Page 35 of Ra
“I’ll go get some for us.”
He gave her a single nod and remained seated as she got up and started across the restaurant toward the dessert tables. The moment she was out of earshot, he leaned across their table to gain the attention of the men seated at the table behind Azi. “If you do not stop staring at my woman as she walks away, I will remove your eyes from your worthless skull and have them for dessert!” he growled.
The man with his back to him turned quickly to see who threatened them. “Are you threatening us?”
“Yes.”
“We are not even looking at your woman!” he objected.
“You are not, but you are treading dangerously near to joining your friend in being sightless.”
“He’s not looking at her either.”
Ra glared at his friend, who simply grinned at him.
“She’s a beautiful woman, with an idiot for a dining companion. She deserves more,” the friend said.
“She has all she needs. Stop staring so salaciously at her, otherwise I will see to it that you no longer see a single thing, least of all my woman.”
The man’s gaze flicked from Ra to the left and Ra looked up in time to see Azi coming back toward their table carrying two large plates.
“I couldn’t decide which I wanted so I got several to choose from,” she said as she put the plates on the table and sat down, oblivious to the man at the table behind her, staring daringly at Ra.
“What would you like to try first?”
“I will save the cheesy cakes for last. I want that one,” he said, pointing to a dessert made with lemon curd and phyllo dough.
“Oh, good choice. That’s one of my favorites, too.”
They sat, sharing and enjoying the selection of desserts she’d brought back to the table, and every time she looked down at the plate to choose another, he lifted his upper lip at the man who was now making no effort to hide his appreciation for Azi’s appearance.
A short while later both men rose from their table and headed for the door, but the one who’d dared to look desiringly at Azi stopped in his tracks and came back to the table. Hecompletely ignored Ra as he smiled down at Azi. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I couldn’t leave without letting you know how beautiful I find you.”
Azi looked up at the man, then around as though he might be talking to someone else instead of her.
“He is speaking to you, dear Azi,” Ra said.
Azi looked surprised, then looked up at him. “Oh, well, thank you.” She was clearly uncomfortable with the praise.
“If you ever find yourself available, perhaps you would be so kind as to reach out to me. I would be honored to escort you anywhere you wish to go,” he said, holding out a business card for her to take from his hand.
Ra was just about ready to snatch it from his hand and tear it to bits, but Azi’s next move stopped him, and made him very proud.
Azi gazed dispassionately at the card in his hand, then up at his face. “Thank you, but I don’t think I’ll be needing your card.”
“You might be surprised.”
“I’m sure I wouldn’t. You have no idea who we are, nor what our connection is,” she said, gesturing between herself and Ra, “Any man who would disrespect another so blatantly, is a man that I’m not interested in knowing.”
The man pressed his lips together irritatedly, and seemed about to lose his temper — until Ra slowly stood up. He towered over the man by at least four inches, and the simple non-shakeable confidence Ra carried naturally was enough for the man to decide it wasn’t worth it.
“Your loss,” he said as he turned and stalked away.
“I shall kill him for you,” Ra said, making a move to follow the man.
“No!” Azi said, catching his hand in hers and tugging him back toward the table. “Not necessary. We haven’t had ourcheesecake yet. He’s not worth wasting a perfectly good piece of cheesecake.”
“You are.”
