“The only good snake is a dead snake,” she muttered.
He laughed. “Well, on that we agree. I once shot a water moccasin out of the backseat of my patrol car. Got wrote up for destruction of city property.”
She gaped at him. “You’re kidding!”
He shook his head. “Nope. No idea how it got in there, but I damn near flipped the car when I looked in my rearview mirror and saw it slithering across the backseat.”
An all-over shudder wracked her body. “I think I’d need therapy after that.”
“Some might argue I needed therapy long before the snake incident,” he said with a grin.
She rolled her eyes but laughed and shoved an elbow into his side.
They acted like goofy teenagers out on their first date. They held hands, traded ice cream and laughed at the antics of the zoo animals.
By the time they made their way back out to his truck, they were flushed from the heat, but Payton glowed from head to toe.
“Have a good time?” he asked as he started the engine and turned the air conditioning on full blast.
“The best!”
“Want to go back to the hotel, grab a shower then get something to eat?”
“Mmm, only if I get to choose the place,” she said, flashing him a sideways look.
“Bear in mind the fanciest thing I brought was a pair of unfaded jeans and a newer T-shirt,” he warned.
“Oh, I think you’ll be fine. There’s a casual place a few blocks from my apartment. It’s small, intimate, a little dark, and they have the best jazz band on the weekends.”
Small, dark and intimate sounded real good to him right now. He wanted to be closer to her. Wanted to touch her and enjoy the feel of her in his arms.
He couldn’t ever remember enjoying himself as much as he had this weekend and the last. He was at a loss to explain why, but nothing in his past compared to the reality of Payton.
Being with her made him feel happy. Carefree. In a way no one else made him feel. He was comfortable. At ease. He loved the way she lit up, the way she expressed delight over the smallest things. He found himself wanting to do things to make her smile, because God, she had a gorgeous smile.
He watched her from the corner of his eye as he drove out of the zoo parking lot. Then he eased his hand over to take hers. She turned to him and smiled, and he swore he went positively weak. Their palms brushed and she clutched his fingers with hers.
They made a quick run by Payton’s apartment to get a change of clothes for her, and then they headed for the hotel.
There they showered together, and he made love to her against the shower wall, the warm water cascading over their bodies. Afterward, he dried them both off and they dressed for dinner.
It only took a few minutes to drive to the club, and as Payton had warned, it was small, housed in the very end of a tiny strip mall.
They walked into the darkened interior, and Wes gazed appreciatively at the intimate setting. There were about ten wooden tables sporting simple tablecloths and adorned with flickering candles. In front was a diminutive platform that must serve as the stage.
To the right a bar with three stools lined the wall, and a waitress wearing a slinky black
dress stood arranging drinks on a tray.
Payton looked down at her watch. “We have about fifteen minutes before the band will start. Time enough to sit down and get our food.”
He nodded and let her lead him to the far right of the room. She chose a table that afforded them the most privacy while still giving them the ability to view the stage.
When they sat, another waitress in a similar dress as the other server he’d seen walked up with a broad smile.
“Payton! It’s good to see you again,” the waitress exclaimed.
Payton glanced up in surprise. “Hey, Laura, how are you?”
“I’m great. Did you go to Brenda’s wedding last weekend?”
Payton nodded. “Laura, I want you to meet someone. This is Wes Hoffman. He and I knew each other from high school.”
Wes fidgeted in his chair, bothered by the introduction. Why, he wasn’t sure, but it made him seem like nothing more than a passing acquaintance, a catch-up session with an old friend.
And maybe that was what it was.
“Hi, Wes,” Laura said brightly.
He gave her his best killer smile. “Very nice to meet you, Laura.”
Her eyes widened appreciatively before she cleared her throat and turned back to Payton. “You guys going to eat?”
Payton nodded.
“What’ll you have to drink then?”
“I’ll take a glass of the house wine.”
Laura turned to Wes. “And you?”
“I’ll take whatever beer you have on tap.”
“Okay, I’ll get your drinks right out,” Laura said before she walked off at a brisk pace.
Wes looked at Payton in confusion. “But we didn’t order food. Or get a menu even.”
She laughed, the rich, husky sound floating over him. “They only serve one thing here. Prime rib, medium rare, with a house salad and baked potato. For dessert they serve pecan pie.”
His mouth watered. “They’re speaking my language.”
“Somehow I imagined you wouldn’t object to steak.”
“I need the protein,” he protested. “You’ve worn me out. No telling how much muscle I’ve lost.”
Her cheeks went decidedly pink in the soft candlelight, but she only smiled and winked. “There are worse ways to get your exercise.”
He burst into laughter. “You got that right.”
A minute later, Laura returned with their drinks and a few minutes after that, the band began setting up. By the time they got their food, the first strains of music filled the room.
He stared at Payton as they ate, watched how she focused in on the musicians, how she seemed to enjoy every aspect of the experience. She was obviously a person who derived pleasure from even the simplest things. Their trip to the zoo had delighted her, and she’d spent the entire afternoon with an exuberant smile on her face.
He’d found himself wanting to do more, using any excuse to make her light up.
“Let’s dance,” she said, her blue eyes glowing in the dim light.
And here again, he wanted to do whatever would put a smile on her lips. He wasn’t a dancer by any stretch of the imagination. Two left feet didn’t exactly cover his lack of grace. But if she wanted to dance, then he’d dance. He’d use any excuse to get close to her, press her body to his.
Wes stood and held out his hand to her. She took it and stood in front of him. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms right there by the table.