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“How
was it?” I asked, smoothing the wrinkles out of my maddening dress.

“Well
the halibut was great, but they were extremely busy with a late lunch rush and
there were no available tables,” my dad grumbled a little bit.

“But
fortunately for us,” my mother took over, “a very nice, young man offered us
his table. We insisted we’d only sit down if he’d continue eating and instead
allowed us to join him for lunch.”

“Very
amicable young man. Knowledgeable and well-read too,” my dad added with a nod
of approval.

Reaching
over, my mom patted my dad on the shoulder. “He and your dad hit if off right
away. You know how your dad is when he gets going,” she said. We all cracked up
in the back seat.

“Oh
yeah, we know,” I teased. Jabbing my hand through the head rest, I poked him in
the neck.

“Hey
now, watch it,” he said, pretending to be offended, but I could tell he was
enjoying the attention.

After
picking a piece of lint off his suit jacket, my mom brushed his collar with her
hand. Glancing back at us, she said, “They talked non-stop about the usual –
current affairs, books, and history, but then your dad turned the conversation
to some of his more curious topics.” She said this with levity, and my dad
grunted at her comment. Crinkling her nose, she widened her eyes and nodded
quickly, indicating it was true. “Things like rocks, minerals, and gems – you
know all of his die-hard favorites, the ones that make the rest of us turn and
run, because we know he’ll go on for hours and hours.”

Laughing,
Ally joked with him, “Sorry Dr. Adams, but we know exactly what she’s talking
about.”

“Ally,
whose side are you on here?” he said good-naturedly. “And since when did you
start calling me Dr. Adams?”

“No
sides, just being real, and sorry Mike.”

“You’ve
been around Alex way too long,” he complained.

“You
know we love you dad,” I blurted out.

Holding
her neck like she’d developed a kink, my mom turned to face forward. “What I’ve
been trying to tell you,” she said in a louder voice, “is that since your cousin
Dawson couldn’t join us for dinner, and we already had dinner reservations for
six, your dad invited the young man we had lunch with to join us this evening.”

Ally
and I exchanged suspicious looks, and I groaned. “How convenient,” I whispered.

“Must
be trying to set you up,” Ally whispered with a cheesy grin.

“Took
some time to talk him into it,” my dad said, “but finally he agreed. I think
you’ll all really like him.”

“Dad,”
I complained. “We don’t even know him. How awkward.”

“Honey,”
my mom interjected, “we’re not asking you to date him. We wanted to return the
favor, and we just thought it might be nice…”

Laughing
silently but hysterically and making all kinds of faces, Ben and Ally were
grating on my nerves, so I gave them a dirty look.

“Ohhh
Dad,” I groaned. “You’re way too friendly sometimes.”

“Well,
if nothing else,” my mom said happily, “you’ll love his eyes. I know how you
are about blue eyes. But his are sort of blue, no green. Well…no, I guess
they’re more like aqua-marine,” she said almost dreamily.

Ben
choked on his gum, and it actually shot out of his mouth and landed on the
backside of the headrest. Jabbing him in the side while looking at me with
astonishment, Ally let out something between a giggle and a gurgle. I simply
sat there wide-eyed in shock with my jaw hanging open. I shook my head in utter
disbelief.

Doubled
over, Ben and Ally snorted and snickered. Not amused, I kicked at Ally but my
shoe, a high-heel, slipped off my foot and flew towards Ben. An outbreak of
full blown laughter erupted from the back seat of the car.

My mom
turned around and said, “What is going on back there?”

In
between giggles Ally said, “Lexi is just having problems adjusting to the heels
we forced her to wear. They don’t seem to want to stay on her feet.”

Sputtering,
Ben took one look at my pursed lips and slapped his hand over his mouth. As his
cheeks puffed out, his already dark skin managed to get even darker. As he
handed the shoe back to me and I put it back on my foot, my mom joined in our
laughter.

An
apologetic expression crossed my mom’s face and she said, “Alexandria, I know
you don’t dress up very often, but I hope you can keep those heels on your
feet.”

“You
look very elegant tonight,” my dad said and caught my eye in the mirror again.

“Anne?”
Ally called out to my mom as Ben pulled stands of his stringy gum off the back
seat.

“Yes,
Ally?”

“Would
the name of that young man joining us for dinner happen to be Jason?” After
giving Ally the dirtiest look I could muster, I glanced anxiously at my mom.

“How
in the world could you possibly know that?” She asked in confusion.

“Oh,”
Ally started to say sweetly, but stopped when I pinched her arm. Glowering at
me, she continued in a neutral tone, “Lexi has met a lot of people at work, and
after you described his eyes it made me think of Jason who works at the
Fairhaven grocery store we often shop at. His eyes are incredible, huh Lex?”
She smiled amiably. Refusing to respond, I locked my jaw and crossed my arms.

Ben
grabbed her shoulder and said, “Hey, watch out. You’re making those of us with
brown eyes feel inferior.”

“Oh,
you know I love your big brown eyes the best,” she replied.

“Looks
like we’re here,” my dad said as he pulled up to the front door. “You all go in
and get seated, and I’ll join you in a minute. Jason said he wouldn’t be here
until a quarter after seven, so he’ll just have to find us when he arrives.

A
short time later we were seated around a large wooden table with an up-close
view of the bay and marina. Even though we were situated next to the window, a
huge line of over-sized windows stretched across the entire dining room
assuring great views from any seat in the restaurant. Nestled in between my
parents, I noted the empty chair would place Jason between my dad and Ben,
which was probably the most ideal. Flickering candles and dim lighting offered
ambiance, while natural wood tones and earthy colors supported the tranquil
atmosphere.

Unfortunately,
I was anything but relaxed. My blood was pounding and my nerves were dancing.
My thoughts flew in a random different directions all at once. I wasn’t sure if
I was upset Jason was joining us for dinner or elated I’d be feasting my eyes
on him again. Having just spent three days with Ash, I was, for some reason,
feeling guilty. Guilty that I’d spent all my time with Ash and now guilty that
I’d be spending time with Jason when I should be with Ash. I was so screwed up
it was almost comical. I was also delighted my parents had met Jason and were
already as smitten with him as I was, on the other hand, I was disappointed I
didn’t get to bring him home and introduce them to him myself. Of course, it
wasn’t likely that ever would have played out anyways.

At
precisely quarter after seven, I jumped up and said, “Excuse me. I need to use
the bathroom.” Not bothering to wait for a response, I walked away as quickly
and as gracefully as I could – which wasn’t easy in Ally’s three inch heels. My
plan was to intercept Jason before he showed up at the table. Besides that, I
needed to get my emotions in check.

Standing
in the waiting area near the front doors, I was grateful our table was on the
lower level and my parents couldn’t spot me from there. Clicking my heel
nervously, I glanced around. Several people were waiting to be seated, so the
area was crowded. Off to my right in the sunken kitchen, several chefs dressed
in black pants and black shirts waltzed gracefully around each other. Pans
clanked, buzzers beeped, and steaks sizzled on the grills. Fresh garlic and
dill floated through the waiting area. Swirls of red and white on a piece of
blown glass caught my eye. The elongated piece stood about four feet tall –
reminding me of a tall, thin witch’s hat.

Someone
bumped into me and I took a step back to catch my balance. I looked up just in
time to watch Jason walk through the first set of huge, glass doors. My heart
stopped and I forgot to breathe. In black slacks and a button down shirt which
was exactly the same color as his eyes, he looked like he’d just stepped out of
GQ magazine. His top two buttons were undone, and my imagination started
running wild. All I could think about was undoing the rest of those buttons and
running my hands over his muscular chest. Refocusing my thoughts, I noticed his
blonde hair was short, like he’d just gotten a haircut, and his smooth-skinned,
angular face was ruggedly handsome. If an editor from
People Magazine
walked in and caught sight of him, I had no doubt his picture would appear in
People’s next
Sexiest Men Alive
issue.

As he
held the door open for an older couple I checked my emotions, closed my mouth,
and started breathing again. I smiled when I heard a couple young girls behind
me talking smack as they were scoping him out.

One
said, “Oh Sarah, check out the hottie at two o’clock.”

“Mmm
Hmm, smokin’ hot bod and killer eyes,” Sarah replied.

Chuckling
at their lingo, an amused smile played upon my lips as I made direct eye
contact with Jason. He stole my breath away. Stopping dead in his tracks, he
stared at me. An unwanted and uncontrollable heat wave surged over my whole
body and rushed across my face. The intensity of his scrutiny was discerning
and similar to his examination of me during our first encounter so long ago.
Smiling, he hastened forward confidently and stopped when he was about a foot
away.

“What’s
the big idea?” I said brusquely and pushed one hand into his chest, partly
because I was irked but mostly because I needed to touch him. His Essence felt
strong, clean, and pure. Good. I would have liked to let my hand linger, but I
knew that wouldn’t be wise.

He
swayed back and forth slightly and managed to stutter, “I…uh…I don’t know what
you mean.” He paused and wet his lips. “Alex, your eyes…you look…you are
absolutely stunning,” he finally announced.

Did he
sound breathless? Glancing down at my attire, I realized he’d never seen me
dressed up. I rarely saw myself dressed up for that matter. My dad had
complimented me as well, telling me I looked sophisticated and beautiful in my
long, silky black gown. But that’s what dad’s were supposed to say. The deep V
neckline was a little lower than I would have liked, and the embellished bodice
was definitely form-fitting. Hearing a compliment from Jason meant more to me
than I cared to admit.

“Thanks,”
I said politely but in a sharp tone added, “Just know that doesn’t get you off
the hook.”

“I
especially like how you’ve pulled your hair up; it’s really nice,” he
continued.

I
frowned. Did he really like it or was he just trying to direct the conversation
away from himself? Ally had pulled my hair up into a loose knot with long
sections on the sides twisted into braids that connected in the back. Leaving a
few wispy strands around my face, she’d called them playful and untamed – perfect
for some end of summer fun. Sounded like a foreign language to me, but then she
did watch way too many fashion shows. Unfortunately, she hadn’t stopped with
the vogue hairstyle, because next she’d pulled out her colorful array of
make-up products. In the end, I’d hardly recognized myself. At least it made
sense that he was gaping at me. This was a big change from the girl in the Nike
hat and cutoffs from our original meeting on the sidewalk.

Reaching
out, he touched a strand of loose hair and wrapped it around his fingers. As he
did, I caught my breath, my heart beat escalated, and my concentration waned.
How that simple gesture could feel so intimate, I didn’t know. But one thing I
did know – he was playing dangerously close to the fire, because I was inches
away from grabbing hold of his face and locking mouths with him. I could wage a
full blown war with a kiss and my Essence.

Instead,
I took a deep, steady breath. “Thanks. You’ll have to give all the credit to
Ally, though. She’s the miracle worker,” I remarked, a hint of skepticism still
lingering in my tone. “What I want to know,” I said in a snappier voice, “is
what you were thinking when you accepted my parents’ invitation to join them
for dinner? You can’t tell me you didn’t figure out who they were sometime
during your lunch conversation.”

Narrowing
his eyes, he frowned and gave me a solemn look. “Alex, I promise that you and
your parents are in no danger.” In a hushed tone he added, “And even though
we’re certain the Ray-pacs are not in town, I made sure I wasn’t followed. I
would never put you in harm’s way. Not ever,” he said adamantly with a shake of
his head, his shoulders tensing.

I
looked at him wide-eyed. How I wished I could tell him that I knew for a fact
that he was safe and the Ray-pacs wouldn’t be following him any time soon.
Gritting my teeth, I clenched my fists. I hated myself for lying to him. What
would he do if he knew I was harboring a Ray-pac? OMG, I didn’t even want to
think about that.

He
must have taken my silence for uncertainty, because he added in a hurried
voice, “I left the marina by boat. I took off in the dinghy going out and
around, and then I moored it here at the Hearthfire. If by chance anyone was
waiting to follow me out of the parking lot they couldn’t, because I never
stepped foot on the pavement. But if you’re still worried about your family’s
safety,” he said with wide eyes, “I will leave now, and you can give them my
apologies.”

A loud
pot crashed to the floor in the kitchen. He glanced that direction, and I contemplated
my next move as I studied his profile. Damn, I wanted to reach out and touch
him. Okay, Lexi – stop and get a grip here. Focus. He’d sounded so sincere,
completely willing to let me make the call on whether he should stay or go. His
thoughtfulness pulled all my heartstrings. In the end, I decided whatever time
I could share with him from here on out, I would take it. Besides, who was I
kidding? There was no way I was letting him walk out that door.