do. I have no clue, and no desire to learn.” I banged my own elbow on the table, too.
“So I guess if I asked you to come tonight you’d say?”
“No, no, a thousand times no!” We both laughed.
“Maybe at their house sometime, then?” He stopped laughing, but still was light hearted.
“I’d have to think about it. ‘Less strict’ still sounds like an issue for me. You need three utensils, and I could live just fine with a spork!” I grinned.
“Okay, hmm. I’ll have to come up with a plan then. My mom asked when I was going to bring you by for an evening. They like to play cards. Do you ever play?”
“Not really. Mom and Dad made me play with them when I was younger, but it never was my thing.” I felt a little bad for Steve.
“I’ll find something. They like the outdoors. Maybe hiking or something one day. Mom was impressed you were going to ride the four-wheeler. I didn’t tell her you didn’t know how, so you have to do your best not to wreck it.” He grinned.
“Yeah. I’ll keep that in mind.” I was suddenly nervous. I hadn’t taken the time to think about it before now.
Our food arrived and we had to hurry to eat. That wasn’t a problem. I’d just gotten a small salad, and Steve inhaled his food. I wondered if he could taste it, he ate so fast.
He left a nice tip for Jennifer and we headed back to the store. Once again, he had his arm around me, and it felt comfortable just walking next to him. I glanced up occasionally, thinking he really was very handsome. As he talked, I noticed a dimple appear at times, and thought it was adorable.
When we reached the store, instead of going to the front, he turned right and we went around to the rear. Near the back door, he turned me to face him, slid his hand down low on my back, and pulled me close. “One kiss before I go in?” He whispered in my ear.
I felt jittery, slightly anxious, and I didn’t know why. He had kissed me before, but there was something different in the way he held me. It wasn’t bad, but it was—more possessive.
He placed a hand behind my head and leaned me back against the wall. Stepping forward, pulling me tighter, he leaned his lips down to mine. They were soft and warm, gentle at first, and I couldn’t help but respond. His kiss deepened then, became more eager, and nearly took my breath. Just when I thought the fireworks might happen, he stopped, and leaned back. We both gasped for air.
“Hopefully that will help you think about me tonight, when I’m out to dinner, with my elbows off the table.” He pulled me back against him tightly, with both arms, and kissed the top of my head, still breathing hard.
I tried to slow my own breathing. My heart rate had skyrocketed. I put my cheek against his chest and could feel his heart pounding, too. That gave me some satisfaction.
“I better get inside; I’m a few minutes late, I think.” He stepped back.
“I’ll go in with you. Dad can’t get mad if I tell him it’s my fault. I’ll tell him I’m a slow eater.” I smiled.
We went in through the back door, and Steve loudly washed his hands, talking away about how busy the café was. I tried not to laugh, but the service was slower than usual today. Dad heard, as we knew he would, and came sauntering in the back door. He just shook his head and laughed. “You’re not too late, at least.”
“Sorry, Dad. It took a while to get the food, and I’m a slower eater than him.” I gave Steve a sideways glance. “I swear he can’t taste his food. I never saw him chew!”
Steve tossed the hand towel at me he had used to dry his hands. I caught it and laughed. “You ate like you had all week!” He teased.
“See, Dad. Told you he doesn’t chew.”
Dad just shook his head, laughing, hands on his hips. “Steve, go watch the front for me, will ya? I want to talk to Jessie a second.”
“Sure, boss.” Steve smiled. He leaned over, kissed me on the cheek, and said, “Call you later?”
“Sure. Have fun.” I smiled as he walked through the door to the front.
“Step outside a second, sweetheart.”
I gave my dad a look. I had no idea what he wanted, but I suddenly got a feeling of dread. Why outside? Sometimes, when things were going good, I got a feeling there was someone, or something, just waiting to turn everything upside down.
We stepped out back, and I knew I had an anxious expression on my face. Dad said, “Sorry, honey, there’s nothing wrong, or to worry about. I just thought I should ask you out here.”
“Ask me what?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“Well, Gabriel and his dad stopped by just a little while ago.” My stomach turned over once. “Gabriel wanted to introduce us. Seems like a nice fellow, his dad. They invited us to dinner tonight, at their house.”
That wasn’t at all what I expected to hear. I didn’t know what I had expected, but that wasn’t it. “What did you say?” I asked. My voice sounded a little wavery, but I didn’t think Dad noticed.
“I said I would have to speak to you. Gabriel also had a request, if we said yes.” I just looked at him. “He asked if you would mind coming early and giving him a hand, if you’d like. His dad’s not much of a cook, and I guess I bragged a little about your abilities the other day.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“When?” I asked.
“He wrote his number down. I have it somewhere.” He searched his pockets, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and handed it to me. “He said if we would like to come, let him know as soon as possible. He said he could pick you up, if you wanted to come early. You don’t have to help, and we could still have dinner. We don’t have to go at all, if you don’t want to.”
I looked at the paper, and then shoved it in my pocket. I thought for a second. I wondered if maybe he had some information for me, or something. No, he’d just call if that were it. I wasn’t sure what to think about it. I finally asked, “Do you want to go?”
“It’s not really up to me. I said you could decide.” He looked hopeful, though.
“You’re dying to see that house, aren’t you?”
A big grin crossed his face. “And you’re not?”
I smiled. “Okay, so you’ve got me there.” Dinner at Gabriel's house. Why not? “Okay. I’ll call him when I’m walking home.”
“I have to get going, I guess. I’ve got to do that appraisal and get back. They said dinner would be at seven thirty, so I’ll clean up after work. You going early and helping?”
“It’s the least I can do. Besides, I can scope out the place before you get there.” I winked. “What are you going to tell Steve we were talking about?”
“I was thinking about that. I don’t think he’d like you going up th
ere and helping Gabriel. Not that he has anything to say about it, but I want them to get to know each other at least. They’re both good kids.”
“I don’t think Steve would like you calling him a kid, either.” I pointed out.
“Probably not. I’ll just tell him we were having a father-daughter talk. He won’t ask any questions.”
“You’re mean, and sneaky.” I said.
He didn’t seem to like the last part of that. “I have to go. You can go tell Steve bye if you want. I’ll be back inside in a second to get my books.”
“’Kay, Dad.”
I opened the door and went inside. Steve was in the front, messing with some things on a front shelf. He looked like he was doing ‘busy work.’ I would have snuck up behind him, but he caught my reflection in the front glass and turned around.
“Everything okay?” He asked, looking a little worried. “Your dad didn’t—see us—outside?”
“No, he didn’t, but I think he suspects.” I laughed at his worried expression. “You better kiss me quick. He’s on his way back in.”
Steve stepped forward, grabbed my face with both hands, and gave me a quick, but meaningful kiss. “As long as I didn’t get you in any trouble.”
“Not at all. Just a standard ‘Take things slow, I worry about you’ talk. It’s not you.”
Steve looked relieved. “I’m just gonna pretend it didn’t happen, and I’m doing my work. I’ll call you later if I get the chance. Scoot, before I want to kiss you again.” He turned me toward the door and gave a gentle shove.
“Aye, aye, Sir.” I laughed, and headed out the door.
CHAPTER XXI
Everywhere is here and every when is now.
—Dante
I was feeling better now. I had overreacted to the pictures earlier, I was sure of it. My crazy imagination had taken over, as it sometimes did. Everyone called Mom Ana. I never heard anyone use her given name. As for ‘Analise,’ I would just forget about it for now. My mom was Ana, and that’s all that mattered.
I was halfway home before I decided to call Gabriel. I took the paper out of my pocket and opened it. The numbers were neatly printed, and below them, he had written his name in that same fancy script.
