Page 54 of Indiscretion

“Or dairy.”

“Well, that’s part of being vegan. I don’t eat animals or foods that come from animals.”

He grinned. “Like I said, one of us isn’t picky. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

I ordered us two different dishes. A chicken parm and a sunchoke risotto, and the waitress left us with a basket of sourdough gluten-free bread and garlic butter.

Dawson grabbed a piece of bread. “So let me get this straight, the chicken parm isn’t actually chicken and the garlic butter doesn’t actually have butter in it?”

I smiled. “That’s right.”

“Is the garlic garlic?”

I chuckled. “I think so.”

Dawson bit into his bread. He made a face but didn’t say anything. “So tell me about your date?”

“I told you, it wasn’t a date.”

“Did you eat together?”

“Yes.”

“Drink wine?”

“Yes.”

“And what restaurant did you go to?”

I sighed. “We didn’t. We had takeout at his place.”

Dawson frowned. “He wants in your pants.”

“He was tired. It took him twenty-six hours to get home from Mumbai the day before. Not everyone has an agenda. Haven’t you ever picked up a friend and shared a meal with some drinks?”

“Sure, Ben.”

“I meant a woman.”

“Nope.”

“So you don’t have any female friends?”

“Not good-looking ones I’d share a meal with alone in my apartment.”

“Well, that’s just sad. Because women and men can be friends.”

Dawson folded his arms across his chest. “No, they can’t. Not when you’re attracted to each other.”

“I seem to remember you told me you think I’m beautiful not too long ago. Yet we’re sitting here, aren’t we?”

“And we’d be back at my place with me eating something a hell of a lot better than the shit we’re going to eat here, if you were good with that.”

My jaw fell open. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s crass.”

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