Page 68 of Whispers and Wildfire
Except I was bored.
It wasn’t even Hank’s fault. He wasn’t boring. He was fine. I couldn’t understand it. How could I feel… nothing?
The clink of dishes and low hum of conversation surrounded us. The restaurant he’d chosen was pleasant—probably one of the nicer places in town. It was small and intimate, with dark hardwood floors, black-and-white artwork adorning the walls, and candles flickering on tables draped in white linens. And although only a few open tables were left, it didn’t feel crowded.
I drew my attention back to Hank. He’d been talking about how much he loved vacationing in Hawaii.
“The snorkeling was fantastic, but I think my favorite part was swimming with sharks,” he said.
“Sharks? You swam with sharks. Actual predators that could eat you.”
He laughed a little. “I did, and it was amazing. It’s all very safe. Or as safe as they can make it.”
I shook my head slowly. “No, thank you. Snorkeling with pretty fish is one thing, but I wouldn’t get anywhere near a shark. Especially on purpose.”
“Fair enough.”
“I’ve never been to Hawaii. I’d love to go someday. Minus the shark swimming.”
He didn’t reply—just went back to his dinner. A hint of awkwardness crept over our table. I hadn’t meant to insinuate that I hoped he’d take me to Hawaii, but maybe the way I’d said it had given him that impression.
I took a bite of my mushroom risotto, letting the silence linger. Did I want to go to Hawaii with Hank? A vacation in a beautiful place certainly had appeal, but I didn’t have any particular desire to go there with him.
Before I could finish thinking about what that obviously meant, the door opened, and Luke Haven walked in.
The sight of him in a button-down shirt and slacks made my insides swirl. But the tingle in my stomach was quickly replaced by queasiness as I watched a beautiful blond woman come in with him.
She was the one he’d been talking to at the garage. Tearing my eyes away, I took another bite. He’d said nothing was going on with her. Liar, liar, pants on fire, Luke. Clearly nothing was something, considering they were on a date.
Of course they’d come to the same restaurant. For a small town, Tilikum had plenty of dining choices. How was it possible we’d both wind up here?
Whatever. I’d just ignore them.
“So,” I said, hoping to reignite the conversation with Hank, “where else have you gone snorkeling?”
He started to answer, telling me about snorkeling in the Bahamas. I kept my eyes on him, trying to listen attentively, while my peripheral vision caught sight of Luke and his date being seated a few tables away.
Without really meaning to, I glanced over. For a second, my eyes met Luke’s. His narrowed. Mine narrowed back, then I snatched my gaze away.
“That sounds amazing,” I said. Fortunately, I’d been keeping up with most of what Hank had been saying. “I’ve never heard of a porcupinefish. Are they dangerous?”
“Not at all. Sometimes people confuse them with pufferfish, but they’re not poisonous. They’re quite laid-back, actually. Sometimes they’re called the cows of the Caribbean.”
I smiled. “That’s cute.”
“What about you? Do you like to travel?”
My gaze flicked to Luke, and our eyes met for half a second. Why was he looking at me? It was bad enough that he was there—with a stupid date. Couldn’t he keep his eyes on her? Fine, I’d looked at him too, but only the teeniest glance.
“I do like to travel,” I answered. “Although I haven’t done as much of it as I’d like. I don’t mean to make it weird or turn this into an ex-bashing session, but I was with a man who hated anything that took him away from work. That kind of limited my travel opportunities.”
“That’s too bad. It’s important to have good work-life balance.”
“I agree.”
I glanced at Luke’s table again. It was as if my eyes had a mind of their own. I didn’t want to look at him, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.
And why did he keep glancing in my direction at exactlythe same time? Our eyes met again, and I almost dropped my fork.
