Darla took her pen from behind her ear and tapped the end against her order pad. “No one will be mean, and I’m not judging you or the grabby-hands thing outside because I’m all for this relationship, but—”
He cleared his throat. “I think what you’re trying to say is that people will think we had a skanky one-night stand and moved on unless they see us together today.”
“Right, but in a nicer way because Cassidy here is starting to look a little green around the mouth.”
“You’ve both got to be kidding. We had dinner. We didn’t strip naked and crawl up on the counter to put on a show.” Cassidy wanted to bang her head against the table. The two pair of eyes staring at her—one concerned and one interested—stopped her, but just barely.
“You dreamed up that scenario kind of fast,” he said.
Do not blush. Do not blush.
“Being seen with Mitch this morning puts all that nasty gossip to rest. Well on the once-and-done issue, so no one thinks it was a bam-and-run.” Darla leaned in. “Which is a little touchy since you’re wearing the same thing today that you wore last night to dinner.”
Cassidy dropped her arms to the table and ignored the stares she got from the other tables as a result of the loud smack. “I need to start eating somewhere else.”
“This is still the best choice in town.” Mitch reached across and took a long drink from her water glass.
“It’s like I stepped back into the 1700s.”
“If you’d kissed me in in public back then, we’d already be married.”
She had no idea what to say to that. “I think I should leave.”
“You’re not going anywhere until we have a little talk.” The intensity of his stare didn’t let up until he turned and smiled at Darla. “Can I have coffee and eggs over easy. It’s early but I’ve worked up an appetite.”
“I’m sure you have, hon.” Darla winked at him. “Cassidy, anything for you?”
“An air sickness bag, or whatever the equivalent is on the ground.”
Mitch slipped his hand over hers. “Didn’t you eat with Allan?”
The touch zinged right through her. What was grumbling hunger deep in her belly morphed into something else. Something that flipped and spun and had her reaching her free hand to press against it.
She glanced down to where his fingers covered hers. When she looked up again, she noticed quite a few of the diner patrons were checking out the handhold too.
Having spectators broke the spell weaving around her. “He never showed.”
“Be right back.” Darla tapped her order book against the table then rushed off to a customer who was waving a check in the air.
All around them the room buzzed with activity. Cassidy noticed for the first time that almost every booth had people packed on its benches. There were men lined up at the counter, several of whom threw her glances over their shoulders. Sitting there, they were on display. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.
“Schmidt’s hasn’t seen this much activity…ever,” he said as if reading her mind. “And before you ask, the reason is you. This is what we call gawking traffic. You’re probably the best thing to happen to the diner in two decades.”
“I guess I should be flattered.” But she was too busy watching his thumb rub against the back of her hand, feeling skin against skin and trying not to tremble in reaction.
“Look at it as being a crowd pleaser.” His fingers tightened on hers for a second then they were gone. He pulled back and balled his hands into fists in front of her.
She guessed he remembered how much she ticked him off. The air grew thick enough to choke her. Tension radiated off him and smacked her in the face.
She could play this one of a thousand ways. Ignore, justify… “Look, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
When his face stayed blank the small amount of confidence she’d stored up for this encounter crumbled. “Huh?”
“The lying, the trespassing, throwing me in shit? Any or
He cleared his throat. “I think what you’re trying to say is that people will think we had a skanky one-night stand and moved on unless they see us together today.”
“Right, but in a nicer way because Cassidy here is starting to look a little green around the mouth.”
“You’ve both got to be kidding. We had dinner. We didn’t strip naked and crawl up on the counter to put on a show.” Cassidy wanted to bang her head against the table. The two pair of eyes staring at her—one concerned and one interested—stopped her, but just barely.
“You dreamed up that scenario kind of fast,” he said.
Do not blush. Do not blush.
“Being seen with Mitch this morning puts all that nasty gossip to rest. Well on the once-and-done issue, so no one thinks it was a bam-and-run.” Darla leaned in. “Which is a little touchy since you’re wearing the same thing today that you wore last night to dinner.”
Cassidy dropped her arms to the table and ignored the stares she got from the other tables as a result of the loud smack. “I need to start eating somewhere else.”
“This is still the best choice in town.” Mitch reached across and took a long drink from her water glass.
“It’s like I stepped back into the 1700s.”
“If you’d kissed me in in public back then, we’d already be married.”
She had no idea what to say to that. “I think I should leave.”
“You’re not going anywhere until we have a little talk.” The intensity of his stare didn’t let up until he turned and smiled at Darla. “Can I have coffee and eggs over easy. It’s early but I’ve worked up an appetite.”
“I’m sure you have, hon.” Darla winked at him. “Cassidy, anything for you?”
“An air sickness bag, or whatever the equivalent is on the ground.”
Mitch slipped his hand over hers. “Didn’t you eat with Allan?”
The touch zinged right through her. What was grumbling hunger deep in her belly morphed into something else. Something that flipped and spun and had her reaching her free hand to press against it.
She glanced down to where his fingers covered hers. When she looked up again, she noticed quite a few of the diner patrons were checking out the handhold too.
Having spectators broke the spell weaving around her. “He never showed.”
“Be right back.” Darla tapped her order book against the table then rushed off to a customer who was waving a check in the air.
All around them the room buzzed with activity. Cassidy noticed for the first time that almost every booth had people packed on its benches. There were men lined up at the counter, several of whom threw her glances over their shoulders. Sitting there, they were on display. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.
“Schmidt’s hasn’t seen this much activity…ever,” he said as if reading her mind. “And before you ask, the reason is you. This is what we call gawking traffic. You’re probably the best thing to happen to the diner in two decades.”
“I guess I should be flattered.” But she was too busy watching his thumb rub against the back of her hand, feeling skin against skin and trying not to tremble in reaction.
“Look at it as being a crowd pleaser.” His fingers tightened on hers for a second then they were gone. He pulled back and balled his hands into fists in front of her.
She guessed he remembered how much she ticked him off. The air grew thick enough to choke her. Tension radiated off him and smacked her in the face.
She could play this one of a thousand ways. Ignore, justify… “Look, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
When his face stayed blank the small amount of confidence she’d stored up for this encounter crumbled. “Huh?”
“The lying, the trespassing, throwing me in shit? Any or
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