Page 67 of The Agent
A young man dressed in a navy suit stood by the door. “Good evening, Mr. Gibson. Ma’am.” He smiled at Natalie. “Welcome to Cruz.”
The host escorted them through the entrance to the restaurant itself, the two-story space warm and almost rustic, with low stucco arches lining the dining room over which a wire-mesh sculpture hovered. But he continued through the large room into what looked like a rain forest. The walls appeared to be made of cascading vines and leaves woven through copper trellises dotted with votive candles, while the city lights and night sky glowed through a domed glass ceiling. He showed them to a table tucked in one corner, secluded by planters of bamboo. Even the chairs were upholstered in a fabric that resembled close-clipped grass.
Tully held the chair for Natalie, brushing his fingertips against her cheek before he sat down himself. A tingle of delight danced over her skin at his soft touch. She tried not to gawk like a tourist but she knew her eyes were wide with delight as she glanced around the verdant space.
“You like it,” Tully said, satisfaction lacing his voice.
“I feel like I’m in an enchanted garden.” She dropped her gaze to the table itself. The flatware was wrought in rubbed bronze to look like twigs, and the napkin’s pale green fabric was a jacquard woven in a leaf pattern. “Every detail works together.”
A server arrived and placed two Manhattans on their table.
“I hope you don’t mind that I ordered these ahead of time,” Tully said. “I figured you might like a drink fast.”
She picked up her glass with genuine gratitude, lifting it in a toast. “To the very clever man sitting across from me.”
His smile was pure sin. He held up his own glass. “To the even smarter woman across from me.”
Her hand stopped midway to her mouth as she asked, “Why am I smarter?”
“Because you taught me to appreciate a Manhattan.” Tully took a swallow and half closed his eyes as he said, “Good stuff.”
She sipped the sweet burn of the cocktail, thinking how strangely endearing it was that big masculine Tully had adopted her favorite drink, even though some guys might consider it froufrou.
When the server presented them with their menus, Natalie saw a side of Tully she’d never been exposed to before. She didn’t know why it surprised her that he could talk about gourmet food and fine wines with knowledge and authority. After all, he had to entertain CEO-level clients on a regular basis. But she found herself feeling a little out of her depth with the Tully who knew which vintage year was best in Catalonia. Not to mention that the server and the sommelier treated him with a cordial respect that indicated he knew what he was talking about.
Natalie decided to let Tully order the entire dinner since he was the expert. She reserved the right to choose her own dessert, though. “It’s a very personal decision,” she explained. “Not to mention the most important part of the meal.”
Tully chuckled. “They make a mean chocolate soufflé but you have to order it now to get it ready on time.”
“Done,” Natalie said to the server.
When the menus had been whisked away, Natalie took another sip of her drink before she set it down. “Let’s get the ugly topics out of the way first. Regina told me that the restraining order was served on Dobs today. He immediately tried to get in touch with her through the law firm, which doesn’t bode well for him obeying the order.”
Tully put his drink down with the air of a man who knew he was about to deliver bad news. “For someone like Dobs, a restraining order is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Now that he knows Regina is somewhere in the area, he’s going to do everything he can to find her.” Tully’s smile was cold. “Fortunately, Alastair and his associates can’t be intimidated by Van Houten. How’s Regina holding up?”
“I was working when she called, so I couldn’t talk with her long. She sounds amazingly strong and determined. It helps that she has Dawn and Leland right there.” That was what Natalie tried to provide for the women she helped: a safe place with someone to support them. “How far does he have to go before he can be thrown in jail?”
Tully grimaced. “Even though the restraining order prohibits him from contacting her via any means, he’s more likely to get fined than jailed, especially for the first or second offense. She needs to document every attempt.”
“She’s good at documentation,” Natalie said, remembering the photos of Regina’s injuries.
“Her best strategy is to stay hidden from Van Houten until we nail him,” Tully said.
“She can’t impose on Dawn and Leland indefinitely,” Natalie objected.
He lifted his eyebrows. “Why not? Their place is huge and they like her. It won’t be for much longer anyway.”
“Do you know something I don’t?” Natalie said it with a half smile, but she didn’t want Tully keeping secrets to protect her.
“I know Van Houten’s type. Regina has struck at his pride. That makes him angry, and angry men do stupid things. I’ll be ready when he does.”
Natalie twisted the stem of her glass between her fingers. “Now for unpleasant topic number two. You and Pam both think my stalker isn’t done with me, even though it’s been nearly two days since I’ve heard from him. I don’t want to keep jumping at shadows for the rest of my life.”
Tully stretched his arm across the table to take her hand. “You won’t have to, sweetheart, I promise.” He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. “Remember what I said about angry men doing stupid things.”
“That’s assuming Dobs is my stalker.”
“He is,” Tully said in a flat voice that carried utter conviction. “He fits the profile in every way.” He held her gaze with his. “One thing I learned in the FBI was to trust my gut. Van Houten either knows or suspects that you helped Regina. That’s what set him off.”
