Page 22 of Inception

I spun around to quiet her, pumping the air brakes. “There’s nothing to say,” I said, dousing her fire. “He helped me with a rude customer and I thanked him.” I grabbed my bin and returned to the main hall, Taylor right in tow.

“Come on, what else?” she probed. “I know there’s more.”

“There isn’t,” I insisted as I picked up a litter of glasses from one of the party tables, though the truth was, I wasn’t even sure of it myself. I definitely felt something. And he definitely asked about my work schedule, but what that meant—if anything—I had no idea.

“God, the way he was looking at you,” she said as she leaned back against the table, her eyes sailing through the cosmos. “I wish you could have seen it from where I was standing.”

“What do you mean?” I immediately halted, eating up every word by the spoonful. “How did it look?”

“Like he wanted to devour you,” she giggled.

“Shut up,” I said, though my face was screaming, tell me everything!

“So I guess you don’t want to know about how he was eying you all night, or how he practically flew across the room when that guy grabbed you,” she teased.

I rolled my eyes. I could hardly believe it.

“I swear,” she said, noting my expression and then continued through laughter. “I’ve never seen anyone so eager to start a fight with a stranger!”

I laughed too but sobered quickly, remembering my fear. “Thank God he was here. That creep scared the hell out of me.”

“Taylor,” called Trace just then. “We’re locking up.”

“How are you getting home?” she asked me. “I’m riding with Hannah but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind giving you a lift.”

I shook my head. “It’s cool. I have a ride.” I think.

“Kay,” she smiled big. “I’m out then. Call me tomorrow!”

I nodded that I would and watched her strut away, passing Trace on her way to the door. I moved to another table and had time to clear a few more glasses before he was by my side.

“Think you’ll be back tomorrow?” he asked as he placed the chairs on top of the table I’d just wiped down.

“Bright and early…unless my uncle has a change of heart and decides that mooching off of him is a totally acceptable alternative.”

“Great,” he said, sort of under his breath.

“Is it?” I had to ask. He’d made it obvious that he didn’t want me taking this job, or hanging around here for that matter. “I mean, is this going to be a problem?”

Maybe putting him on the spot like this might actually yield a straight response.

“You can probably head out now,” he said without looking up as he lifted two more chairs. “They got this,” he gestured to April, Zane, and Sawyer across the way. The other waitress, Paula Dawson, was already packing up her things.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

He shook his head and picked up the bucket of dishes from my table. “It’s covered.”

I shrugged, “Nice.” No sense in arguing there, I thought, and started moving before he changed his mind.

I felt him latch onto my arm as I passed him. My skin hummed in response to his touch.

“Do you have a ride?” he asked, holding me to his side as he peered down at me through his stirring eyes; deep soulful eyes that made me long to know the history behind them.

I nodded, struggling not to lose myself in the pools of liquid blue. “It’s covered.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t let go of my arm, or my gaze.

---