Page 22 of Hiding Rose
“Truer words were never spoken,” I muttered as the waiter approached. Thankfully, he interrupted our discussion before Sawyer could comment.
When we arrived, I let Sawyer do the ordering, which was simple, the nightly special. I had it on good authority it was to die for. Sawyer called it surf and turf with a twist, which raised my interest level. Chances are I would give him the surf, but I promised myself I would give it a taste before writing it off immediately. If there was one thing he’s accomplished in a short time, it’s teaching me to try new foods.
The waiter set a platter in front of each of us and I sucked in a breath at its beauty. A full lobster tail, red as a cherry, curved around the plate, with sliced brisket in the middle arranged next to a steaming baked potato.
“Enjoy your meal,” Thomas said as he disappeared into the dark of the night as unobtrusively as he had arrived.
Sawyer chuckled and I glanced up to see him leaning over and smiling. “You’re staring at the lobster tail like it might bite you.”
“I’ve never had lobster before,” I answered and his brow went up.
“Seriously?”
I rolled my eyes. “It lived in the sea, so yes, seriously.” To put the subject to rest I picked up my knife and fork to try the brisket. My fork sank into the meat and a knife became unnecessary. I popped a piece in my mouth and moaned softly. “Oh, how do you get it so tender and juicy?” I asked, after I swallowed. “It’s usually tough and chewy.”
He finished chewing his before he answered. “The truth is, most people don’t know how to fix a good brisket. The meat always gets a bad rap, but it’s the cook who should carry the blame. I can’t tell you how I make it, since it will be featured during the Great Hawaiian Cook-Off during the luau next month, but there is a unique skill set involved with perfecting a brisket.”
“The Great Hawaiian Cook-Off?” I asked. “Can I come? It sounds awesome.”
He smiled as he chewed. “This will be your first year, won’t it? Why don’t you come and help as my assistant? I can always use a pretty face to keep the crowd busy as I cook. You can schmooze with the guys while they wait for my winning brisket.”
I ducked my head and shook it. “No, thanks. I’ll ask Lei if she needs help with anything behind the scenes.”
I tried to cut the meat with my fork, but my hand was shaking and unfortunately, he noticed. He took hold of my fork and held it, waiting for me to look at him. “I’m sorry I upset you. Forget about it. I don’t want it to ruin the night.”
He released my fork and I went back to eating. We chewed in silence, watching the waves on the ocean until the brisket was gone. I eyed the lobster, but didn’t touch it, since I didn’t know what to do. He scooted his chair around the table to sit closer to me and took my fork.
“Lobster looks intimidating, but it’s not,” he promised. “Flip the tail over, so you can see the white flesh underneath.” I did what he asked and he wedged my fork between the shell and the flesh until he had a nice piece on the tines. He dipped it in the melted butter and held it up for me. “I promise one bite won’t kill you.”
I laughed and leaned forward, swiping the meat off the fork with my lips and chewing. The flavor popped with the butter, but it wasn’t an unpleasant fishy taste like I was expecting. “Okay, I get why people love this stuff,” I admitted, taking my fork back and going through the steps he did to get more. He moved his chair back to his side of the table and grinned as I ate another piece. “It’s rich and buttery, but I know I better not eat the whole thing or I’ll be sick.”
“Whatever you can’t finish I’ll have Thomas take to the kitchen. They’ll keep it for us until we get back.”
“Get back from where?” I asked, lowering my fork, my appetite plummeting.
“Our walk,” he answered, starting on his own lobster tail.
“Our walk. We’re going for a walk. You do know I walk with crutches, right?”
He nodded and shrugged. “Maybe I’ll be the only one walking, but even if I have to carry you, we’re going to the beach after dinner.”
“Kind of sure of yourself, aren’t you?” I asked, laying the fork down.
He chuckled as he chewed. “It’s a beautiful night and I’m in the presence of a beautiful lady. I would be stone cold stupid not to draw every last second of pleasure I can from tonight.” My head snapped up and he held up his hand. “Poor choice of words. I meant I want to spend a little bit more time with you, and we’re on a resort in Maui. The beach has to happen.”
“I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises. I don’t do well in sand, and now,” I motioned at my foot and then waved my hand as if to say, ‘forget it. Why bother?’
“We’ll take it slow. I want to share my world with you. I know you’ve hardly left the hotel since you arrived and maybe all you need is someone to show it to you. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
I shook my head a little bit at him. “I’m not worried about you being inappropriate. I’m just scared of men and don’t like to be alone with them.”
He cocked his head at my words. “You’ve been alone with me in your apartment several times and your office countless times. Did you ever feel scared?”
Crap. He called me on my own game. The fork clattered to my plate and I stood. “I should go now. Thanks for dinner, it was wonderful,” I said as I struggled to get my crutches on my arms and my purse over my shoulder. There’s no way to make a quick escape, I realized, when you’re dependent on medical equipment.
He stood before me, blocking my way. “You can’t run for the rest of your life, Rose. At some point, you have to trust someone. Have I given you any indication I’m out to hurt you?” he asked, keeping his hands at his sides. I noticed they were clenched as though he had to work hard not to reach out and touch me.
A sigh escaped my lips. “I mean, no. I know you aren’t planning on it, but I’ve learned saying you care about someone means nothing when you’re upset about something.”
