Page 33 of Priceless
The young woman who’d assigned me to the table came back. She had purple hair and was covered in tattoos and piercings, so I was shocked by how sweet and soft-spoken she was, especially after the picture I’d seen of her just inside the pub door. In it, she’d been grinning and dragging some big man by the ear. I hadn’t stopped to read the message beneath.
Vonnie, she said her name was, and placed a small glass bowl on the table full of pickled stuff—I could smell the vinegar immediately—cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, and some white vegetable. It made my mouth water immediately.
“Ah, ye’re back, love. Do ye need help with yer order?”
I shook my head. “I’ll have the steak pie and the sticky toffee pudding, unless you suggest something better.”
“Cannae go wrong there. And to drink?”
“A coke and some water?”
She nodded, nudged the vegetables closer, and winked before she turned away.
“Wait,” I said. When she stepped back, I asked, “Do you mind if I ask a rude question?”
She laughed. “The ruder the better. Gie it laldy!”
I assumed the latter meant something likegive it your best shot, so I spit it out. “That tall man who brought the menu. Does he not…speak?”
She choked, then snorted. “Jacob? Some days I wish he couldnae, but aye, he can speak.”
“Oh. Okay. Uh, maybe Jacob doesn’t like Americans?” I shook my head. “Never mind. Forget I said that. I’m sorry. Let’s just blame all my rudenesson jetlag. Ignore me.”
She bit her lips together and nodded, her smile gone. “As ye like. Dinnae let him put ye off. He’s been crabbit for days. Nothin’ to do with ye. But I’ll have him apologize just the same.” She turned and stomped off, ignoring me when I tried to call her back a second time.
The last thing I wanted—theverylast thing I wanted—was for someone in a bad mood to be forced to apologize to me, a stranger!
I wanted to crawl under the table! I wanted to run for the door. I hadn’t touched the vegetables, hadn’t taken so much as a sip of water. So, if they saw me leave, they could cancel my order before anything got started!
I jumped to my feet, grabbed my purse, and hurried to the bar where a young man was unpacking a box of bottles. “Please, could you tell Vonnie to cancel my order, quickly, before they get started on it? I’ve…got to go.”
He looked confused, but nodded and headed for the kitchen. I wasn’t paying attention and caught the strap of my purse on a barstool and knocked it over. Thankfully, I caught it before it could hit the floor. I wobbled around to regain my balance and set the thing back in place, then pulled my purse over my shoulder and headed for the exit again.
I was just about there when a voice stopped me. A voice just like I’d imagined. Low and grumbly, and sexy as hell. With a Scottish brogue that melted me to the spot, like a candle frozenin a cooling puddle of its own wax. But there was nothing cool about it.
“Please, lass. Dinnae go.”
I didn’t need to turn to know who that voice belonged to. And I wondered, if I kept standing there, how many times he might repeat those words.
Please, lass. Dinnae go.
Poor man. I decided not to cause him any more embarrassment than I already had and turned around.
He was only a few steps away. Almost close enough to touch. He took a step, then stopped, like he stood on the edge of something dangerous and didn’t dare come closer. “Forgive me.”
Blushing and dying of humiliation, I tried to laugh it off. “There’s nothing to forgive. I just?—”
“Then ye’ll stay?” His direct gaze locked on my eyes and held them.
I pointed to the door and groped for an excuse to go. The wordsI just remembered somethingbloomed and died in my mouth. I had no choice but to surrender. “Yes, I’ll stay.”
“Brave lass.” He winked, bit the corner of his lip, then did something I would never have expected—he lifted his open hand and dared me to take it.
Just over his shoulder, Vonnie stopped in the kitchen doorway. Her mouth dropped open.
That huge hand was still ten inches too far. I would have to take a step to reach it. In my brogue-affected mind, I imagined he was asking for some sort of commitment. If I took that step, there was no going back. I was promising to stay, even though I’d already said I would.
As if he could read my thoughts, his smile widened and his teeth released his lip.
