Page 100 of Dancing in the Rain

“You look like you’ve lost weight.” He frowned.

“Why, thank you.”

“You didn’t need to lose weight.”

She grimaced. “I know. I haven’t been trying. Just…stressed. You know.”

He nodded sympathetically. The server came and he ordered the soft shell crab, and Peyton gave in to the temptation of delicious greasy fish and French fries.

Once their menus had been removed, she folded her hands on the table and glanced around.

Then she froze as she made eye contact with Drew across the room. He was staring at her with an intense scowl.

She blinked and lifted her hand in a wave, a smile breaking out on her face, although the scowl took her aback.

“Someone you know?”

“Yes…Drew. Chloe’s dad.”

“Oh, yeah. I saw him at the funeral. Cool dude.” He glanced around briefly, too.

“I should go say hi. Excuse me for a minute?”

“Of course.”

She rose and crossed over to the booth where Drew sat with another man, a little older than him. “Hi!” she greeted him. “I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“Yeah, me, either.” Dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a striped shirt, his usually unruly hair neatly brushed back, Drew rose and so did his companion. “Peyton, this is Jack Shipton. Jack, Peyton Watt.”

“Good to meet you.” Jack shook her hand.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting,” she said with a smile. “Just wanted to say hi.”

“Not a problem. Just a business lunch,” Drew said vaguely, his face still tight. He sent a sharp glance across the restaurant toward Jax. “You?”

She studied Drew with raised eyebrows. “I’m having lunch with a friend.”

Tension emanated from his taut body and his thinned lips, so she didn’t elaborate any further.

“I should get back to him. Enjoy your lunch.”

She returned to the table where Jax sat. “Yeesh,” she muttered, reaching for her water glass.

“What’s up? He didn’t look very friendly.”

She waved a hand. “No idea. So. What’s new at Campbell?”

He sighed. “Nothing. That’s the problem.”

They talked shop for a while, Jax sharing his frustration about dealing with the same old clients, same old problems, and management that wasn’t interested in exploring new technologies or taking on different kinds of clients.

“We were a good team,” he said. “You’re good at dealing with the PR stuff. I’m good at the technology.”

“Wewerea good team.” She smiled. “But I left for the same reasons you’re unhappy about.”

“And yet you’re not completely happy at Sentinel, either, are you?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Not completely. I have great clients. And a great team. The micromanagement from my boss gets to me, though. I’ve learned a lot from him but our personalities just don’t mesh.”

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