the effort was a dismal failure. At least, she thought, he wouldn't want to hop into bed with her after tonight. She had showered, but that had been it. Her hair was still damp; it felt as if it was plastered to her shoulders. She hadn't bothered with new makeup, and she had thrown on an old tube top and a faded calico wraparound skirt.
And now she was wearing half of the Chinese noodles that had been on the table.
Bryn picked up her glass of wine and nervously downed three-quarters ofit, then tried a polite smile once again. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.
"I like Chinese food," he replied with a shrug. "No date?" Bryn queried, instantly wishing she hadn't. He chuckled. "Not unless you want to consider Mick and Perry dates. They're over there." He waved toward the rear of the room. She had met Mick and Perry earlier in the week. They had both impressed her as being down to earth pleasant men, the opposite of what she had expected. Sandy-haired Perry with his sexy lopsided smile waved to her; Mick, with his sparkling dark eyes, grinned broadly and waved, too.
Bryn waved back,then found her eyes returning of their own accord to meet Lee Condor's.
"Would you...ah...like some cashew chicken? Fried rice, an egg roll, a rib...?"
"Thankyou, no. I've eaten, and I'm all done."
So am I, Bryn thought, looking down at her plate and knowing she wouldn't be able to consume another mouthful.
"I'm...surprised to see you here," she heard herself say lamely.
"I've had a home in Tahoe for the last ten years," he explained. "I know all the spots where the food is really good and the service amiable."
"Oh," Bryn murmured. "They do serve delicious food. And they're very nice. They're always great with the...children."
"She means she's not embarrassed to bring us here," Brian volunteered.
"Brian!"
"Oh, I don't think your aunt is embarrassed to bring you places. It's just that some places are very accustomed to adults, but they don't understand how to feed children--or deal with them. But you know something, Brian? Most people who care about children tend to be nice people. So knowing that they're nice to you here makes me like the restaurant even better.''
"Do you have any children?" Brian asked, wide-eyed. Did Bryn imagine it, or did a flicker of the pain Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
that she had sensed pass quickly through his eyes?
"No, I don't have any children. But I would like to one day."
"A boy?"
"Sure, but I'd take a daughter, too."
"Are you really a red-skinned tom-tom player?"
"Oh, God!"Bryn breathed, frozen in absolute terror as she waited for an explosion of righteous fury.
There was no explosion. His eyes returned to hers, heavily laced with humor."A red-skinned tom-tom player?"
"Are you?" Brian persisted.
"Brian!" Bryn snapped. "I swear to God, I'm going to skin you alive...."
Lee turned his attention back to the boy and repeated the description one more time."A red-skinned tom-tom player.Hmmm. Yes, well, I guess in a way I am."
"You're Lee Condor, aren't you?" Keith asked excitedly. "Yes." He glanced at Bryn with amused reproach. "I guess your aunt forgot her manners, but aunts do that sometimes.'' "Then you really are an Indian?" Brian asked. "Real live," he laughed."Or at least half." Brian looked confused."Which half?" Bryn wanted to sink under the table and die; Lee laughed again and motioned to the waitress. "I think I'm going to order your aunt another drink, and then I'll explain." He glanced at Bryn. "Chablis, isn't it?"
She could only nod. She would gladly have downed the entire bottle if they would have brought it.
Lee ordered another wine for her, glanced at her with an upraised brow and ordered a Scotch for himself.
The drinks arrived quickly, and he sipped his while replying to Brian. "My dad is a full-blooded Blackfoot. But my mom is German. That makes me half Blackfoot and half German.
And all American."
"Oh, wow!" Keith approved.
And now she was wearing half of the Chinese noodles that had been on the table.
Bryn picked up her glass of wine and nervously downed three-quarters ofit, then tried a polite smile once again. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.
"I like Chinese food," he replied with a shrug. "No date?" Bryn queried, instantly wishing she hadn't. He chuckled. "Not unless you want to consider Mick and Perry dates. They're over there." He waved toward the rear of the room. She had met Mick and Perry earlier in the week. They had both impressed her as being down to earth pleasant men, the opposite of what she had expected. Sandy-haired Perry with his sexy lopsided smile waved to her; Mick, with his sparkling dark eyes, grinned broadly and waved, too.
Bryn waved back,then found her eyes returning of their own accord to meet Lee Condor's.
"Would you...ah...like some cashew chicken? Fried rice, an egg roll, a rib...?"
"Thankyou, no. I've eaten, and I'm all done."
So am I, Bryn thought, looking down at her plate and knowing she wouldn't be able to consume another mouthful.
"I'm...surprised to see you here," she heard herself say lamely.
"I've had a home in Tahoe for the last ten years," he explained. "I know all the spots where the food is really good and the service amiable."
"Oh," Bryn murmured. "They do serve delicious food. And they're very nice. They're always great with the...children."
"She means she's not embarrassed to bring us here," Brian volunteered.
"Brian!"
"Oh, I don't think your aunt is embarrassed to bring you places. It's just that some places are very accustomed to adults, but they don't understand how to feed children--or deal with them. But you know something, Brian? Most people who care about children tend to be nice people. So knowing that they're nice to you here makes me like the restaurant even better.''
"Do you have any children?" Brian asked, wide-eyed. Did Bryn imagine it, or did a flicker of the pain Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
that she had sensed pass quickly through his eyes?
"No, I don't have any children. But I would like to one day."
"A boy?"
"Sure, but I'd take a daughter, too."
"Are you really a red-skinned tom-tom player?"
"Oh, God!"Bryn breathed, frozen in absolute terror as she waited for an explosion of righteous fury.
There was no explosion. His eyes returned to hers, heavily laced with humor."A red-skinned tom-tom player?"
"Are you?" Brian persisted.
"Brian!" Bryn snapped. "I swear to God, I'm going to skin you alive...."
Lee turned his attention back to the boy and repeated the description one more time."A red-skinned tom-tom player.Hmmm. Yes, well, I guess in a way I am."
"You're Lee Condor, aren't you?" Keith asked excitedly. "Yes." He glanced at Bryn with amused reproach. "I guess your aunt forgot her manners, but aunts do that sometimes.'' "Then you really are an Indian?" Brian asked. "Real live," he laughed."Or at least half." Brian looked confused."Which half?" Bryn wanted to sink under the table and die; Lee laughed again and motioned to the waitress. "I think I'm going to order your aunt another drink, and then I'll explain." He glanced at Bryn. "Chablis, isn't it?"
She could only nod. She would gladly have downed the entire bottle if they would have brought it.
Lee ordered another wine for her, glanced at her with an upraised brow and ordered a Scotch for himself.
The drinks arrived quickly, and he sipped his while replying to Brian. "My dad is a full-blooded Blackfoot. But my mom is German. That makes me half Blackfoot and half German.
And all American."
"Oh, wow!" Keith approved.
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