he had been watching her and wondered what was on her mind.
“ What’s going on?” he asked uneasily.
“ What do you mean?” Her smile faded a little.
“ Why do you keep staring at me?”
Oddily’s smile widened again. “I’m deciding whether to kiss you or not.”
Maxim threw back his head and laughed while Oddily continued, “Your features are so hypnotizing—especially your eyes.” She reached over and touched his cheek.
Her gentle contact with his flesh stunned him causing an unexpected jolt of electricity to surge through him—a wave of desire he tried to ignore. “What did you decide?”
Oddily shrugged. “I believe it will be a definite, yes!”
Maxim was glad to arrive at the restaurant when they did, and pulled into a parking place near the front entrance. Her answer had aroused him even more, and it became impossible to hide.
“ You’ll enjoy the food here,” he changed the subject while lingering in his seat.
“ Do you eat here often?”
“ No, I don’t care much for restaurants.”
Oddily waited for him to climb out of the car, but he remained seated. He acted embarrassed about something, and that something was probably her. He must have changed his mind over their public appearance together, and didn’t know how to get rid of her.
“ We don’t need to go inside if you don’t want to,” she steadied her shaking voice, trying to make it easy for him. “Besides, I’m not very hungry.” As if on cue, her stomach growled.
Oddily’s comments stunned Maxim so much, his immediate issue resolved itself. “We’re eating.” His words sounded blunt and final as he jumped out and rounded the car.
Maxim led her into the Hide-A-Way Inn, set back from the hustle and bustle of the busy town. At Maxim’s request, they found a table outside in the quaint garden with vines growing over thick brick walls. The Inn was usually packed for early dinners, but it was early enough for the two of them to be seated quickly. Maxim asked for the table in the far corner, hidden behind a trellis of ivy.
Oddily gave the secret hideaway an exploratory once over, and then slipped into the nearest chair facing the wall. Maxim, however, remained standing with his chair pulled out. She wondered why such an odd expression came over his face after she took her seat.
Suddenly, Oddily felt the familiar knot in her stomach when the answer dawned on her. He had been holding out the chair for her. He wanted to sit in the seat she had taken with his back to the other tables. He didn’t want to be seen with her.
Oddily got ready to leave the virtual world after she realized that even in a game she couldn’t get away from rejection. To her shame, tears began to puddle in her eyes, and she got up to leave; but Maxim had stopped her before she passed him, his hand gently grabbing her by the arm.
“ Oddily, what’s wrong?” His intense eyes grew large after she shied away from his touch.
“ You’re ashamed to be seen with me,” she said, embarrassed.
“ I’m sorry,” he was surprised by the hurt tone in her voice. “I guess my need for privacy can sometimes be misconstrued. Please don’t take my actions personally. I want to be here with you.”
Oddily continued to frown in response.
Maxim started to stroke Oddily’s forearm with his finger. “If I didn’t want to be seen with you, I wouldn’t be here right now,” he gave her a half smile.
Oddily drew a deep breath and turned her bewildered gaze to the floor. The sadness on her face appeared to be genuine, how could anyone think otherwise.
“ Let’s start over,” he gestured to the chair that still waited for her. Oddily wiped at fresh tears with the back of her hand, and her crooked grin returned.
Maxim sat across from the redhead and stared, trying to understand the girl before him. There was something in her eyes conveying rejection and loneliness that caused him to sway a little.
“ You’ve got nice lips,” he volunteered.
“ What’s going on?” he asked uneasily.
“ What do you mean?” Her smile faded a little.
“ Why do you keep staring at me?”
Oddily’s smile widened again. “I’m deciding whether to kiss you or not.”
Maxim threw back his head and laughed while Oddily continued, “Your features are so hypnotizing—especially your eyes.” She reached over and touched his cheek.
Her gentle contact with his flesh stunned him causing an unexpected jolt of electricity to surge through him—a wave of desire he tried to ignore. “What did you decide?”
Oddily shrugged. “I believe it will be a definite, yes!”
Maxim was glad to arrive at the restaurant when they did, and pulled into a parking place near the front entrance. Her answer had aroused him even more, and it became impossible to hide.
“ You’ll enjoy the food here,” he changed the subject while lingering in his seat.
“ Do you eat here often?”
“ No, I don’t care much for restaurants.”
Oddily waited for him to climb out of the car, but he remained seated. He acted embarrassed about something, and that something was probably her. He must have changed his mind over their public appearance together, and didn’t know how to get rid of her.
“ We don’t need to go inside if you don’t want to,” she steadied her shaking voice, trying to make it easy for him. “Besides, I’m not very hungry.” As if on cue, her stomach growled.
Oddily’s comments stunned Maxim so much, his immediate issue resolved itself. “We’re eating.” His words sounded blunt and final as he jumped out and rounded the car.
Maxim led her into the Hide-A-Way Inn, set back from the hustle and bustle of the busy town. At Maxim’s request, they found a table outside in the quaint garden with vines growing over thick brick walls. The Inn was usually packed for early dinners, but it was early enough for the two of them to be seated quickly. Maxim asked for the table in the far corner, hidden behind a trellis of ivy.
Oddily gave the secret hideaway an exploratory once over, and then slipped into the nearest chair facing the wall. Maxim, however, remained standing with his chair pulled out. She wondered why such an odd expression came over his face after she took her seat.
Suddenly, Oddily felt the familiar knot in her stomach when the answer dawned on her. He had been holding out the chair for her. He wanted to sit in the seat she had taken with his back to the other tables. He didn’t want to be seen with her.
Oddily got ready to leave the virtual world after she realized that even in a game she couldn’t get away from rejection. To her shame, tears began to puddle in her eyes, and she got up to leave; but Maxim had stopped her before she passed him, his hand gently grabbing her by the arm.
“ Oddily, what’s wrong?” His intense eyes grew large after she shied away from his touch.
“ You’re ashamed to be seen with me,” she said, embarrassed.
“ I’m sorry,” he was surprised by the hurt tone in her voice. “I guess my need for privacy can sometimes be misconstrued. Please don’t take my actions personally. I want to be here with you.”
Oddily continued to frown in response.
Maxim started to stroke Oddily’s forearm with his finger. “If I didn’t want to be seen with you, I wouldn’t be here right now,” he gave her a half smile.
Oddily drew a deep breath and turned her bewildered gaze to the floor. The sadness on her face appeared to be genuine, how could anyone think otherwise.
“ Let’s start over,” he gestured to the chair that still waited for her. Oddily wiped at fresh tears with the back of her hand, and her crooked grin returned.
Maxim sat across from the redhead and stared, trying to understand the girl before him. There was something in her eyes conveying rejection and loneliness that caused him to sway a little.
“ You’ve got nice lips,” he volunteered.
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