Page 64 of Peasants and Kings
Chapter Fifteen
Hadrian helped me off the table and aided in straightening my dress. My cheeks were on fire and I looked everywhere but at him. The room was littered with the remains of our wine glasses and china, scattered across the floor.
Without a word, Hadrian clutched my hand and led me to the restaurant’s bar. While I settled onto a stool, Hadrian spoke to the bartender and asked for a bottle of wine.
“Please tell the kitchen we’ve moved and would like our salads,” he said.
The bartender nodded, poured our wine, and then left the bar to speak to the kitchen staff.
I wasn’t sure what to say to Hadrian—the formalities of the contract had been addressed, but I was tongue tied. All I could do was stare at his large hand as he grasped the delicate wine glass. His scarred knuckles stood out and it reminded me of the scar on his body.
The bartender returned, carrying our salads. He set them down in front of us, asked if we wanted fresh cracked black pepper, and then went to help another customer.
“How is this going to work?” I inquired.
“You pick up your fork and—”
“Not that. I mean,this.” I gestured between the two of us.
“I don’t understand. I thought things worked quite nicely in the back room.” He arched his brows as if daring me to vocalize what had occurred.
“Yes, I know how that went. I meant…after. Do you want me to talk? Doyouwant to do the talking? Or do you want six months of silence between us?”
He peered at me. “You’re nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Liar.”
I scoffed. “Fine. I’m nervous. I don’t know how any of this is supposed to work. I don’t know if you even want to talk to me, or if you’d prefer it if I was a nice quiet trophy—”
“What’s your real name?” he interrupted.
His question made me pause and then I said, “I’m still not telling you that.”
“Where did you grow up?”
“Here and there.”
“Do you have any siblings?” he asked.
“What is this, an inquisition?”
“I’m trying to learn about you.”
“By firing questions at me? Haven’t you talked to another human being before?” I asked in exasperation. “It’s called a normal conversation, Hadrian.”
“I don’t have time for normalcy.”
I reached for my wine glass. “Why not? That makes me curious about you…”
“It does?”
I nodded.
“Okay, what do you want to know?”
Everything.
