“We will both have a sweet tea, please,” I sing in a love-struck voice, looking directly at Travis as he holds my stare. When she’s gone, Travis arches his brow in reply to my power play, looking somewhat surprised that I’ve staked a claim on him. I’m somewhat surprised myself. He looks down and gazes at the ring, then gently begins rolling his thumb over the top of the sparkly diamond in quiet contemplation. The way he’s possessively fondling the engagement ring on my finger sends a warm, fuzzy feeling through me, and the way he’s staring at it in silence speaks volumes.
He breaks through the silence, murmuring in a low, husky voice, “You wear this well.” He lifts his chin, meeting my eyes with determined resoluteness. “You will say yes. It might not be today, but you will say yes.” His words make my belly flip, and he lightly squeezes my hand as if he's sealing the deal.
The silence lays heavy between us for a minute, and then he blinks his eyes, shaking his head as if he was caught in a daydream. His eyes quickly glance toward the restaurant door, and immediately, all the anxiety that lay dormant reawakens. I sit up straight, on edge, not knowing what he sees behind me. “Just relax. I’ve got you,” he says as he softly smiles, trying to reassure me. “Nothing is going on. I just got lost for a moment.” My shoulders slump in relief. “This is what you do to me, Jules. I sometimes can’t think straight when I’m around you,” he confesses. Yeah, well I feel the same way.
Nonchalantly, I scan the interior of the cafe and notice very few patrons fill the tables. I suppose it’s because the lunch hour rush hasn’t hit yet. Travis squeezes my hand, garnering my attention. When I look at him, he’s looking at me as if he wants to tell me he loves me. I can see it in his eyes. It takes my breath away. I’ve seen this look before a few times, actually hoping he’d say it, but that was before. Now that I have my memory back, I remember all the lies. My heart squeezes in pain, and I need a little air to get myself back under control.
I’m not ready to hear those three little words, if that’s what he’s trying to tell me right now. There’s simply too much chaos swirling around in my head to add another complication to whatever this is between us. Before he has a chance to say anything, I need to leave. “Travis, I’d like to use the restroom. Is that okay?” His lips thin, and he looks disappointed. The moment is lost. I can tell he’s not happy, but he lets go of my hands, setting me free with a small sigh.
I quickly look around for the restroom signs, spot them, and slip out of the booth. My heart pounds in my chest with each step I take toward the bathroom. I take my sweet time in the bathroom, stalling, trying to calm my frayed nerves. Now is not the time to think about conflicting feelings and emotions over a man. I have much bigger problems to contend with than being analytical over something so shallow.
Dammit, Jules, pull yourself together. I’ve never been one of those wishy-washy women who let their emotions yo-yo over a man, yet it appears that way now. I have to focus on the matter at hand, which is staying alive. I’m sure a good five minutes have gone by, and I don’t need Travis making a scene by busting into the ladies’ room; I can see it now. I stifle a giggle. I’m sure there’s not a woman on God’s green Earth who wouldn’t mind him tromping into the ladies’ room.
I step through the bathroom door and run face-first into a solid wall of muscle, also known as Travis. He’s like hitting a brick wall at top speed, and I bounce right off him. Instinctively, I grab onto both sides of his waist to keep from rebounding and falling flat on my ass. The muscles in his body are tense, and I find it odd he doesn’t even turn around to see if I’m okay. Not acknowledging the fact it could be anyone who’s just rammed into the backside of him, my forehead wrinkles in confusion. I lean around his waist to get a look at his face. “Travis, what’s—” I stop mid-sentence, stunned frozen at the sight before me.
“Ahh, there she is—the lady of the hour,” a tall brooding man sneers at me with dark menacing eyes. “You’ve certainly sent us on a wild goose chase, young lady.” Chills of terror race through my veins. “Step away, and there won’t be any problems,” the man says with a contemptible smirk on his face. Scanning the length him, I notice he has a gun pressing against Travis’ ribcage, and I lose my breath.