Adam led them to what she guessed was likely one of the best tables in the entire restaurant. It certainly appeared so. The table sat in in a quiet corner, far from the entrance and the kitchen and with an unobstructed view to the outside, which at present was stunning. The entire mountain range was illuminated in a soft glow from the beams of the night’s full moon. To her it looked magical, which wasn’t a good thing, especially considering how mixed up she was about this entire evening.
Adam filled their water glasses and told them the night’s specials.
Nic turned to Sylas. “Since Ashley loves scallops as much as you do, I think that should be our appetizer.”
How had Nic remembered that about her? She’d only told him once when he’d taken her to that wonderful seafood restaurant on Lake Shore Drive.
Sylas nodded. “And an order of bruschetta for you, Nic, since you’re not that fond of seafood.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
Buddy? She hadn’t heard Nic or Sylas call each other that since she started dating them. That’s when things seemed to have soured between them. Now, they were acting as if they’d mended their differences. Maybe the breakup had served to heal their rift. But that didn’t make any sense. They’d been just as uptight with each other at the diner, and then later at Phoebe’s offices. What had changed since then?
Another man, who looked to be about the same age as their waiter, came to their table.
Adam introduced him. “This is Mr. Brett Saxton. He is your sommelier for the evening.”
“Thank you, Adam.” Brett had a distinct British accent, which was rarely heard in this part of Colorado. He turned to them and smiled. “Welcome.”
Sylas, being more knowledgeable about wine than either Nic or her, addressed the sommelier.
Nic leaned over and whispered to her. “Sylas has always been great at picking wine.”
“I believe Sauvignon Blanc would pair best with our scallops,” Sylas told the wine expert.
“Very good, sir. I have a wonderful bottle from New Zealand that has crisp floral notes with hints of oak.” The man held out the wine list for Sylas to read, pointing to the selection.
“Perfect. Let’s start with that.”
After Adam and the sommelier left, she turned to Nic and Sylas. “Quite the place Phoebe sent us to, don’t you think?”
“Very nice,” Nic said. “And I don’t know about you and Sylas, but I’m glad that the boss is picking up the check instead of us.”
Sylas laughed. “I agree. Phoebe certainly knows how to impress, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, she does.” Ashley couldn’t get over how friendly they were being with each other. What is going on?
The mood never changed between the two guys as the three of them ate the delicious food. Sylas selected a bottle for each course, but she only sampled one glass from each. Any more, and they would have to carry her out. But would being carried out by Nic and Sylas really be a bad thing? She grinned.
Nic looked up from his plate. “What’s so funny, Ashley?”
“Nothing at all. Just having a good time.”
“She’s not telling the entire truth, Nic,” Sylas said. “Can you tell?”
“I sure can.” Nic smiled. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, sweetheart?”
She pushed her empty glass to the side. “I was picturing you two having to carry me out of here if I drank any more wine.”
“In that case.” Sylas filled her glass and pushed it back to her. With a wicked wink, he said, “Have some more.”
“No way are you getting me drunk.” She smiled and pushed the glass to the center of the table. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind having dessert and coffee.” She knew that the little buzz she was feeling would vanish with the help of chocolate and caffeine.
“Sounds good to me,” Sylas said. “How about you?”
“Same, but I’m not letting this wine go to waste. The practice paid for it.” Nic took her glass and downed the contents. With a devilish grin, he pretended to be smashed, slurring, “You ann Ashkey be sssure ta let our bossss know dat I didn’t sssquander a sssingle drop.”
She and Sylas roared.