Page 20 of Beneath Her Hands
“Mario’s shut down for a few years a while back, but his daughter reopened it about five years ago. I actually haven’t been there, yet, it’s Maria’s now,” Jane answered, unsure whether this was just conversation or suggestion.
“Let’s go there instead. I’m not a big fan of French food,” Rosalind said, then her eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps she hadn’t meant to suggest it after all, but Jane wasn’t going to let it slide.
“Sure,” Jane said with a smile. The butterflies were doing full on tumbling in her stomach now, but Rosalind’s face had brightened, and that had to be a good sign. “Maria’s then, I’ll meet you there?”
Rosalind smiled and turned away from the door. Jane was slightly irked that she couldn’t tell if that was affirmation or not. It didn’t matter, she would go to Maria’s anyway and if Rosalind showed up, then great; if not, she would eat well and get a few margaritas.
She felt as though she was walking on air as she went back to her desk. Then the apprehension set in. Was this what she wanted to do? She fought to convince herself that they were just going out to have some fun, nothing serious. She didn’t wantto get too tangled up with someone she barely knew and would likely run out of her life before she could even get comfortable. That’s all it was, just two colleagues getting dinner. It would be fine. Yet, the warmth spreading in her belly suggested otherwise.
Checking the time, she realized that eight o’clock wasn’t that far away, she had about thirty minutes to finish up her work and get ready. She chastised herself for not paying more attention to the time, and she wished she could go home and get ready. She kept a few changes of clothes here at the hospital, but this was a date, an actual date…well, maybe. She thought it was, but she had no idea what Rosalind was thinking. After the times they’d already spent together, it had to be. It was a date, Jane was sure. Maybe. She huffed at herself and looked down at the computer. Quickly finishing up the notation in the charts, she put her things away and headed to her in-suite bathroom. The closet held a couple of outfits and Jane finally chose a cute blue dress that had been in there for a while. She had brought it in a while back, but it was a little too risqué for the office, though she’d never bothered to take it back home. Jane smiled at her luck.
After a quick shower, she applied some make-up in the mirror and finally stepped back to view her full-length reflection. Her dark hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders, and the dark blue of the dress set off her bright green eyes. The dress hugged her curves nicely, seeming to elongate her already long legs and accentuate her waist. A little more cleavage than she was used to peaked from the halter top, but she felt good about herself. She spent more time in the mirror than usual before noticing the clock, and she pulled on a pair of heels and quickly left the office.
9
Rosalind
Rosalind’s heart was thumping as she walked quickly back down the hall. She had planned on asking Jane to dinner, but that was not exactly the way she had rehearsed it in her head. Besides, once she had gotten to Jane’s office, she had lost her nerve. She was only planning to ask her because her father had pushed it. That was probably all there was to it; her father wouldn’t be around for much longer, and it seemed like a simple enough thing to make him happy. That didn’t account for the flip-flops her stomach was doing, though.
Rosalind went to her office briefly and changed clothes. She spent considerable time in the mirror putting on makeup and trying to make herself look nice, then became frustrated with the idea. She didn’t need to be attached to someone in this place. As soon as all this was over, she planned on joining back up with the Army and leaving it all behind. Jane would only be a distraction. Granted a gorgeous, exciting distraction, but Rosalind knew she’d never last long in this city; she’d die of boredom. Jane had never really left Phoenix Ridge, Rosalind knew that much abouther, and she knew that she would never be able to stay for long in the same place, especially one that Jane was so beholden to. Her chest tightened at the thought, but her mind drifted back to the intimate moments they had shared already. Heat shot through her despite how desperately she tried to ignore it. She would just tell her tonight that things would never be serious between them; they were just too different. Still, her make-up was flawless by the time she left the hospital.
She walked the few blocks over to Mario’s, which was now called Maria’s. Rosalind couldn’t help but chuckle at the slight change in nomenclature. Somehow it made the place better already. She walked inside and asked the hostess if Jane had arrived yet, she hadn’t, so the young woman showed Rosalind to a table by the window. Rosalind ordered a margarita and sipped it slowly while she waited. The restaurant was loud and bright, with vibrant orange and teal. Candy skulls lined the booths and hung from the ceiling, like a permanent fixture of Dia de los Muertos. The atmosphere was jovial, a guitarist was playing on a small stage in the corner, his upbeat Spanish songs making Rosalind’s toes tap. She could feel the stress from work and her family starting to melt away.
The waiter brought her some tortilla chips and salsa, and Rosalind picked at them, though she wasn’t really hungry, at least she didn’t think she was. Then she looked up and saw Jane. Her dark blue dress seemed to fit perfectly against her curves, and her dark hair spilled over her shoulders in waves. Her eyes were heavily lined as usual, and the sharp green irises almost seemed to glow, even in the bright room. A wide smile spread across her face before she caught herself.
“Hi,” Jane said, her voice slightly apprehensive.
“Hey,” Rosalind answered and gestured to the chair across from her. “I would have ordered you a drink, but I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”
“It’s fine,” Jane answered as the server came over to them. She ordered her own margarita and turned her bright eyes on Rosalind. “What do you think of the place?”
“It’s a lot brighter than I remember,” Rosalind said with a slight smile. “The chips are good.” She nodded toward the basket, still mostly full of tortilla chips. Jane took one and dipped it into the salsa before popping it into her mouth. Her red lips puckering slightly as she chewed. She closed her eyes and savored the salsa, and warmth rushed through Rosalind. They stared at each other for a few moments, until the tension turned awkward.
“You, uh, you like Mexican food?” Jane asked, and Rosalind suddenly felt self-conscious.
“Honestly, I don’t remember,” Rosalind answered. “We don’t really get to eat like this when I’m deployed, and I’ve been deployed for about as long as I can remember, it’s been pretty difficult to get used to things like this again.”
“Is that good or bad?” Jane asked.
“I suppose that’s all in how you look at it,” Rosalind said and shook her head. “On the one hand, I’m not difficult to please, at least when it comes to food. And on the other, I really don’t know what Ilikeanymore, it’s just that some things are more tolerable than others.”
Jane narrowed her eyes, and Rosalind struggled to read her emotions. “How’s your father?” she asked.
“He was sleeping when I left, Mom was staying with him. I’m not sure if he’ll wake up again,” Rosalind said, and it felt as though a wet blanket settled over them.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Jane said, and her eyes dropped to the table.
“It’s alright, sort of the elephant in the room,” Rosalind said and tried to shake it off.
“I know this is probably about as tactless as it gets, but I’m a little jealous of you,” Jane said after a couple more moments of tense silence.
Rosalind’s eyes narrowed in question.
“You’ve been all over, you’ve seen the world, you’ve led this exciting, adventurous life, and I well… haven’t.”
“You’re an accomplished surgeon, in one of the best hospitals in this country,” Rosalind said with a shake of her head. “Also, it must be nice to have a place to call home. I never really felt like I belonged here, or anywhere for that matter, that’s probably why I’ve always been on the move.” Rosalind’s mouth snapped shut. She hadn’t meant to say any of that out loud. Hell, she’d never even considered it before now. Why was it so easy to open up to Jane like this?
Jane lifted her eyebrows in surprise at the confession. “So, do you think you’ll be leaving again soon?” She pressed her lips together. She needed the answer to this question much more than she realized.
