Page 42 of Vas

Vas was happy to note the ambiance hadn’t magically transformed into something stiff and formal since he’d visited the day before. In fact, the only change was the diners who now filled the tables. The place was packed, making him doubly glad he’d booked one of the private dining rooms.

Vas kept a careful eye on Anya, trying to gauge her reaction as they followed their hostess to the back of the restaurant, but it wasn’t until they were shown their room that she said anything.

Her eyes widened. “This is great. I wasn’t expecting a private dining room.”

They walked into a space decorated like a small living room with a modern-rustic charm. An overstuffed sofa and wooden coffee table sat angled before a crackling fireplace and a small table set for two was situated in front of a large bank of picture windows that had a jaw-dropping view of the Pacific Ocean.

“Please make yourselves comfortable.Champagne and hors d’oeuvreswill be in shortly.”

Anya raised her brows as soon as the hostess stepped out and closed the door. “Champagne and hors d’oeuvres?”

Vas held up his hands. “I promise, only the food is fancy. The rest, as you can see is…” He looked around the room designed to give off the feelings of warmth and intimacy, thinking of a good word.

“An oxymoron?”

He smiled. “That’s a good way of putting it.” He steered her to the couch with a hand at the small of her back. She’d removed her coat when they’d walked in and now held it draped over her arm. He took it from her and tossed it over the back of the sofa along with his own jacket.

“This place is really something,” she continued her approval, sinking into the sofa, and Vas couldn’t help but feel a bit proud at a job well done.

He sat as well, angling his body toward hers before casually crossing an ankle at his knee. “I was hoping you’d like it.”

A server came in, carrying a tray and a bucket holding an open bottle of champagne. He set them on the table. “My name’s Andy. Dinner will be served in a half hour. If you need anything before then ring the bell by the door.”

Vas stood once the server left, picking up the bottle. “Champagne?”

“Yes, please.”

He poured her a glass and sat back down.

“You don’t want any?” she asked, taking a sip.

“No.”

“Because you’re driving?”

“No. I don’t usually drink alcohol. I don’t like when my senses are impaired.”

“Oh, well, I can understand that.” Her lips twisted into a rueful smile. “We already know what can happen with a bottle of wine and a cell phone.”

She referred to her accidental drunk text. “I like to think of that as a happy accident.”

Her smile grew broader. “Then I will too.”

She inspected the appetizers and picked up a cracker that had what looked like a crab mixture on top. He watched her eat the morsel and lick her thumb when she was done.

She took another sip of champagne. “You’re staring.”

“Sorry.” But he wasn’t sorry and he didn’t stop staring. “Why were you fired from your last job?” He had planned to wait until after their meal to ask, but he had already waited almost twenty-four hours and his patience had come to an end.

She polished off the last of her drink and leaned forward to set the glass down on the table. “You held out longer than I thought you would. I was sure you’d have asked in the car.”

“I wanted to give you my full attention.”

“It’s really not that big a deal. I’m sure it’s a story that’s been told a million times.” Her words said one thing but her body language told another as she sank back into the cushions, crossing her legs and folding her arms over her chest.

Vas took in her defensive posture with a critical eye, his body tensing for a blow. “Why don’t you let me be the judge of whether it’s a big deal or not.”

Defeat was heard clearly in her sigh. “Fine. Here it is in a nutshell. You remember I said I worked at El Verde Country Club?” She waited for his nod before continuing, “What you probably don’t know is it’s a family-owned business. My boss was the owner’s son’s best friend and he thought that made him untouchable. As you can imagine, that made him very powerful and very arrogant. It also made him a first-class playboy and an all-around asshole.”

---