Page 29 of Smooth Moves
“Ah, I just wanted to confirm.” Irene cleared her throat and asked Jordan, “Eggs Benedict for you, right? I meant to ask if you wanted the crab Benedict or the classic?”
Jordan blew out a breath. “Classic, please.”
“Anything else I can get you? That’s on the menu, I mean?” Irene shot a stern look at Jordan. “We run a family establishment, hon. So I can’t get you anything more than that. No group…specials.”
Jordan looked as if she wanted to sink through the floor.
Irene winked. “Kidding. Sounds like you had a great weekend. I’ll be back with your food soon.” She laughed. “Ah, to be young again.” She waved at Cash, and he promised himself to tip her heavily.
“I cannotbelieveyou threw me to the wolves like that,” Jordan muttered.
Cash finally stopped laughing and drained his water glass, his mood better than it had been in a long time. “Come on, details.”
“For details, I’d better be getting a to-go box of donuts on the way out,” she grumbled. “I earned it.”
“I bet you did.” He felt like his smile had taken over his face, it was so wide.
“You’re such an ass.” Yet her reluctant grin said otherwise.
“And you wouldn’t have set me up on something similar?”
“You know I would have—and will if I get the chance.” She paused. “Hold on. Didn’t Miriam try to get you to help her class out?” Her eyes widened. “Doing what?”
“Let me ask you this. How exactly did everyone get, ah, in the mood?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“I do. Isodo.”
She let out a loud, dramatic sigh. “It started out okay.” Jordan paused when Irene brought their plates and refilled their coffee. After the waitress left, she continued. “Miriam had a dozen of us in the back room. Her place is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. Once you get past all the vintage clothes and doodads on sale, she’s got space. So I joined a bunch of normal-looking women in the back.”
“Normal-looking?”
“A few around my age, some older, maybe two or three younger. The back room had pallets, like yoga mats but softer. And they had been arranged in a ring around Miriam at the center. Incense burned, smelling like roses and lavender. It was relaxing. At first.”
“At first!” Once his laughter wound down, he apologized and waited for her to continue.
“Dick.” They paused while they began devouring some delicious down-home cooking.
A busty blond woman slowed as she passed by and winked at him. He didn’t respond so she kept walking. He said nothing, not wanting the distraction. He used to consider it a point of pride that women liked him enough to be so bold. But he didn’t want it anymore, too used to the superficial attractions that never went anywhere once his admirers looked deeper.
So he made no mention of the woman, and Jordan didn’t either. She swallowed down a forkful of her breakfast and pointed at his plate. “I don’t know how you’re going to finish all that. What’s in there?”
“Biscuits, eggs, sausage gravy, sausage, cheese, potatoes, and something else. It’s amazing.” He’d thought about getting a double serving but didn’t want to look too piggish in front of Jordan.
“Wow.” Without asking, she dug into his food and took a huge bite. “Oh, that is good.”
“Help yourself,” he said with no small dose of sarcasm.
“I did.” She beamed, naughty and sexy and so damn pretty.
He let out a quiet breath then drank more coffee to distract himself. “Waiting on those details…”
“Of course you are. Right. So everyone is looking comfy in their robes, lying around Miriam’s ‘Modiste.’ Miriam hands me a robe, and I just put it on over my clothes. I had no idea everyone else was naked until later.” She frowned. “Still not sure about where you’d fit into her class.”
“It’ll come to you.” No pun intended. “What happened next?”
“Some interesting talk, actually. About taking control of ourselves, to stop apologizing for being women. To feel free to reject a man’s advances and feel good about it. Not as if we owe him anything.”
