“Thank you.” I gesture to Katelyn to follow Loretta.
She does, which gives me a bird’s-eye view of her perfect ass. The satin of her untucked camisole clings to every curve.
My dick responds, but I tamp down the desire. Not the place. Not the time. Who knows when the time or place will be? In normal circumstances, it might be tonight at my place.
These are not normal circumstances.
I hold out a chair for Katelyn. Her cheeks go pink as she takes a seat and arranges her napkin on her lap. Loretta hands her a menu.
“Thank you,” Katelyn murmurs.
“You’re most welcome. David will be taking care of you tonight. He’ll be with you soon.”
“Thank you, Loretta,” I say.
Always use a person’s name, if you know it. My mother taught me that.
Seems like a lifetime ago. In many ways, it was.
“Would you like a drink?” I ask Katelyn.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Whatever you want,” I tell her. “Order the most expensive thing on the menu if you’d like.”
She blushes further. “I’d never do that.”
“I want you to. I want you to have your heart’s desire.”
Where are these words coming from? They’re foreign, but no less true. As I stare at the angelic beauty across from me, I want to give her happiness.
Happiness doesn’t come from things, though. I learned that lesson the hard way, and I’ll do well to remember it. That’s what got me into trouble in the first place. Well…that and my drinking.
“Good evening.”
I look to my left. Our waiter, presumably, stands here.
“I’m David and I’m happy to be serving you this evening. Would either of you care for a cocktail?”
“Katelyn?” I say.
She gives a light smile but doesn’t look at David. “I’d like a lemon drop.”
“Wonderful choice. And you, sir?”
“Just sparkling water with lime, please.”
“Very good. Do you have any questions about the menu?”
“I haven’t had a chance to look yet.”
“Me neither,” Katelyn says.
“Good enough. I’ll get these drinks for you right away.”
Katelyn opens her menu. “No drink for you?”
“Sparkling water’s a drink last time I checked.” I grin.
“You know what I mean.”
“I’m a recovering alcoholic,” I say.
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
She laughs lightly. “Honestly? I guess I just assumed you had trouble when you drank. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made that assumption.”
She’s so on target. “I got into a lot of trouble when I drank, so you’re right. But it was all my own doing. No reason for you to be sorry.”
“How long have you been clean?”
“Just a few months.”
Her eyes widen.
“You were expecting it be longer?”
“I suppose I was. Good for you. Has it been difficult?”
More than you can imagine. “I take it one day at a time.”
“Would you rather I not have a drink?”
“Of course not. I work at a restaurant, as you know. I serve alcohol. I can’t expect the world to revolve around me.”
True story, and a major hurdle I had to overcome.
I look back and can’t even believe the person I was just a short time ago. What a fucking mess.
“I don’t drink that much,” Katelyn says. “I thought a cocktail might be a good idea tonight, though.”
“Oh? Why?”
“To take the edge off.”
“Do I frighten you, Katelyn?”
She smiles. God, she’s gorgeous.
“No, you don’t. But that frightens me.”
I return her smile. In a bizarre way, I get what she’s saying. I shouldn’t be here either, but I’m drawn to her. She’s basically saying that I have the same effect on her.
Which is cool. Really cool. And as she says, a little frightening.
What’s her story?
I can’t ask her, or she’ll want mine. I still don’t believe she was ever an escort in LA or anywhere else. She’s not the right type. Not even close.
Katelyn looks down at her menu, and I feel a loss when her gaze shifts.
“You don’t frighten me, either,” I say.
“Of course I don’t.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means you’re a guy. Guys don’t have to be frightened of women.”
Actually, they do, albeit for different reasons. At least I have reasons to be frightened of women.
But Katelyn doesn’t frighten me.
She intrigues me.
She’s different from most women.
In my previous life, women fell all over me.
Now? I still get a fair amount of attention, but Katelyn’s so different.
She’s not a flirt. She’s not a talker.
God, she so was not an escort. Without flirting and talking, an escort will be out of business in no time flat.
Before we can converse further, David returns with our drinks. “Lemon drop for the lady.” He sets the martini glass full of clear liquid in front of Katelyn. “And sparkling water with lime. Would you like to order an appetizer? Our calamari is excellent.”
I love calamari. “That sounds good. Katelyn?”
“I don’t eat seafood,” she says.
Damn, I’m a moron. She said the same last night.
“Maybe the crispy brussels sprouts,” Katelyn offers.
I smile. “Perfect. Calamari for me and brussels sprouts for the lady.”
“Of course.” David makes a note on his pad. “The chef has two specials tonight. One is a lobster macaroni and cheese, and it’s out of this world. The other is a New York strip with gorgonzola butter, which is served with broccoli rabe and a side of spaghetti marinara.”